Codename: Songbird
by The Celestial Sky Dragon
Summary: The world is a rather rotten place, where people were often looked down upon and taken advantage of. Takumi is no different, arriving in Japan after two years in America, he comes to see how cruel the world can be. But he realizes, that changing the hearts of the masses, might be the only way to save the world. So he will become Joker's Songbird, and help change the world.
1. The Beginning I

**A/N:**

 **Welcome...to the Velvet Room...nah, I'm just messin'! Welcome to this new story, based on Persona 5. Yeah, I've been trying to continue my magnum opus, my Ever After High story. But after writing 100 chapters straight, I burned out...so I literally have no ideas for it. I hate to do it, I really do, but I'm going to take a break from the series for a bit and work on this.**

 **I've been meaning to write a Persona story for awhile, I wanted to write a Persona 4 story but I never got a good plot. Persona 5 was a wonderful game, I've played it a few times already, I'm on like my fifth play through, I lost track really, hehe. But I'm not gonna start at the beginning like most others...well I am, but not the Kamoshida stuff...I'm gonna try to make this my own while following the plot of Persona 5 as best as I can. This is my first time writing something like this, so bear with me here. It may sound a bit cheesy, but I will be including some stuff that will extend Persona 5's story a bit. The main character is a failed actor, who's father ruined his career because he wanted him to take up the family business instead of acting. This story starts after Madarame's change of heart, but before Kaneshiro's change of heart. It will feature some new characters among the main cast.**

 **Since in my play through, I didn't do the Tower or Sun confidants, don't know how I missed them, but I did, I will be making my oc, Takumi, Ren Amammiya's Tower Arcana. He will still get the gun benefits from him. As for the Sun Arcana, well I'm not sure. I will have Takumi have his own confidants, but he isn't a Fool like Ren, he will still be the Tower Arcana, but he will have his own confidants. After all, the Phantom Thieves need a lot of help for the stuff that they do, so it makes sense to have a wide circle of friends they can trust, Ren himself can't do everything, even though he is Joker. You'll all see the people Takumi befriends, though half of them are the same people and Arcana that Ren will get, so only a few people will be different than the ones that Takumi will meet.**

 **Takumi is actually related to someone from a past game, you'll know who when you read his last name. As an actor, he is well acquainted with a few people, which will be making a cameo, or might even become a mainstay in the story, I haven't decided yet. So I do hope you all look forward to this story, updates will be sporadic, as I am working on an original plot before the game's actual plot starts to kick in. I heard, that in April, the P5 anime is supposed to start airing, so I get to finally hear Joker's suave voice. I can't wait to see the best waifu ever Futaba finally get animated, for all those who like Makoto, fuck you, fite me! Though it would be great if Cherami Leigh reprises her role in the eventual dub...but still fite me!**

 **Well, I'll see you in the next update, let me know in the trust review section what you think, and if you wish to insult me for some reason, feel free to do so, that only serves to motivate me further...also what do you think? Do you think Haru is a closet sadist? I think she is...I might use that in this story actually...hmm...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 1

The Beginning

 _ **Date: Unknown**_

 _ **Time: Unknown**_

 _ **Location: Unknown**_

 _ **Threat Level: 100%**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

He licked his lips as he peered through the scope of his rifle, firmly pressed against his shoulder. The far off sound of choppers were starting to come closer and closer. Though everyone's nerves were through the roof, he had been rather calm about everything. He had to be, after all if his aim was off even a fraction of an inch, it could alert everyone to his location, and he didn't want that to happen. It had happened once to him already, and that was something he didn't want to live through. He had plenty of ammunition, a steel sword on his back and two handguns at his hips. But even then one could never be too cautious, especially when exploring someone's palace. From beside him, he could hear the feverish typing of one of his cohorts, a young woman who's code name was Oracle. Her eyes were scanning the holographic screens floating in front of her, checking on every live feed around them, constantly pouring in from the Casino that they had infiltrated.

Beside them was another one of his cohorts, a young man named Fox though his friend Oracle called him Inari whenever she was annoyed. He was rather tense, especially after what had happened. After getting the briefcase that they had found deep within the casino they were at, they had been forced to evacuate. They had been separated from the sheer amount of guards that had showed up, all of them dressed in fancy suits, bearing firearms that could do quite a lot of damage. Fox was always the calmest one of the group, most times thinking with a level head. His skills were as sharp and as deadly as his katana, which he was holding in his hand, ready to be drawn at a moments notice. The three of them were in a high balcony, hiding in the shadows trying to find an exit. There were several guards on the floor below, the only exit being a door on the other side. And while normally taking a leap of faith would have been good, with all of the Slot machines and other casino games between them and the window, and all of the guards currently searching for them, they had no exact route outside.

"What are the odds of this? Do you believe it was planned?" Fox asked smoothly, causing the brown haired boy to look at him, his hold on his rifle loosening a bit.

"Like what? Someone ratted us out? I doubt it. That Shadow probably prepared for this...it's a casino after all. In a place with literally millions being tossed around, it makes sense for there to be high security. Still, there wasn't that much security when we took down Shimizu." he replied.

"I can't think straight with all of these alarms! Queen, status report?" Oracle called out, tapping a finger on her custom made headset. She had gone out of her way to create special com devices for their infiltrations, and they had been quite helpful to them. The young woman on the other line sighed, he could almost picture the look on her masked face.

" _I should be asking you that question. Our status is just as yours, Joker is on his own, I'm with Noir and Mona. Panther and Skull are together, I'm not sure where Crow went."_

"Great, just what we needed. Oracle is going to plan a route to your location, remain in place and we'll meet up soon. Panther, Skull do you still have the briefcase?" the brown haired boy called out.

" _Yes, you actually think I would drop it? You know Panther would beat my ass if I did."_

" _Don't worry Songbird, we've it secured. The crowd down here is riled up, I think it was because of Joker."_

" _Sorry, I saw my chance to taunt the guards and I took it."_ the smooth voice of their leader said, causing them all to laugh.

" _Leave it to you to show off to the crowd Joker. I gotta say, it was a brilliant move. It's lowered security in all the other areas."_ Mona said, an almost playful tone in his voice.

"Uh oh, we've got company." Fox said, drawing his sword as the door beside them opened. He drew his katana, faster than a bolt of lightning, slicing the guard apart. Just as quickly, it morphed into its true form, a shadow. Songbird lowered his rifle, resting it against the railing of the balcony they were at, drawing his steel sword, taking the shadow on the left. With a nod, he and Fox moved forward, attacking them methodically. They both burst into smoke shortly after, earning a sigh of relief from them.

"Songbird, if you wanna make a break for it, now is your chance." Oracle said, earning a nod from the young man, who slipped his sword back into his scabbard. He grabbed his rifle, once again taking aim at the farthest guard. He smirked as he lined his shot.

"I got one, right in my pocket!" he said, squeezing the trigger. The silenced pop of his gun filled their ears as the high powered round flew through the air, hitting the Guard through the temple. He pulled the bolt back, ejecting the spent casing. Quickly lining his next shot, he took out a second guard, then a third, and a forth. With his last bullet, he took out the final guard, clearing the floor beneath them. He popped the magazine out, placing it inside his pocket.

"I still can't believe pellet guns shoot real bullets in places like this. It's really rather amazing."

"Yeah, whatever. It's time to skedaddle, our stealth skills aren't that highly leveled yet. We'll be found in no time!" Oracle cried. Fox took point, keeping a firm hold of his assault rifle as they moved through the floor, racing toward the other window.

" _Alright Joker, Get Moving. We'll handle everything on our end!"_ Queen said firmly.

"Alright, the enemy's focus is on him. Looks like we can slip away!" Oracle said, glancing at the phone in her hands, which showed her where the higher concentration of enemies was.

" _You all remember where we're meeting up right?"_ a meek voice said, causing almost all of them to nod.

"Yup, now we just gotta get from point A to point B." Songbird said, opening the door, their only exit. They moved down the stairs, reaching another hallway. They silently crept through it, reaching a locked door. Oracle pointed to the air vent on the high wall, and Fox reached for it, being the taller of the two. He pulled it with ease, helping Oracle up into it.

"You better not stare at my butt Inari, or I'll swear I'll use my Ult all over your face."

"Pardon me Oracle, but we don't have much breathing room in here. I suppose I can just look at the shaft itself."

"Hehe, shaft."

" _God Songbird, you are such a perv!"_

"You love me anyway Panther. You probably enjoy the sound of my heavy breathing whenever I line up my shots."

" _Hey, don't get weird. We gotta stay focused!"_

"Yeah yeah, you can ride my ass later Mona." the boy said, slipping into the vent after Fox. They continued moving through it, heading downward instead of upward as they had been expecting.

Oracle had somehow managed to turn herself around in the vent, and used all of her strength to kick the grating. It flew forward, hitting the side wall with a band, causing her to quickly move out of the vent. Songbird and Fox quickly drew their weapons, taking aim at both sides of the hallway, their aim trained on wither side. Oracle took that chance to scan the area, quickly telling them they were clear of enemies. Finding the nearest exit, Songbird took the lead, keeping his silenced pistols raised in case he needed to shoot.

" _Enemy Spotted."_ Joker said, causing Oracle to stop.

"Hang on, checking power levels...no threat detected, take'em down Joker!" she cried cheerfully. Songbird held his hand over his com, listening to the slashing of Joker's knife as he easily took down his enemy.

" _Arsene! Eiha!"_

"Tch...leave it to him to show off."

" _Hey, he is our trump card after all."_ Queen uttered, causing the boy to roll his eyes.

" _Everyone, I finally got this thing to work right."_

"Crow! What the hell happened to you? We lost contact after we left the Treasure Room!" Oracle cried.

" _My apologies...some of the guards here are trained with interference devices. I couldn't get a good signal until I had gotten away. I passed by the Entrance Hall earlier, the place is packed to the brim."_

"Ugh...that's just how it is. After all of the commotion, it's obvious the main entrance would be blocked. Joker, are you sure you can handle this?" Songbird asked, earning a chuckle from the teen.

" _I can handle it. You and I both know I'm the stealthier one of the two, I didn't get caught with Risette's panties in my hand."_

Everyone started laughing through the com devices, causing Songbird to flush, in both embarrassment and anger. He growled angrily, almost wanting to sock his friend in the face. They reached a hallway near a control room, seeing several officers within. He pressed himself against the side of the wall, a frown on his face.

"I'm gonna get you back for that one, you rat bastard. Just you wait." he said, hissing his threat through his speaker. Joker's chuckle only served to egg him on. He dashed toward a large crate, using the shadows to blend in.

"Uh oh, enemies. Stay to the shadows." Oracle said softly. Songbird reached for a Stealthinol Grenade, keeping his hand wrapped around it in case he needed it. The guards ran past them into the opposite hall.

" **Intruders...detected...upper hall..."**

"Looks like they're talking about Joker." Fox muttered, once they had slipped past the doors.

"Joker, quick get through the doors!" Oracle commanded, her eyes firmly on her screen. She watched as their leader burst through the door, the suave leader of the Phantom Thieves reached a balcony above the entrance hall, seeing it was filled with guards and patrons, all of them looking scared.

"Fuck, there's a lot more of them then I thought." Songbird muttered.

" _It's as I said...I managed to get away unscathed, but I'm not sure if Joker will be able to make it."_ Crow said, causing the black haired man to chuckle.

" _You haven't been with us long enough Crow. Trust me, I can handle it...everyone else, get out while you still can. We'll meet up later."_

" _Alright, be safe Joker. Everyone, we're pulling out."_ Queen said firmly. Songbird took a breath, only for Panther's voice to cut through the line.

" _I swear to god, if you make another fucking joke, I am going to whip you until you cry uncle!"_

"See, this is why I call you _Dominatrix_. You got the spandex and the whip, with that attitude, you will charm any man who ever lays their eyes on you."

" _Dude, have you got an effing death wish?"_

"I like to try my luck Skull, you know how my RNG works." Songbird said, earning a giggle from Oracle.

" **Freeze, don't move!"**

" **There's nowhere to run! Give it up!"**

Joker just gave them a smirk, flipping onto the railing. He started running across it, with trained skills. His coattails billowed behind him as he ran, the soft clacking of his winkle pickers hitting the wooden railing. He moved toward the stained glass window, a smirk on his face.

"That's your exit? Are you insane?"

" _Just a little."_ the boy replied. Before he did, he stopped in front of the guards, almost bowing. If he had a top hat, he likely would have taken it off. With one trained jump, the boy burst through the glass, flipping through the air elegantly, the soft glow of the moonlight hitting his mask.

"Tch...what a show off." Oracle muttered dryly.

" _You are so wreckless, you know that?"_ Panther's worried voice called, earning a soft laugh from the boy.

" _I try."_

He landed gracefully on the floor, glass shards falling all around him. He looked around, smirking a bit as he was planning to run, only for him to be blinded by hundreds of lights. He was surrounded, hundreds of police officers were trained on him, blocking all possible escape routes.

"Enemies, here?"

" _He's surrounded!"_

" _Joker's got this!"_

Joker moved toward the nearby fire escape, avoiding the gun toting officers as he jumped up, giving them a grin as he started climbing up the ladder. As he reached the top, he was met with even more police officers. He let out a sigh, bowing his head in defeat.

" _Aw, Crap."_

Just like that, the officer struck him in the face with the butt of his gun. Joker fell to the ground rather roughly, all of the officers converged on his location. He was apprehended, his hands being placed behind his back, as the Chief of Police walked toward him, a smirk on his face.

" _Tch...I can't believe the leader of the Phantom Thieves is just some stupid kid. You have your teammate to thank, you were sold out."_

Joker's look of surprise made the man smirk. He told the other officer to cuff him, it wasn't the first time he felt the cold steel of handcuffs wrapping around his wrists. He struggled against his captives, trying to break free, only for an officer to slam a shotgun stock to the back of his head, knocking him out cold.

"Joker!"

"There's nothing we can do Songbird, those are real officers. We gotta go." Fox said, grabbing a hold of his arm. Songbird growled, following after Oracle and Fox, heading toward the opposite side of the Casino.

Due to Joker's capture, all of the officers had moved in that direction, making it easier to leave the Casino. Songbird burst through the door, almost falling to the ground over the fire escape.

He jumped down first, holding his arms out to catch Oracle, setting her to the ground. Fox joined them after, aiming his rifle in all directions, in case the shadows were around. They broke into a sprint up the street, heading in the opposite direction of the casino. As they did, the rest of their friends joined them, all of them running for their lives. Songbird paused momentarily, the flashing blue and red lights in the distance being the only remainder of their friend, who was taken into custody. Panther took a hold of his arm, giving him a small smile, with a nod the boy started running once more, being forced to leave his close friend and leader behind.

As he ran, he couldn't help but to think back to how it all started, at least for him. The Phantom Thieves had already formed when he had first arrived in Japan. They weren't as popular as they are now. It was all the way back, in the early part of the year, June 1st. It was the day he realized how twisted society could truly be.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Wednesday June 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Daytime**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Station**_

 _ **xxx**_

He sighed as he leaned against the wall. He was currently in Shibuya, after his long flight from the United States of America to Japan. He had spent some time over there with his father, in the city of Los Angeles. In fact, it had been an entire year since he had gone to live with his father. It had started out mostly because he had been offered a part in an American Sitcom. Since he was half American, he knew English, and he wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to be in American television. It hadn't been what he had expected, the script wasn't good, the show wasn't funny and in the end, they only filmed a thirteen episode season which wasn't even picked up by a Network. He was still payed sure, but since it was aired on Netflix instead of on television, his pay wasn't as big as he had thought it would be. He had been forced to spend his time with his father, being schooled by a tutor.

It wasn't that he hated his father, he just didn't see eye to eye with him. The man was, for lack of a better term, a man whore. He dated frivolously, and used his money to attract women. During his life, since his mother had passed away, he had dated several women. The first and only love of his life, had been a woman named Rika. He had met his wife in Japan and had fallen in love with her. She had just gotten out of an abusive relationship with her previous boyfriend and wanted to leave the country on the first plane out. His father, Takarou, had taken her out on the town, and they had fallen head over heels in love. When he said he lived in America, she begged for him to take her there, and he did. They got married weeks afterwards, and as it turned out, Rika had been pregnant but from her previous boyfriend.

She had given birth to a beautiful girl, which Takarou raised as his daughter. But he had thought she had cheated on him, and divorced her after three years. Rika had been broken hearted, and moved back to Japan to raise her daughter in her homeland, though legally she still shared Takarou's last name due to their marriage, so that her daughter didn't live without a father, even though he was never in her life. It was then that Takarou met his second wife, another Japanese woman named Naotaro, who was his mother. He had always said she had been the true love of his life, and between them, he, Takumi, had been born. But at the age of six, his mother had gone out grocery shopping and had been in an accident, that had cost her, her life. Takarou never recovered from her loss. It was why he had become so strict with his only son, the heir to his company.

He had always wanted to teach his son about business, but Takumi himself didn't want that. He wanted to be an actor, so with the help of his grandmother, he had gotten a minor role in a Japanese sitcom, and he had been a hit. After his popularity, companies from all over had wanted a piece of the young actor, and he had been in everything, from movies, to television shows, he even had his own anime characters, voiced entirely by him. He had been happy, his father had not...he had done something horrible to his son. He had used his money to hire someone, that would ruin his career, and just as he had hit his peak, he had fallen straight to the ground. No one wanted to hire him, and just like that, his fifteen minutes of glamour were over. Now, he was just known as that boy who was famous back in 2012, but is a total loser now. The scandal was, that he used Steroids and various other drugs whenever he filmed action movies.

It had been proven wrong, but the doctors were bought by his father, so even they did what they could to ruin his career. His grandmother and manager knew he was innocent of this, and they tried to get him new roles, but that didn't happen. His grandmother passed away in 2014, and in 2015, he had quit acting all together, dismissing his manager, who was sad to see him go. He still loved to act, and would perform in plays whenever he could. But it wasn't until last year, in 2016 that he got a role in that sitcom and was forced to move in with his father in America. It hadn't been the best time of his life...but now, he was back in Japan, hoping to put everything behind him, and start fresh. If Risette could rise to stardom after a year of hiatus, then he definitely could reclaim his acting career. He just had to work for it. But since he was still a minor, he had to have a guardian. His father Takarou didn't trust his sister, or her mother Rika. So instead he sent him to Shibuya, to meet one of his previous step-mothers, a sweet woman named Billerica, who had been his step-mother after his mother Naotaro passed away.

He is a young man with spiky black hair, sunkissed skin with crimson colored eyes. He is a pretty tall young man, standing at five feet, nine inches in height. He has an average build, with a lean body from the time he spends skateboarding. He was wearing a black tee shirt with the words "Get Bent" on the front. He wore a pair of tight fitting dark blue jeans, with Converse Sneakers. Around his belt loop, he has a silver chain, attached to his Legend of Zelda wallet. He was wearing a pair of bright green Beats around his neck, attached to his Sky blue Galaxy S8. He has a boyish face, with thin brows, through his most alluring feature was definitely his eyes, a trait that was recessive in his family. Not a lot of people in the world actually had eyes like him, so he was quite lucky to have them. He was currently watching a news report that had happened a few days prior to his arrival.

" _The Court Trial for the famous artist Ichiryusai Madarame has already been set. As you all know, he was set to have an art exhibition in Ueno this week, but in a surprising twist, during the unveiling of his latest master piece, he had a sudden change of heart. He admitted to abusing his pupils, stealing their art and claiming it as his own, as well as replicating several paintings and selling them for profit. But the biggest scandal was behind the famous painting "Sayori" which he admitted, wasn't even his own. He has been arrested for his crimes and will be sentenced soon. This, comes after the arrest of Olympic Medalist, Suguru Kamoshida, who was arrested for abusing the students of Shujin Academy, and sexually assaulting several female students from the school's volleyball team."_

"Jesus Christ, what the hell is this world coming too? Are kids just people's playthings nowadays?" Takumi muttered, turning off the news report. He decided to check his Chat ID, to see if he had gotten a message from Erica, who was set to pick him up from the Station.

" _Hey, is that him?"_

" _It looks like him, but I'm not sure. He looks different."_

" _No, it's definitely him. He was in that movie with Risette, Fleeting Angel! It is totally him!"_

Takumi sighed, trying to ignore the people speaking around him. He didn't mind it, since he was once a famous child actor in Japan. But most of the comments nowadays were about his career and how he took a nose dive. He had hit the ground flying, and left a crater on the ground, which was then filled in with nothing but rumors. 2013 was just that, people talking rumors about him all over the place. Social media, the news, magazines, newspapers. It was why he couldn't land a single serious role, aside from minor roles in anime that were so obscure, only Hikikomoris would watch. Recently, he had been in the news, because of the sitcom he had done in America, which was called New Age. It was a futuristic setting, based mostly on the Jetsons, just a futuristic family dealing with problems and wondering if time traveling to the past was worth it. The premise was, the future was so easy to live in, that it wasn't fun, so the dad built a time machine and went back to the year 2016, to live in an era without technology, and them struggling to fit in. But, it never caught on, so it was just a flop, just like every other thing he had been in.

" _Come on Erica...hurry up!"_ he thought to himself, sifting through his old chats.

"Um excuse me...are you perhaps Takumi Mashita?" a young girl, about fourteen years of age asked. The boy glanced up, his ruby eyes locking with her bright green ones. He sighed inwardly, plastering a fake smile on his face.

"That's me, is there something I can do for you?" he asked politely, lowering himself a bit so that he was more at her level.

"I um...would you sign this for me?" she asked, handing him a small notepad and a pen. He rolled his eyes, opening the cover, clicking the pen.

"Who should I make this out too?"

"Huh? Oh my name right...it's Hana."

"Alright then. So Hana, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly do you like about my acting? The movies? The shows?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, my brother is an otaku. He loves anime, so we always watch Captain Mars, he said you nailed everything perfectly. I'm inclined to agree." she said happily. He smiled a bit as he finished writing his message on the pad, handing it to the girl.

"Well, I'm happy you loved my performance. Captain Mars was one of my favorite mangas during that time. So I channeled all of my reading into that. It's a bit of an obscure anime though, still I'm glad you liked it!" he said. The girl grinned, wrapping her arm around the boy, snapping a selfie with her phone.

"My friends are gonna be so jealous! Thank you so much!" she cried, running off just as fast as she had showed up. Takumi smiled a bit.

" _Well...I guess even after all the crap I've been through, there are still die hard fans. I'm glad, though that girl wasn't that much younger than I am...what kind of anime is she even watching to run into Captain Mars though?"_ he thought to himself. His phone started ringing, the ringtone coming out of his headphones. He swiped the screen, pulling them from the jack as he held it up to his ear.

" _Takumi-kun, are you in Shibuya yet?"_

"Mom, I've been waiting for like an hour. I'm in the Underground Mall."

" _Okay, just get to the Square, we're near the Teikyu Building. Do you know where the statue of the dog is? We're right around there."_

"Uh...alright then, I'll see you soon." he said, hanging up the call.

He grabbed a hold of his suitcase, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. Once he had placed his headphones back in his phone, and put the device in his pocket, he started walking toward Shibuya Square.

It had been awhile since he had actually been in Japan. Though he still remembered his way around Tokyo. He was eager to head back to his old hangout in Akihabara, since he was an anime geek. He just loved spending time with his friends off set watching it. After all, if you were gonna be voicing in an anime, you may as well delve into the genre. He had several favorite series he liked keeping up with, and loved finding doujinshi as well. There were other places he liked to hangout at, Inokashira Park being one of them, along with some shops in Ikebukuro, the Ueno Art Museum, and Dome Town, even the Sky Tower in Asakusa. He had been almost everywhere in the Japanese capital.

As he walked toward the nearby escalators, he couldn't help but feel a sharp twinge of pain in his head. He looked around for a second, seeing everything distort for a fraction of a second. He blinked a few times, and everything returned to normal. He shook his head a bit, choking it up to the long flight he had, and continued walking up the stairs, almost regretting not taking the escalator. As he finally left the Underground Mall, he was assaulted by the piercing rays of the sun, striking him right in the face. He blinked a few times, eyes widening at the sheer volume of people walking around. Central Street was the biggest place in Shibuya, smack in the center of the city, and had the most foot traffic. In fact, the vehicle traffic was bad due to all of the people that cut across the street. He continued walking, dragging his suitcase behind him, passing by a large billboard.

He stopped when he saw exactly who was on it. It depicted a beautiful young woman, with copper colored hair, tied up into twin tails. She had a beautiful face, with fair colored skin, a small button nose and full pink lips. Her head was bowed slightly with her eyes closed, and she was wearing a brilliant sapphire blue sequin dress, showing off quite a lot of her shoulders and her cleavage. On the bottom of the poster, the name Risette could be seen, the top had the name Sapphire on it. He smiled a bit, seeing the small release window on the bottom.

" _So, she finally finished her album. She was rather excited about it too, wonder how she's doing?"_ he thought, almost considering texting the idol, though he figured she was most likely busy.

"Aha! There you are, you thought you could hide from me eh? You little sneak!"

Takumi looked away from the billboard, seeing a familiar woman standing nearby, holding an umbrella in her hands, using it to shield herself from the sun. Erica's smile was ever present, and she moved her umbrella a bit to give the boy a hug, which he happily returned. He looked her over, seeing she hadn't changed much from the last time he had seen her.

She had the same bright colored eyes as her, and the same soft features. Her hair was far longer and a darker tone of violet, which seemed to shine in the sunlight. She was wearing a black sleeveless shirt, which was a bit low cut, exposing a bit of her cleavage. She was wearing a pair of jeans, which were a faded blue color, and wore a leather belt around her waist. She wore a pair of leather cowboy boots, which had a slight heel to them, and had a horse stitched to the sides of it. He noticed she was wearing a thin gold necklace around her neck, with a small silver coin as a charm, though he didn't see anything special about it, other than a weird cross. Even then, she hadn't changed much from the woman he had once called mom.

She had been one of his father's many wives, the only person he called mom in the past, but just as long as he had gotten used to her being around, his father cast her away. He had been extremely mad at that, and had started hating his father from that moment on. He recalled, only being nine when all of this happened, he also remembered she had a little girl named Ayumi, a daughter from another relationship. He was surprised he didn't see the young girl with him.

"I wasn't really trying to hide you know. So, where's Ayumi? I'm sure she would have been with you."

"Oh, she and Mitsuhide are at the arcade on Central Street. I figured I could let them have a little fun while I bore the grim task of finding you."

"Sheesh, you make it sound like I'm the worst thing that could have happened to you." he replied, a cross look on his face. She gave him a smirk, ruffling his hair a bit.

"I'm just teasing you son, you know I love you!"

Her demeanor hadn't changed at all either. Out of all of his step-mothers, Billerica, or just Erica as he called her, was the best one. She had taken to the boy, especially when she heard about what happened to his mother. She had treated him like a son, played games with him, ran around in the mud, and even let him sleep with her whenever he was scared. That's why it hit him hard when his father filed for divorce, and sent her away. The man wasn't even aware that he fathered a child with her, and as far as he knew, Erica wanted to keep it that way. He had met Ayumi before, when they had all lived together, but today would be the first time he would be meeting Mitsuhide, aside from hearing her voice over the phone, since she had always been too shy to video chat with him.

"I still can't believe that deadbeat father of yours did this to you. I knew he hated your career, but seriously, hiring people to lie so that you could be forced to live with him? It's total bullshit!"

"I know Mom, I know. But I've grown used to it, the last two years were total hell, the first was spent living with him, the second was mostly me being on site in Montana to film the show. But after it failed, I was back in LA, learning the tools of the trade as he named it. Why doesn't he just understand, that I'm not going to be a fucking businessman like him? Acting was the best part of my life, and he took it away from me." Takumi said with a frown, his hair falling over his eyes.

"Hmm...well, you'll be happy to know that I've gotten in touch with some people. The kind of people that know people, and these people know the right people to get you back in showbiz. Trust me, a lot of managers for Idols and Boybands come to my store for instrument repairs, so I was able to ask around."

"Really?"

"Mhmm...there's a director who's famous here in Japan, for making powerful dramatic romance movies. His name is Ryoutaro Shimizu, rumor has it, he wrote the script for a new movie, and is holding auditions in Akihabara in a few days. Since you don't have school, how about I take you there for you can try out?" she asked, giving him a grin.

"Of course! I'd love that mom, thank you!" he cried cheerfully, not caring if people around him were watching. She smiled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Alright then, my little man is going to soar into stardom again. Don't worry, I'll help you as much as I can. We all live in Shibuya, not far from the station here, so you'll be familiar with this area. Have you thought about heading to school?"

"I dunno...I mean if I'm gonna try out for a movie, then school will just get in the way."

"I know, but the filming is slated for the summer. One thing that makes Director Shimizu famous, is that he manages to put his movies together in as few takes as possible. He usually releases two movies a year because of this, so the time off you get for the summer should be enough to film it. And since his movies are always critically acclaimed, you will definitely get attention. Maybe what your father did will finally fucking die."

"Yeah...alright, any good schools around here?" he asked curiously. They came to a stop at the crosswalk, waiting for all of the cars to zoom past them.

"Well, there are two that you might be interested in, Kosai Academy, and Shujin Academy. Shujin is closer though, you can take a train to Aoyama-Itchome and be there in about fifteen minutes. There's uh...been a lot of drama surrounding the school. Your little sister Ayumi is a Freshman there, and Mitsuhide is entering next year."

"Whoa what? Mitsuhide is gonna be in high school? But she's only nine!" the boy cried, his eyes widening a bit in surprise.

"Yes, I was quite surprised too. But it seems my little girl is actually a genius. She was able to complete all of the elementary school level material in the fourth grade. So they moved her to the sixth grade, and she's been in middle school since. She was able to get higher scores on the tests than anyone in her class. They are actually moving her to 10th grade, they say if she keeps going at that pace, she'll be a college graduate by the age of twelve."

"That's amazing...I'm so happy to have such an amazing little sister. Maybe I can teach her a thing or two about acting, she might actually like it." Takumi said, a look of pride on his face.

"I doubt it, she's an introvert, so she doesn't like big crowds. She also prefers books over movies, though she does read quite a lot of manga. You have that in common at least. Well, here we are, Shibuya's Central Street, and your local hub if your bored."

Spanning before him was the most popular area in Shibuya. Central Street boasted quite a lot of places, including a bookstore, a DVD rental place, and a Gigolo Arcade, which was always filled with teenagers. There was a Big Bang Burger, as well as a more humble diner for those who didn't want to get fat from taking a single bite out of a Big Bang Burger. There was a gym, as well as a small grocery store and clothing store. Finally, the biggest attraction was the ToYo Cinema, where most people went to watch movies. Takumi knew then, that he was definitely going to enjoy living in Shibuya. Of course, Central Street didn't beat Electric Town, but he was down with giving it a chance.

"Not bad, not like I remember it, that Big Bang Burger wasn't there before. They're freaking everywhere now, even in America."

"Okumura Foods is quite the big business here. Not on the level of your father's tech business, but still pretty up there. They're starting go international, you might be seeing this place knocking McDonald's down a few pegs. Anyway, let's go find your sisters." Erica said, happily leading the boy into the complex. Her phone started vibrating, rather loudly, causing her to stop. She pulled it from her back pocket, frowning when she saw the number.

"Hey, I gotta take this real quick. It's a buyer from my store, really important. Mind getting the girls for me? I'll watch your suitcase." she said, taking a hold of the sky blue case by his side.

"Uh...sure." he said, grabbing a hold of his bag. He watched her move toward the nearby diner, leaning up against the wall, looking quite distressed. He hoped nothing bad was happening to her store, he knew she loved it very much.

Gigolo Arcade was a lot bigger on the inside than he he remembered. He used to go to the one in Akihabara, but and to him it had seem so small. This one was at least twice as big as the one he was used to. The sound of retro games filled the air along with loud voices, gunshots and various other joyful sounds. This place was a local teenager hangout. He could see people wearing uniforms, most likely skipping school or off for the day. He saw one girl killing it on DDR, her movements so methodical that he doubted anyone could mimic her. As he continued walking, he kept his eyes peeled for his little sister Ayumi, as he had never seen Mitsuhide before. It wasn't long before he found her, playing at a claw machine, struggling to get the claw around a plush toy that had caught her interest. She carefully maneuvered the claw over the toy, hitting the red button.

"Come on, this is the fourth time, I got it this time!" she cried, watching the claw, wrap around the plush. She let out a groan when the toy fell out of the claws grasp, returning to it's starting position. She pressed her face against the glass, glaring at the toy.

"You know, glaring at it isn't going to make that claw snag it any quicker than you think." Takumi said, causing the girl to whirl around, her eyes becoming wide. She let out a gasp, hugging the older teenager.

"Big brother, you're finally here!" she cried, rather audibly. The boy bowed his head a bit, a flush on his face.

" _Hey, isn't that the famous actor from that movie? What was it called? Angel's Lament or something?"_

" _Fleeting Angel you moron."_

" _I didn't know he had a little sister...she's so cute!"_

"Nice on sis, I was trying to stay on the down low." he replied, ruffling her hair.

Ayumi was a girl around fourteen years of age, with long blackish purple hair. It was straight and fell down to her mid back, her long bangs were pulled back and held in place with white barrettes. She was wearing a long sleeved pink shirt, with a wide collar, showing off a bit of her shoulders. It had three stripes on the top half, and was decorated with bright yellow musical notes on the bottom of it. She was wearing a short blue pleated skirt, which reached down to her knees. She wore knee length black socks and pink high top sneakers.

She had grown quite a lot since the last time he had seen her. They used to play a lot as kids, climbing trees and running around the house. She had a game they liked to play, where he was Prince Charming, and she was the Damsel, and he would be forced to climb the tower, which was actually a tree, to rescue her. They had a lot of fun doing that, until she fell out of the tree and ended up breaking her wrist. From that moment on, they didn't really play that game anymore. It wasn't long until Takarou filed for divorce, and he didn't see her much anymore. Erica had moved back to Japan to start her music business, so their only form of communication was through video chat.

"Sorry big brother, I thought you weren't that famous anymore. I'm just happy to see you, but I would be a lot happier with that panda bear, but he's being a little stubborn." she said, her attention back to the small plush she was trying to get. Takumi rolled his eyes, pulling his wallet out of his pocket, grabbing some loose change from within. He slipped the two 100Y coins into the machine, getting control of the claw.

"This is a piece of cake. I used to get prizes all the time from how much I played this game." he said, slowly moving the claw above the panda bear. He narrowed his eyes a bit, making sure the claw was in place before hitting the button. Ayumi watched as the claw snagged a hold of the panda bear's head, pulling it up with it. It fell into the prize shoot a second later. The boy didn't stop, using his remaining credit to get a small bunny charm that was in the center of the machine.

"There we are." he said, pulling both prizes out of the prize chute. He handed the panda bear to Ayumi, who hugged it tightly.

"Thanks big brother, what's the charm for?" she asked curiously.

"A peace offering, where's Mitsuhide? I've been wanting to meet her forever now." he said. Ayumi smiled, taking a hold of his hand, pulling him toward some booths at the back. Ayumi knocked on the table top, pulling the girl out of her reading, her gaze trained on Takumi.

There was a young girl sitting at the booth, all by herself, being no older than nine years of age. She had the soft features of her mother, her ivory colored skin, which was slightly pale from being inside all the time. She had long black hair, resembling the same color as their father. She had bright crimson eyes, matching those of his father, he could see her judging look, that piercing gaze of uncertainty as she looked him over. She wore a white ribbon, which was tied into bows at the sides of her head, her bangs fell over her eyes, slightly shielding them from the light. She was wearing a long sleeved black shirt, which was a little too big for her, as it was covering her small hands entirely. She was wearing a pair of black jean shorts, with some black leggings underneath it, which were rolled up a bit, revealing part of her legs. She was wearing a pair of black shoes, the laces tied firmly and stuffed inside.

" _She's beautiful, just like Erica said...but there's a lot of my father in there as well. I wasn't expecting her to have crimson eyes like me though, I thought that was a recessive trait?"_

"Mitsu, this is Takumi. He's your older brother, remember how momma said he was gonna stay with us?"

"Indeed, I recall her making plans to throw a small party for him. Though I don't particularly agree with festivities, I think them to be quite boisterous. I would rather sit in my room, reading my books in the solemn peace and silence."

"You've got a mature way of speaking, I'm impressed."

"There are over a million words in our language. If I do not improve my vocabulary, then what would be the point? I wish to expand my mind. Having knowledge on our language and the vast uses of it in day to day conversation is something that I wish to master. Sadly, most imbeciles nowadays can't even comprehend the most basic of well structured sentences."

"Mitsuhide once read a dictionary when she was bored. She won her school's spelling bee and went to the regionals, but she didn't make it past that because some older students, who had more resources, ended up winning. Didja know? Mitsu is going to high school next term, we're going to be in the same class! Isn't that neat?" Ayumi asked.

"It is...I was impressed when Erica told me. You are a bright child Mitsuhide, don't let anyone beat you down because you are smart. Trust me, when I was little, I used to read a lot. My dad said that books would never help me become a businessman. But I just loved to read...how about you, do you love to read?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, I adore reading. I could curl up in my bed and read a book for hours on end, losing myself in the dreams and aspirations of the characters. Visiting the worlds behind those leather covers, they are the most precious things in my life. People underestimate me, because I'm young, but I will succeed in life. I wish to be a Philosophy teacher when I grow older, and at the rate I'm going, I might be teaching at the university level by the age of fourteen." she said, a happy look on her face.

"Keep at it then, here I got this for you. It's a little bunny charm for your phone, Ayumi told me you love bunnies. So I figured you'd like to have it." he said, handing her the small pink bunny charm he had won. She looked at it, pulling her cellphone from her pocket, attaching the charm to it.

"Whoa, is that a flip phone? Can I see it?" Takumi asked. The girl shyly handed the phone to him, and he looked it over.

"It's the latest model of flip phones from Samsung. It's all the rage now, this model is called the Galaxy Folder 2. I'm a little jealous of her, since my phone has a huge crack across the screen and I don't have money to fix it." Ayumi said, glancing at the phone. Takumi looked it over, seeing the metallic pink color scheme it had. It had a smooth surface on the front, along with a bright screen.

"It's pretty cool, really wished I had seen this before I dished out 800 dollars for my Galaxy S8." he replied, handing the girl her phone back. He felt his phone vibrate and quickly reached for it, seeing it was a text from Erica.

"Oh...mom's waiting for us outside, come on. We don't wanna make her wait for too long." he said. Mitsuhide jumped down to the floor, grabbing a hold of the book she had been reading, tucking it into her satchel. The two girls followed the boy toward the doors, as he did he started sifting through his Apps, seeing if he had any messages on Facebook or on Twitter, though he almost never answered those. He did however see a rather peculiar Application on his phone.

It was bright red, with an eye in the center, bearing black markings. It was the most ominous app he had ever seen in his life. It was just there, among the others he had on his phone, which aside from games, weren't much. He held his finger over it, dragging it to the trash.

" _I must have randomly downloaded it during the last update. The Google Play Store loves doing that to me sometimes."_

"So big brother, are you going to school? If so then you should come to Shujin! It's an okay school, despite what's been happening lately."

"What has been happening lately? Nothing serious right?"

"You haven't heard yet? There was an incident involving a teacher, a man named Suguru Kamoshida. To say he was a scumbag was an understatement. He was physically abusing the students of Shujin, sexualizing the girls. Even big sister wasn't spared from his wrath." Mitsuhide said, causing the boy to look at the older of the two.

"Is she serious?"

"Yes...I wanted to try out for the girls volleyball team, thinking it was going to be fun. But he told me I would never be good, and to make things worse, he spiked a volleyball into my ankle, spraining it so bad that I needed a cast for it. It pretty much ruined my chances of ever being on the team. I decided to try out for cheerleading when I was better, but he told the head cheerleader not to let me on. He...said a lot of mean things about me too." she said.

"What a scumbag piece of shit. I'm glad he got arrested then, the fucker."

"You can thank the Phantom Thieves of Hearts for that! They sent him a calling card one day, and soon after, he started confessing everything! He had sexually abused a girl from the second year, and she tried killing herself too. He said that he would atone for his sins, but then one of the older girls, Takamaki-san, totally called him out on it. She was so brave too, she's my idol!"

"You should be aware of this big brother. Ayumi tends to idolize a lot of people, she is quite aloof when it comes to it. In fact, ever since Kamoshida was arrested, she has been quite the active student. She always brings me books from the school library as well." Mitsuhide said, earning a smile from the boy.

"I think it's perfectly fine for people to have idols they like...I actually have two of them. But I'm keeping them a secret!"

"Aw, come on...tell me who they are? I probably know who they are anyway. I'm your little sister, so you have to tell me!" Ayumi cried.

"Maybe later...promise." he said. The three siblings made it outside, where Erica had been patiently waiting for them, a smile on her face. She was still holding her umbrella above her head, using it to block the sun.

"Alright, there are my beautiful children! Come on, it's time to head back home to help Takumi settle in. We'll be having Pizza right after."

"Yes! I totally love pizza, this is the best day ever."

"Sister, you say that every time mother purchases pizza for dinner. It tends to lose meaning whenever this happens." Mitsuhide said, earning a pout from her sister.

"You just say that because you hate pizza."

"I don't hate pizza."

"Yes you do, I call dibs on your slices!"

"You cannot! Calling "dibs" on anything is immoral and unfair to the parties involved. If you wish to attain ownership of my pizza, we shall hold a fair and just contest between the two of us. The winner will claim the uneaten morsels for themselves." the black haired, crimson eyed girl snapped, glaring at her sister.

"You are on! RoShamBo." the girl replied, holding her fist out.

Takumi rolled his eyes, knowing he was in for quite the interesting time. As he walked, he felt that sharp pain in his head again, a familiar distortion appearing around him. He blinked a few times, but the world remained unchanged. He frowned a bit as he tightened his hold on his suitcase, eyes narrowed in thought.

" _Once is nothing out of the ordinary, twice is a coincidence...if it happens a third time...then something is going on...something weird."_

"Come on big brother, let's play a game, I call dibs on your pizza too."

"Absolutely not! All I've had is airplane food for the last eighteen hours. I'm starving, and I'm not letting you eat my pizza!" he cried back, causing Erica to smile fondly at her kids. Despite Takumi not being her biological son, she treated him as such. She knew it was going to be a wonderful time having him around, she only hoped nothing bad happened to any of them.


	2. The Beginning II

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter 2 of Codename: Songbird. I am quite happy with the results of the previous chapter, I got quite a lot of views, so I thank you all the readers for this. You are the ones that keep this story alive after all, so I do hope you are liking everything so far.**

 **Now, to settle some confusion, one of you told me that they were confused by Takumi's background. I'm not gonna reveal a lot of it, because that is part of the story. But it's like this, Takarou, his father, was practically a man whore. He had one wife, Rika...who he left after three years, because her daughter wasn't his, and she never told him she was pregnant from her abusive ex boyfriend. The second wife he married, was Takumi's mother, who died in a tragic accident when he was six. She was the only woman that Takarou truly loved. He married Erica in an attempt to give his son a mother figure, but he didn't love her like he did with Naotaro, his second wife. So he divorced her, not knowing he fathered a child, Mitsuhide with her. So far, he has remained single, but sends money to Erica to raise her child, he also sends money to Rika for what he did to her. She still doesn't want to see him, but she doesn't truly hate him. This will be a major part of his character in this story.**

 **This same reader ReallyLazyReader, brilliant name by the way, I totally dig it, asked me who would be the VA's for my ocs, so I will be listing them right now. I actually had to think a lot when I replied this question, I already had an idea of who I wanted to voice who, but some were rather difficult to find.**

 **Takumi: Josh Grelle  
**

 **Ayumi: Monica Rial  
**

 **Mitsuhide: Brittney Karbowski  
**

 **Takarou(Takumi's dad): Nolan North  
**

 **Those are the VA's I pretty much arrived at. I haven't figured out who would voice Erica, because there are too many to pick from. I haven't decided, but Erin Fitzgerald has a mature voice, so I was thinking of her, but I was also thinking of a few other people. Like I said, I haven't decided.**

 **For some more story stuff...the beginning will be slow, but I promise, this is to bring some light on Takumi and show the complexities of his character before I throw him in a palace. I want to show everyone how he acts, behaves and how he gets his Persona. He will be Ren Amamiya's Tower Arcana, I know I said he would get the gun stuff from this confidant but I'm giving him something else, Acting Skills. Basically, whenever Ren gets a rank up, he'll learn new acting techniques...after all, a Phantom Thief needs to lead a double life and act on command, so he will be getting this instead of the gun skills, he will get those from another confidant, Iwai most likely, since it fits him instead of the video game kid. As of now, Chapter 5 is when Takumi is set to get his Persona. If you are all savvy and look up the meaning of the Tower Arcana, you will realize that it's a card that predicts tragedy, but also shortcomings and failures, this should be enough of a clue for the kind of Persona that Takumi will get, but feel free to guess as to which ones he will get. I will say this, the Tower Arcana is filled with Fallen Heroes, so that should be the biggest and only clue you will get from me.**

 **Thanks again to ReallyLazyReader for their review, my bro G King, always love the support, glad you are liking this, and my buddy Autistic-Grizzly for their reviews...I will not say publicly, that Futaba is best waifu, and no one will tell me otherwise, line up, I'll settle this with my fists, I'll even cover the ambulance costs to the hospital and one bag of IV should you need it. As for the pairings, I haven't decided...just because I think Futaba is best waifu doesn't mean she will be paired with Takumi mind you, there are a lot of girls he can choose from, and no he isn't going after Takemi, Kawakami or the reporter girl...in fact those Arcana had been replaced for Takumi, since as I said before, he is getting his own confidant system.**

 **Well...lemme know what you think in the review section. If you don't, then I'll send Mona after you to steal all of your secrets.**

 **Also, what do you think? I was thinking of adding a female Ren Amamiya, or rather giving Ren an identical twin sister, who acts as Joker whenever Joker himself can't be in charge. Because I found my playthrough of the game, really fun, but also a little on the nose. I mean, what if Joker or anyone for that matter, got severely injured, so much that magic wouldn't fully heal everything? or What if someone got the Flu during Flu season and couldn't physically go to Mementos or this palace? someone has to step up. I was thinking of naming this girl Akira Amamiya, keeping the game's name sort of the same, and also giving her the Persona of Sherlock Holmes, who as you might know, fought against Arsene Lupain during one of their encounters...either that or Jack the Ripper, that would be a bad ass persona, but I doubt that would fit in the context of this story...then again, I did see one story use Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide and it is done pretty well and it looks bad ass...hmm...well let me know...this is all a Work in Progress Idea, I may not use it. See you all later!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 2

The Beginning II

 _ **Date: Wed. June 1st**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Erica's Music Emporium (Shibuya)**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

It was rather odd to see an English name in the middle of Shibuya, but it also seemed to fit perfectly well. Three blocks away from Shibuya's Central Street, was one of the largest Music Stores around. It was named, Erica's Music Emporium. The parlor windows at the front had various instruments set up, including one of the largest drumsets he had ever seen. There were some Gibson Les Pauls as well as some Fender Stratocasters set up next to the set. Inside the store, were several other instruments, separated into the major categories. The drums were near the front, while the woodwind and brass instruments were next. There were some stringed instruments near the right side of the store, and in the middle were the pianos. There were amplifiers, racks filled with accessories, drumsticks and various other things scattered about the store. It was almost like a maze, filled with nothing but a musicians wet dream. Takumi was honestly amazed at what he was seeing, his jaw almost dropping when he made it to the center of the room. Erica smiled, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, an almost excited look on her face.

"Let me officially welcome you to my store, it isn't the biggest music store in Japan, but it's the humblest. It's taken me almost eleven years to get it this big. Since we're in Shibuya, I happen to supply instruments to some big names, including a certain singer that you told me you like."

"Wow...that's amazing mom. I know you told my dad you were gonna use the money from your divorce to open a store, but this is not what I had in mind. I thought you were opening a candy store or something."

"Didn't you know big brother? Momma loves music, she wanted to be an idol when she was growing up, but she never made it big. So she instead decided to help up and coming musicians follow their dreams!" Ayumi said happily.

"Yes, I couldn't fulfill my dream. But I decided to put my time out there to help others achieve it. Without the perfect instrument, you aren't gonna get far. In my store we sell just about anything, including launchpads, computers geared for music production and even everything you need to set up a studio. I turned the back room into a recording booth, for a small fee, I'll create a demo tape and even send it out for you. So, you wanna record something?"

"Heh...nope. I don't think I'm a good singer, but still...this is amazing. I can tell you love your job, and I'm glad that you are working with so many people. You inspire them, which is something we all need from time to time." Takumi replied.

"Glad you see it that way dear." she happily replied, though Takumi did sense something else in her voice. He just couldn't point it out however.

"Mother, is it alright if we take big brother to the apartment? I'm certain you have business to attend too."

"Uh...sure honey, I do have to check the books. We didn't open today, so we'll have to work just as hard tomorrow. I'll handle the pizza orders as well, don't worry I'll make sure there's enough for all of you." she said, patting her youngest daughter's head, earning a tiny smile from her.

"Come on big brother! Let's go upstairs, you'll get to see your room! We got your stuff in the mail not that long ago." Ayumi said, tugging on the boy's hand.

"Ah...okay Ayumi...I can only walk so fast." he said. Mitsuhide sighed, grabbing a hold of the older teen's suitcase, pulling it along.

They walked towards the back of the store, just past the recording booth that Erica had mentioned. There was a door that lead to a set of stairs. Ayumi ran up the steps, pulling out a set of keys from within her pocket, slipping it into the knob. She opened the door right after, pulling her shoes off her feet. Takumi and Mitsuhide followed suit, with the older boy finally taking back his suitcase.

Looking around, Takumi got a good look of his new home. The floors were made of hardwood, which were polished to a shine. There were some leather couches in the living room, in front of a large screen television, which was mounted to the wall. Below it was a small entertainment center chock full of movies and video games. He could see a Playstation 4 resting on the top shelf, next to a cable box. The sun was streaming through the windows, brightening the room quite a bit. To his right was a simple kitchen, with tile floors instead of hard wood.

"So, whatcha think? We got a sweet pad don't we?"

"Sister, don't call our apartment a "pad". We aren't in the university yet, so it just sounds inappropriate."

"Oh Mitsu! You never let me speak how I want, we can't all be proper like you!" Ayumi cried, blowing a raspberry at her sister, who just sighed, the expression on her face not changing.

"Come brother, I shall guide you to your sleeping quarters for the next year. Ayumi, why don't you go clean your room? We wouldn't want big brother to see your unmentionables on the floor, would we?" the raven haired girl asked, causing her older sister to blush. She took off without another word, the sound of a door slamming shut right after.

"I take it she never picks up after herself?"

"You are correct in your assumption. She used to be cleaner when she was younger, but now that she is a teenager, she doesn't care what her room looks like. There are undergarments all over the floor, and more private toiletries on her nightstand. It was alright since we were all females, but now that you are here, it is improper for a lady to leave such things laying around." she said, grabbing his suitcase as she spoke. Takumi followed along, humming to himself.

"You know...you have a rather...sophisticated manner of speech."

"Do I? That is the first time someone has called my speech patterns "Sophisticated". Most people usually call me a smart ass, though I usually tell them that those who call other people asses are asses themselves."

"Hehe...I think you and I are gonna get along great little sis." he said, holding back his chuckles.

She lead him to a room across from the bathroom, seeing it was mostly empty. The floors were made of hardwood, like most of the house, and the walls were a light blue in color. There was a desk at the very back, placed up against the only window in the room. To the right of the room was the bed, the headboard resting up against the wall. The left side of the room was where the dresser, a rather large one two, with big drawers. The wall directly facing the bed had another small oval shaped table, with several boxes placed on top of it. Mitsuhide stopped in the center of the room, turning to face her brother.

"Pardon the lack of furniture. This was all stuff that we purchased in a second hand store, minus the bed of course. Mother thought you deserved a brand new mattress instead of a futon. It isn't exactly five stars, but it'll do. None of our bedrooms have closets for some reason, hence the large dresser. I'm certain you can make it work."

"I can, don't worry about it. I'll need to get some shelving units in this room for all of my manga and video games though. I'll have to buy a television set too, thankfully I was able to move some of my inheritance to a my personal account before dad froze it." the boy said, pulling the suitcase closer to the bed. He lowered the handle, and placed it on his bed, pulling it open.

"Father froze your bank account? What is his reasoning for such an action?"

"He believes that I deserve that money when I turn into a true businessman. He said that I don't know the value of money, and that I would spend it on useless garbage. Even though I've been saving my money from my acting career since I was in those old sitcoms. He doesn't care that I was a child actor, he sees that part of my life as a blemish, that needs to be forcefully removed."

"Do you love acting?"

"As much as you love reading sweetie. There's just...something magical when you get to act. You get to become so many characters in so many situations, recorded on the silver screen, for the world to see. A lot of people become actors for the money, or the status...but I love acting for the fun of it." he said, a smile on his face.

"You...you remind me of the authors I read. In their time, they didn't have movies...so they wrote their stories down on parchment. You wish to transcend, to live on when you aren't able too anymore. I find that aspiring." she said. He chuckled, opening one of his drawers, placing all of his jeans and shorts inside it, followed by tee shirts and jackets.

"I'm glad...I had such a promising career. My manager said once, that I was gonna be the Japanese equivalent to River Phoenix. I was going to be an amazing actor once I grew up and got more adult roles. But our father...he decided to ruin it all. The bastard...I still can't believe he used all of his money, to tell people that I used steroids. I was twelve years old, where the hell would I even get steroids?"

"Perhaps he grew jealous of your success and freedom. With your acting, you could literally go anywhere you want. But he is stuck in one place, a festering cesspool of a company. He used his resources to ruin that for you, saying that he cares when he in fact does not. I have never met him, and I already detest him, with every fiber of my being. Ayumi told me, that mother cried a lot during my early years, yet I do not remember this...perhaps that is a good thing. I'll let you settle in, if you need me, my room is next to yours." she said, silently leaving the room.

Takumi frowned a bit, not having expected the girl to actually say that, but she did have a point. Perhaps his father was jealous of his success, but decided to do something about it. For his own good, just thinking about it made him laugh. He continued filling his dresser with his clothes, and once done, he shoved the suitcase under his bed. He pulled his skateboard free from the bag straps holding it, resting it against the side of his dresser. Turning toward his boxes, he decided to open the one that held his desk top computer in it.

"Well...time to get this puppy all set up." he said, walking back toward his desk.

Due to how much free time he had, and the fact that he had been home schooled since he was in grade school, Takumi became a bit of a technology wizard. He knew a lot about computers, but wasn't into a lot of complex coding or anything. He had tried to learn some stuff so he could hack into his father's accounts and find some secrets, as revenge for ruining his career, but he wasn't that good at it, so he decided to quit before he was arrested. He had built his own computer, geared more toward gaming than anything else. He set up his CPU, hooking it up to the three monitors he had sent along with it. Once everything was hooked up, he plugged his keyboard and mouse dongles to the USB ports on the back. He hated wired things, so he had paid a little extra for some high end wireless stuff. The less wires he had to deal with, the better, and it made everything look cleaner in the end.

"Hey big brother, are you settling in alright?" Ayumi asked, causing the boy to glance over his shoulder.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I'm doing just fine. Hey listen, is there a place where I can plug this Ethernet cord into? There isn't a port here."

"Oh, you'll have to take that to Mitsu's room, she's the one that has the modem. Mom has a separate one for the store, so she uses that one for her own personal use. She said that she doesn't want us on her server or whatever. Here, I'll take it."

"I'll come with you, I actually wanna see Mitsuhide's room."

"Ha! That place is so weird, it's dark too. She says the low lighting helps her focus on her books." Ayumi said, leading the boy down the hall to his sister's room, she knocked on the door three times before stepping into the room, hold pulling the cord with her.

"Mitsu, big brother needs your modem!" the girl cried.

"Must you be so boisterous? I am trying to read this thesis on Ontology and it's uses in society." she said, glancing up from her tablet.

"That's so boring! I'm just gonna find your modem, kay?"

Mitsuhide sighed, giving her a nod. Takumi took a look around the room, seeing it was rather...simple. She had black out curtains, with white stars on them, that looked like they were glowing brightly because of the sunlight. She had a twin sized bed, with black bedding, and a monochrome comforter. She had a white rug on the floor, and a small dresser on the far wall. She had a small desk at the corner of the room, where her laptop was placed. Takumi also noticed all of the books that were laying around the room. In fact, there were shelves loaded with different kinds of books, in both English and in Japanese. He saw some Philosophy books, as well as some Mathematics, Latin and various other school related subjects. He stepped in front of one of the shelves, spotting some familiar titles that he had read during the time he was still acting.

"The Adventures of Tom Sawyer...you read Mark Twain?" the boy asked.

"Yes, I find his stories to be endearing. My favorite books are the ones written by Charles Dickens...I could read him every day." the girl said, a starry look in her eyes.

"Me too... A Tale of Two Cities is by far my favorite book. It's a shame the movie adaptation was so crappy."

"Finally, sheesh! You gotta turn the damn lights on in here sis, I could barely see anything."

"Well, if you payed attention then you would have noticed the blinking lights. Clearly you aren't well adept with your observation skills, should I bring out the I Spy books again?" she asked, a smug look on her face. Ayumi puffed her cheeks, walking out of the room.

"You shouldn't tease her like that Mitsu...though I admit, it was pretty funny."

"I try...would you like the WIFI password as well? I'm sure you have a gaming system you'd like to connect to the internet."

"Actually, I don't have one. I figured I could buy a Ps4 here in Japan, since the games are region free. I do have some Japanese Imports, and I did bring my Ps3 with me. I'll wait until I have a television, we can play something after it's all hooked up."

"I'm not one for video games...but I guess I wouldn't mind spending time with you big brother."

"Atta girl, I'll get some visual novels. Those are all story so I'm sure you'll like a lot of those. Thanks for letting me use your internet." he said happily.

"It's not an issue, feel free to use it as much as you'd like. Do try to hide the naughty things in your search history. I am still a young impregnable child. My innocence shouldn't be taken away from me at such a young age."

"Innocence? Oh god, I don't watch what you think I watch...also what are you talking about? I saw a Sex Ed book among those text books over there. You already know about adult stuff, so why would I even bother hiding it?"

"Because I'm nine?" the girl asked, blinking a few times, meeting the gaze of her brother. He rolled his eyes, turning to leave.

"Right, don't worry...I know how Incognito mode works, though I have no intention of using it." he said, leaving the room shortly after.

After another hour, Takumi finally got everything unpacked. Since he didn't have any bookshelves, he had to take all of his manga and stack them neatly on his desk, beside his computer. He had various volumes of some of his favorite manga, including every issue to date of Naruto, Fairy Tail and Akame Ga Kill. That of course made the stacks quite high, so he capped them off at fifteen and kept neatly stacking them around his computer. Overall, he had almost a thousand volumes of manga, spread across various series, all of them in alphabetical order. In fact, five of the ten boxes he had shipped to Erica's home had been just manga. He rested his computer speakers on two of the stacks at either side of his monitors, which he had tilted in hexagonal shape to make the picture look better. He decided to do the same with his games, using the space on top of his dresser to stack them up. Since there was less room, he had to make the stacks a lot higher, which also made it difficult since he he had collector edition boxes. Thankfully, he was able to keep it all neat without it looking too bad.

"Wow, this room is starting to look more and more vibrant. Though we'll need to get you some shelving units."

"Huh? Oh hey mom, you don't with the business?" Takumi asked, glancing up at his mother, as he opened the final box containing some video games. He had sadly left all of his scrolls and posters back in America since they were too big to take with him, so he would have to go buy new ones when he could.

"Yup, and don't worry...the pizza is on the way. Hmm...didn't you bring some curtains with you or something? I would hate to just leave that window with a dinky shade."

"I did bring some with me, I haven't put them up yet. I was a bit focused on getting all of my manga and games in place." he said, pointing to the sea green curtains that were folded on his bed.

"You know...I think I have some spare shelving units in the basement. It's just some plain old racks, but I think those would be better for your games than keeping them on your dresser." she said.

"Okay...I'll get them later, for now it'll work. Honestly, I think I'm gonna like it here. I can finally relax without my father breathing down my neck."

"That's a good thing, anyway, tomorrow we'll be heading to Shujin Academy. Mitsuhide was able to finish the curriculum earlier than the other students, so she's done for the school year. Ayumi however is still struggling." Erica said, frowning a bit.

"With what?"

"Mathematics mostly, I had Mitsu tutor her and she still bombed her test. I still don't understand how she can mess up on like terms, the algebra is so simple too. She's doing amazing in English, Japanese and History, but Math is just her weakness."

"Maybe you should speak with her teachers, so they can help her with her weaknesses. Or maybe she could tutor kids who are bad with History and English, and in return they can tutor her in Math. That's what I used to do with my co-workers when I was on that sitcom in America." Takumi said.

"That isn't a bad idea. I'll go talk to her, hopefully she picked up her clothes, I can't tell you how many times I gotta pick up panties off the floor. It's like she does it to annoy me." the woman said, shaking her head as she left the bedroom. The boy sighed, sitting down on his new bed, glancing at his curtains.

" _Hmm...I should order a gaming chair...I'd rather go to Akiba and look at it...yeah I'll do that instead. Let me just check online real quick...I'm really glad I was able to switch providers before I got here."_ he thought to himself, pulling his cellphone from his pocket. He turned it on, swiping his finger across the screen, brows furrowing a bit.

"What the hell? I thought I deleted this thing?" he muttered, seeing the app from before had made its way back onto his phone. He sighed, dragging it to the trash bin. He went to the Google Play app and launched it, clicking active downloads.

"I'm gonna turn this thing off, I'm done downloading random shit." he muttered dryly. He blinked a few times when he read his settings, seeing the automatic downloads were already shut off. He shook his head, sighing a bit.

" _Alright...you piqued my interest...let's see if it downloads again...wonder what it even does?"_

"Pizza's here!" Erica called out.

"PIZZA!" Ayumi shouted, racing down the hall, her heavy footfalls shaking the house. Takumi chuckled, at least his time there wasn't going to be boring.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday June 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy (Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Time: Morning (8:45AM)**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

Shujin Academy looked rather welcoming, but Takumi knew from experience, and from rumors that looks could be deceiving. Found only seven minutes from the Aoyama-Itchome station, the academy was well known, not just for the volleyball team's success in getting to nationals, but also due to one of their teachers. One Suguru Kamoshida, a horrible pestilent excuse of a man, who had sexually abused female students and abused the others physically and mentally. It had gotten so bad, that one girl had tried to take her own life, because she couldn't handle it. But the so called Phantom Thieves of Hearts stole his heart thus making him confess to all of his sins. Takumi had thought it was stupid at first, when he heard the rumor of a teacher having confessed to such shameful acts. But when he saw the news on Ichiryusai Madarame, he became skeptical.

Regardless, he decided to just leave the nomenclature behind and focus on his studies. His mother told him he would be meeting Ryoutaro Shimizu the following day, at 10:00AM in Akihabara, which gave him the excuse he needed to go shopping. So if things went well, not only would he be in school by Monday morning, but he would also have a role in that film, and maybe be on his way to kick starting his career. At least that's what he was hoping for. Ayumi had a doctors appointment that day, so Erica had decided it would be a perfect time to speak with the Principle of Shujin Academy to matriculate Takumi and make him an official alumni. The boy in question was glad that he was finally returning to a real school instead of having a teacher come to him. Of course that also meant that people would know who he was, but since media outlets had already started making reports of his return to Japan, it didn't really matter to him. All of the rumors were that he was still abusing steroids and even doing other drugs, despite him saying it was all a farce. The frown on his face couldn't be deeper.

Shujin Academy was a three story school, consisting of two buildings, the Class building, and the Practice building, according to his little sister Ayumi. There was a large courtyard in the middle of the school, along with a walkway that connected both buildings. Attached to the Practice Building, was the Gymnasium of the school, where terror was waged against the students, in the words of his little sister of course. He was also told that there were various sports related clubs as well as teams and other non academic clubs.

Ayumi was dressed in the school uniform, which consisted of a black blazer, with crimson buttons. She kept hers halfway button, revealing part of the pink shirt she was wearing underneath. Her collar was folded down, and pinned to the lapel was a small button with the number 1 on it, labeling her as a Freshman. She was wearing a pleated skirt, which was plaid in color, with crossing black and white stripes. She also wore a pair of white tights and her favorite sneakers. Her hair was left down like normal. She looked rather different than her normal aloof self, but even then she was still the same Ayumi he called his sister. Mitsuhide had her face buried in a book of course, not caring about anything, but holding Erica's hand so she couldn't hit anything.

"Well big brother, welcome to hell on earth, known by the common folk as Shujin Academy. This place boasts the best education for us middle class plebs who have no money to shell out for private school! If you keep your head low, you might make it out alive, but that won't matter, because everyone will pull a rumor out of their ass and label you for life!"

"Ayumi! Don't say stuff like that, you're gonna put him off." Erica snapped, causing Takumi to laugh, clutching his sides a bit.

"If anything, that just made my day. As long as my awesome little sis is here, I don't need friends. I think she has the average school summarized to a T. Shall we go inside?" he asked.

"Mhmm...take your sister's hand would you? I gotta check all your papers." Erica said. Takumi took a hold of Mitsuhide's hand, pulling her along as he followed his mother and sister into the school.

The entrance hall was mostly empty, though a few students were chatting with each other. He could see some bulletin boards advertising clubs nearby. A few people looked at them in passing, not at all noticing who he was. However, as he kept walking further into the school more people stopped to look at him, some even pointing right at him. He flushed a bit bowing his head, his hand tightening around Mitsuhide's. She glanced up at the older teen, a curious expression upon her face.

"What ails you big brother? Are the stares of the other students bothering you?"

"A little bit...as a kid, you don't tend to pay attention to others when you are walking around. But as a teenager, almost an adult...you tend to feel self conscious when people look at you. I'm not as famous as I was before, but those stares still make me nervous." he replied.

"I'm sure you'll get used to it. Eventually, I will be in your position, as a ten year old high schooler, I'm bound to receive the same petty stares as you...hopefully, people will actually notice me." she said, though she whispered the last bit. Takumi grew curious about what she meant, but decided not to pry.

" _I wonder what he's doing here?"_

" _He was a famous child actor right? I heard rumors that he was in Japan. He looks normal."_

" _That jacket he's wearing is probably hiding those muscles. Heard he shoots Speed every day. Not just that, I heard he likes smoking weed with bikers."_

"Alright, that last one was stupid." he muttered under his breath.

One of the reasons he hadn't wanted to come to school was the baseless rumors. Thanks for his father and that steroid scandal, not only was his career ruined, but he was also labeled as a drug addict. People said he was worse than Drew Barrymore, that he snorted coke every day, shot up heroin mixed with speed and that he loved to sell drugs to minors. All of it was total lies, and he had gotten several people to stop, but that never truly ended. It was why his Facebook and Twitter were on private so only his friends could see stuff. Even then, he liked checking his public Twitter every once and awhile, just to see the cancerous toxicity that lied within. It wasn't long after that they reached the Principle's office, just as another student was making her way out of the office. She looked up from the papers in her hands, smiling when she saw Ayumi.

"Isoshima-san, it's good to see you. I was wondering where you were, since you always say hi to me in the morning."

"Hi Makoto-chan! I had a doctor's appointment today, that's why I'm late. We're actually here to sign my brother up to hell on earth!" Ayumi said excitedly, causing the girl, Makoto, to look over the boy.

" _She seems rather simple. Probably one of those nerdy girls that has to have perfect everything."_ Takumi said.

Makoto was a young woman, with short brown hair, and fair colored, almost pale skin. She, like Ayumi wore the female version of the Shujin Uniform, though she wore a pair of leggings with her skirt and a corset over her shirt, instead of a blazer, making her look more sophisticated. She had a stack of papers in her hands, as well as a couple of manila folders, which he was curious about. She looked him over for a few seconds, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Have we met before? I feel like I've seen you somewhere?"

"Have you seen the movie Fleeting Angel? The first romance movie the idol Risette filmed in 2014?" he asked curiously.

"Oh yeah...my sister totally loves that movie...I remember now, you were Risette's little brother in that movie. Oh my god, I never thought I would be meeting a celebrity." Makoto said, causing the boy to rub his neck.

"I'm not that big of a celebrity anymore...ever since my father ruined my career, I haven't been getting anything good, other than anime voice acting jobs. But my mom told me there's a director that might hire me, so I might be in a movie sometime soon." he said happily.

"I'd love to see it, I never believed once that you were like that. You were only twelve when those claims happened, how would you have gotten a hold of steroids in the first place. Oh my mistake, I haven't introduced myself, my name is Makoto Nijima, I'm a third year and the Student Council President."

"It's nice to meet you Nijima-san, I guess I should call you Senpai from now on, if I get let into the school of course. My name is Takumi Mashita, you can call me Takumi if you'd like...no honorifics please...I never got used to them."

"Alright, Takumi it is. I'd love to chat some more, but I have some things to do. If you see me in the halls, don't be afraid to say hi. Ayumi, are you still in need of math tutoring? I have a free period later today if you need it."

"Sure Makoto-chan! I could use all the help I can get, I'll come find you after lunch." Ayumi said, giving the older girl a hug before she left.

"She sounds nice, at least she didn't believe those damn rumors." Takumi said, shoving his hand in his pocket.

"We should talk to the Principle, before someone else shows up." Erica said, urging her children onward.

The office was rather large, and painted a light beige color. Takumi could see various awards, trophies and accolades placed around the room. He saw some shelves filled with books, yearbooks from what he could see, along with some more important files. The principle was sitting behind a large oak desk, with several nick-knacks placed upon it. He was a heavy set man, with a bald head, and almost pointed ears. He wore a tannish yellow suit, almost mustard colored, with a red tie and a white shirt beneath. He seemed to be thinking of something as his focus was mostly on the papers in front of him. He looked up, almost surprised at their arrival.

"Ah...Ms. Isoshima, I wasn't expecting to see you."

"Hello Principle Kobayakawa. I came to personally deliver Ayumi's note, she had a doctors appointment today...so I figured I could drop her off and give you the note." she said, handing her the slip she had gotten from the doctor.

"Alright then...be sure to show this pass to your teachers for the classes you missed, then bring it back to me alright?" the man said, handing her the pink slip.

"Okay, I'll bring it straight back to you tomorrow. See you tonight mom, good luck big brother." the girl said, giving the boy a hug as she walked out of the room, heading toward her class.

"Is there anything else I could help you with? I can tell you still have business here."

"Actually yes, I'd like to see if I can matriculate my oldest son here. His name is Takumi Mashita, his father sent him to Japan after two years in America. I'm sure you recognize who he is."

"It's nice to meet you sir." Takumi said, giving the man a polite bow. Kobayakawa smiled a bit.

"It is an honor meet you young man. I remember watching many of the sitcoms you used to be in as a child. I also never believed in those rumors, despite the consensus saying otherwise. So you'd like to attend Shujin Academy?"

"Yes...I haven't been in a real school since I was in the fifth grade. I've traveled around to various places in Japan, America, Canada and even Russia, for the movies I've been in. So I do know some other languages, I haven't really experienced high school. I figured I could complete my studies and at least have a real high school diploma and experience high school instead of going to a tutor."

"Well...that is an interesting reason, but a truthful one as well. Recently, one of our own suffered from an accident. Her parents have withdrawn her from school here, so there is an available position for you. All I need is all of your paperwork and your guardian's signature, and we can start you on Monday, since tomorrow already is Saturday. I'd rather you start on a Weekday, rather than on a Weekend." Kobayakawa said. Erica handed him the file, which had all of Takumi's information.

"One thing that bastard father of his actually did well was forward all of this stuff. I have his custody documentation, birth certificates, passports, identification and the letters from all of his teachers." she said.

"Alright, I'll take a brief look at these, you have your social security card as well correct?"

"Yes, I have it on me. I'll give you my legal identification in case you'd like a more recent copy." Takumi said, handing the man both cards.

"California eh? You know, I went there last year on the school trip, Venice Beach is actually rather nice." the man said, as he looked at Takumi's papers.

"I agree...I often skated down the boulevard during sunny afternoons. That's the only thing I miss about LA though. I'm just...glad to be away from fake people and especially my father." Takumi said firmly.

"Pardon me, Principle Kobayakawa...would it be possible for me to visit the school library? I'd like to see the selection of reading material available here." Mitsuhide said, grabbing the man's attention.

"Uh...sure of course. Do you remember the way there?"

"I'll ask for directions. I'll be coming here as a student next year, so I'd rather familiarize myself with the campus while the students are in class. If I remember correctly, the library is on the third floor of this building, near the Teacher's Lounge." she said, earning a nod from the man. After a quick bow, the little girl spun on her heel, placing her book within her satchel as she left the office.

"Wow, she's really independent isn't she?" Takumi asked, a curious look on his face.

"When it comes to books, there's nothing that will stop her from getting at them. I'd rather she be obsessed with books than video games anyway, unlike another little girl I know." Erica said, earning a small laugh from the boy.

"Well, everything seems to be in order. I have some other questions I must ask you, as part of the official entrance procedure. Normally, you'd have to take a test to even matriculate in this school, but I'm making an exception. Our school has been...ravaged recently. One of our own did some horrible terrible things, and one of our students almost took her life. The Police are still conducting investigations, so please be mindful of them."

"Okay...I'll do my best sir." Takumi said firmly.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

After a few minutes, answering all of the questions Principle Kobayakawa had for him, Takumi finally felt relieved. The man seemed quite impressed with some of his answers, and at the end he had approved his entree into the school. He also said he would be sending his official uniform with his sister in the afternoon, along with various other things that were required to go to school. Thankfully, Takumi was allowed to bring his backpack to school instead of the handbag most students used. He honestly didn't feel like carrying that in his hand or on his shoulder, he liked backpacks better. The man did say that he would have to so a Shujin Academy patch to it, which he was okay with. After finding his sister in the School's library, and being forced to carry her out, Erica, Takumi and Mitsuhide headed toward Aoyama-Itchome Station, to take a train back to Shibuya.

"You did rather well son...you were basically allowed to skip the entrance exam."

"I know...I just used common sense really. What about you Mitsu, did you pass the entrance exam?"

"Naturally. They used a lot of trick questions, but using simple logic, I was able to deduce the answers rather easily. It makes me wonder how Ayumi was able to get into this school." she replied, closing the book in her hands. She had just finished reading the last part of the Goosebumps book she had brought with her, placing it back in her satchel.

"Perhaps she used her ingenuity to get in." Erica said, a pensive look on her face.

"Or she cheated." Takumi replied, earning a glare from his mother.

"Anyway, the transfer to Akihabara is in half an hour, so we'll need to step it up a bit. Ryoutaro Shimizu agreed to meet us at the Idol Agency in Electric Town. Jadis and Associates, are you familiar with that one?" Erica asked, causing the boy to nod.

"Yeah...I'm quite familiar with that place...too familiar if you ask me." the boy said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Why do you say that big brother? Are you perhaps acquaintances with some of the idols? I already know you are familiar with Rise Kujikawa, you were in two movies with her after all."

"Yes, you are correct. I am familiar with some of the idols there, though only two of them, with Rise being one of them. I'm not telling you who the second one is. If she's in today, which I'm sure she is...then you'll be able to meet her. As long as you don't tell Ayumi about it, I don't wanna drag my ass to Akiba whenever she wants to see her." he said.

"Very well, your secret shall be kept. As long as you buy me a book when we get there of course."

"You little sneak, alright...I'll buy you whatever books catch your eye. You deserve it for being an awesome little sister." he said, ruffling her hair a bit. She flushed, bowing her head so he wouldn't see her flushed cheeks.

They made it into the Aoyama-Itchome station, purchasing their tickets, luckily, Mitsuhide's ticket was free since she was under the age of twelve. The train arrived just on time, and they filed inside, surprised to see some seats available. Takumi sat back against the wall, glancing around the nearly empty train. His eyes drifted to the television screen, which was displaying the current news.

" _In other news, investigations are still ongoing for the train incident that happened a few weeks ago. The nervous breakdown the driver of the train had apparently affected his judgment, leading in the accident that claimed the lives of fifteen passengers. Doctors say that they have no figured out why these breakdowns happen, or what leads a person to become violent. Though one doctor speculates that the sudden change of heart in many people might be connected to these breakdowns, but there is no correlation."_

"Nervous breakdowns? What's he talking about mom?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah, you weren't here for that...back in April, there was a major train accident. Several people were injured, and others died. They've been happening frequently. Normal people suddenly have a psychotic episode and become very violent, to the point where they attack anyone in sight."

"There is a major investigation going on with these victims. Some people are having something called "Mental Shutdowns". Basically, they go comatose after a psychotic episode and die shortly after. I have been doing some research myself, but I haven't found anything that makes sense. But I did arrive at a potential clue." Mitsuhide said, grabbing Takumi and Erica's attention.

"And that is?" her mother asked.

"There is something going on that makes people have a change in cognition. Rather, they have psychotic breakdowns, because something in their minds is shut off. It is as if they are attacking anyone and anything, because they perceive it as a danger. It is why acute amnesia is reported afterwards. Nervous breakdowns also happen to people who try to recall these events, its as if their cognition has changed entirely." she said.

"That's rather interesting sis, though the cognition thing...eh, it might be spot on. Maybe these people view the world in a certain way, and when their cognition changes, their minds can't accept it, thus leading to those breakdowns." Takumi said, glancing back at the screen, frowning when he saw a picture of himself on it.

" _Finally, onto celebrity news. Famed child actor Takumi Mashita has been spotted in Shibuya recently. Our sources indicate that he has recently arrived from the United States of America, after filming a straight to Netflix sitcom. We are uncertain if he has any projects lined up here in Japan, but some are bringing up the accusations against the young actor back in 2012. If you all remember, Mashita was accused of using Steroids while filming one of his movies. The young man's manager and his grandmother refused such allegations, but doctors in fact proved this to be real._

 _Rumors have surfaced on social media saying that he has started using various other drugs, including prescription medication. Though this has been disproved by the actor himself. Whatever the case, his arrival in Japan has stirred the masses for a bit, and one of the trending topics is whether or not he will return to acting. Personally, I believe he should, his 2014 performance in Fleeting Angel, with the Idol Risette, was phenomenal. Back to sports..."_

"Dammit...why can't people keep their goddamn mouths shut?" Takumi muttered dryly. He pulled out his phone, glancing at his reflection.

"You are an actor sweetheart, people are bound to start rumors. Hey, look at it this way, the stuff you supposedly did is fake, you know it, and I know it. Your true fans know it. At least you aren't Justin Bieber...which I think is much better in my opinion."

"Hahahahahaha, thanks for that one mom...that really cheered me up!" the boy said, earning a grin from the woman. He swiped the screen, accessing his home screen. As he was sifting through his apps, his eyes landed on a familiar crimson app, which he had thought he had deleted. He sighed pinching his eyes in confusion.

" _What the hell is this thing? Why does it keep coming back?"_

"Is something the matter big brother? You've grown silent."

"Eh...nothing, say do you know what this app does?" he asked, showing the girl his phone. Her brows furrowed as she looked at the screen.

"You mean the Navigation app? It looks like a normal app to me, is something the matter with it?"

"No I...navigation app? I'm talking about the red app you know."

"What red app? All of the apps I see don't have a shred of red in them. All I see are a multitude of gaming apps, with a navigation app right in the center. Perhaps you should watch what you download next time, big brother." the girl said, returning to her own phone.

" _Okay then...so Mitsu can't see the red app...then, if she can't see what I can see...what is this thing? Should I click it?"_

" _ **Attention Passengers, we will be arriving in Shibuya in three minutes. I repeat, we will be arriving in Shibuya in three minutes."**_

"Well guys, you better be ready, we only have five minutes to make the Akihabara transfer, so you better haul ass. But stick close, the last thing I want is to lose one of you."

"Mother, I have traveled to places on the train by myself. I wouldn't lose myself, as long as I have enough change for the fare, I will be fine. I already know what to do when I am lost. Stay in place, or speak with a police officer. If that doesn't happen, then I should tuck my head between my legs and kiss my ass goodbye."

"Mitsuhide! You might be going into high school soon, but that doesn't mean you have permission to speak like a high school student!" the woman snapped, earning a laugh from Takumi, the application on his phone all but forgotten. If he had been paying attention, he would have noticed the shimmering butterfly that had fluttered past him.


	3. The Beginning III

**A/N:**

 **Welcome everyone to a brand new chapter of Codename: Songbird. I must say, the attention this story has been getting is great, it isn't much but it is humble. I want this story to be good, so I'm working hard on it, and since I'm currently Playing Persona 5 right now, it makes it a lot easier for me to write things and keep up with the story and match up the dates. However, I did mess up. (Spoiler Alert) On June 5th, Madarame is supposed to confess his sins at the Press Conference, but in this story, he confessed earlier, so I just want everyone to know that it was a minor mistake but one that doesn't really matter. In the end, the Phantom Thieves punished him and that is what matters.**

 **The main plot will kick in soon, in a few chapters you will all see the beginnings of the Kaneshiro arc of the story. I know I said that Takumi would get his awakening on Chapter 5, but that ended up not happening. I'm not sure when exactly he will awaken his persona, but it will be soon. I will also say, that this story will differ quite a bit from Persona 5's main story. Well...the events and everything will be the same, but there will be two original palaces that will be explored. You'll all know later on. Actually, I was thinking of a theory, that the targets the Phantom Thieves took down actually represent the Seven Deadly Sins, with Kamoshida being Pride, Madarame being Vanity, Kaneshiro Greed, Futaba being Sloth, Okumura being Gluttony, Sae being Gluttony, Shido being Lust and Yaldaboath being Wrath, though I might be completely wrong about that, and I'm sure someone already covered that theory at one point. That's just my own reflections from my gameplay of course. But like I said, that was just my own observations, I may be completely wrong.**

 **This chapter contains an awkward scene, just remember that Kanami and Takumi aren't blood related, they just share a last name. So this scene will be rather awkward for the two of them, I just needed a way to bring her into the story without it being dumb or a conceited plot. There is going to be a text chat too, and I tired to mimic the way it works in game, tell me what you think about it, if I should keep it the way it is or if I should just follow a script format for the chats, I just wanted to make it look like an actual cellphone conversation, but it came out looking a bit weird. Anyway, let me know what you all think about this chapter. Leave a like or whatever at the bottom and don't forget the review...thanks for your patronage!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 3

The Beginning III

 _ **Date: Friday June 3rd**_

 _ **Time: Morning(10:20AM)**_

 _ **Location: Jadis and Associates(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Sunny**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Akihabara was a legendary place, known as anime central, it was the hub for everything in the otaku culture. There were stores filled to the brim with manga and doujinshi for sale. There were figurines, collectibles, anime series on DVD and BluRay. One could see cosplayers walking around and taking pictures with tourists. Large billboards with anime characters could be seen all over the place, including one with the virtual idol, Hatsune Miku, which was a rather popular idol in Japan. Among them, were some real idols, he could see pictures featuring various groups, including his favorite of the bunch, Baby Metal, an Idol group that played J-Metal, an entirely new genre that had been created with them. He had always wanted to meet the ladies behind the group, and perhaps one day he would.

He passed by some large stores, seeing some cardboard standees of anime characters in the windows. There were some people with stands outside on the street, selling collectibles and souvenirs to those that came from afar or were tourists to the country. He could also see some young women dressed as maids, handing fliers to anyone willing to take them. Maid cafes were rather famous in Akihabara, as you got a rather interesting experience from going to one. He had never been inside one, but judging by their popularity, he knew they had appeal to some people. Among maid cafes, there were other cafes scattered about, including a Neko cafe, where the girls would dress as catgirls and would have cats inside the store, and even anime themed cafes, where for one or two days, the workers would cosplay as anime characters.

Among those shops were thrift stores and video game shops. Electric Town was the place to go if you wanted anything electronics related. It was a hub for nerds and techy people, who spent hours searching for the right parts to build their gaming computers, or those who were collectionists and needed to search for that vintage gaming system that wasn't found anywhere else. The ambiance was one of camaraderie and cheerfulness. Electric Town was definitely one of Takumi's favorite hangouts in Akihabara, mostly because he could always get a bargain when hunting down video games. It was almost impossible to find anything in America, that wasn't outrageously overpriced of course. He had gone to many a Flea Market in search of games, only to find that they were selling bootlegged copies of them. It made collecting rather annoying, which was why he imported games. But now, he didn't have to waste his time with importation fees, because he could go to Akihabara whenever he wanted.

Erica had a smile on her face as she maneuvered through the crowds. She could tell Takumi was enjoying himself, she had seen him brood a bit during the train ride over, but once he got outside and saw his old hangout, he had brightened up entirely. She knew the boy often times hid his real emotions with his acting skills. He had been acting rather cheerful since they had met up, but it was obvious that the rumors were really getting to him. The fact that he did his best to just pass them off as nothing was astounding. She herself would have snapped at the people speaking, but she knew that wouldn't end well for him. So he just took it all in stride. She had even noticed his demeanor change when Principle Kobayakawa was asking him those questions. He tried acting pensive, and acted like he was indeed ready to learn, when in fact he was indifferent to the situation, stemming from the rumors of course. Takumi had said something as he left, that the Principle was good at hiding, but that he couldn't hide what a scumbag he truly was.

However, seeing his shift in mood as they walked through Akihabara was a breath of fresh air. She could tell that this was the real him, when he was surrounded by what he loved the most, he was truly happy. He had been looking at some things vendors had been selling, some figurines and build it models, as well as some of the cafes. She smiled a bit when a cute maid had walked up to him, surprising him with her acting. She had to appreciate the effort the girls went through to put up with the maid persona, and she could tell Takumi appreciated it as well, as he took every single flier that had been handed to him, and even took some pictures at their request, saying that they loved his performance in Fleeting Angel. It was as if he had truly arrived at home.

"This is awesome...I truly did miss this place while I was in America. It's like Comic-con, everyone is just so kind to each other."

"I'm glad you are enjoying yourself son. Remember though, you are here for a reason, so we have to take care of that first. Once we meet with Director Shimizu, you'll be able to gallivant to your heart's content." Erica said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Mother, I noticed Takumi was interacting quite a lot with that ditsy maid from before. Could her perhaps be infatuated with her?"

"Eh?"

"Probably...she was pretty cute, what was her name again? Clara? She looked like she was available. She also said that your acting was amazing, maybe you'd like to date her in the future?"

"Okay, now you are just putting words in my mouth. She's sweet, but she's acting. Though I'm sure the stuff about being my fan is real, the maid stuff is just an act. There is no way a girl could face plant twice in a row like that and not make it an act." the boy replied, brushing some of his brown colored bangs from his eyes.

"I dunno...she looked genuine to me. Then again, I know little about acting, I'll let the professional let me know. Still, you are seventeen...when are you gonna get a girlfriend?"

"Not any time soon I'm afraid."

"Could it perhaps be that you are insecure about your feelings? Are you unsure of the people around you because of your acting? Or perhaps it is something else, a slight confusion that will lead toward the attraction of the same sex?" Mitsuhide asked, causing the boy to blush.

"Listen here you little bookworm, I have always liked women. I will always like women, alright? I am in no way, attracted to men. So leave your hypothesis and thesis stuff for when you are in college!" the boy snapped. The girl remained indifferent, as if his reply had just answered her questions.

Jadis and Associates was a large building, or rather it was located in a building. It looked rather plain to him, like any other generic building one would find in Tokyo. He glanced at the large sign, which had labels for every company found on each floor. Jadis and Associates had two floors in this building, the tenth and eleventh floors which were also the top floors in the building. Erica lead him and Mitsuhide inside the building, walking straight through the lobby towards the elevators. She pressed the call button, a loud ding echoing through the lobby as the doors slid open. She pressed the tenth floor button, causing the doors to close. As the small metal room started moving, Takumi started growing nervous, though he had hidden it through his trained facade. He couldn't let his mother or little sister know that he was nervous. It was also why he had shoved his hands in his pockets, as they had grown a bit sweaty.

" _This is so damn nerve wracking...I haven't had an actual movie offer since Fleeting Angel 2 back in early 2015. That was the last movie I actually made before being shoved into a shitty sitcom. What is this guy like?"_ Takumi thought to himself, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Are you nervous? It's alright if you are you know?"

"I'm not...just been awhile since I've had some serious acting. Dunno what I'm getting into, I suppose. Though, I am curious...why does this guy want to meet me in an Idol Agency?" he asked curiously.

"Well, the lead actress for his film is an idol and since her group is also involved, it's much easier to discuss things directly here. In fact, he's helped a lot of up and coming idols become serious actors in show business. Since he makes two movies a year due to his skills, he often needs a lot of actors, and young actors are quite fitting on the silver screen."

"It is an interesting gamble. This movie deal could make or break your career, best of luck big brother."

" _Yeah, as if that helped ease my nerves, squirt. Sheesh...though this does sound a little odd...a man that's a renown actor, going after up and coming idols for his movies? Wouldn't he want professional actors and actresses instead of inexperienced teenagers and kids?"_ he thought to himself. The doors slid open, and the three of them stepped out into the office.

Unlike the lobby, this place was rather colorful, with bright pink walls, and stars painted all over the place. He could see some rainbows as well as some other things being painted. The gilded letters spelling the name Jadis and Associates was mounted in the center of the wall, right in between some bright green plants, above a black leather bench. He could see some cardboard standees of some idols, and even spotted the Sapphire poster he had seen in Shibuya.

"Oh right...I totally forgot, this is the company that Rise works for." he muttered under his breath. He shook his head, putting on his brave face as he walked toward the desk, where a lone secretary had been stationed, glancing at the computer screen before her. She glanced up, giving the boy a smile.

"Good Morning, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I am here to meet with Director Ryoutaro Shimizu. My name is Takumi Mashita...Um, I'm interested in a role for his movie." he said. She glanced at the boy, recognizing him after a few seconds.

"Ah yes, he did say someone was coming to see him today, but I wasn't aware that it was you. If you'd please take a seat, I'll contact him right away." she said. The boy nodded, walking back toward the bench where his mother and little sister were.

"Well, this is it."

"Time to nut up, or shut up." Mitsuhide said, not glancing away from her book. Erica giggled, wrapping her arm around her daughter. Takumi rolled his eyes, glancing at his phone for a brief second. He saw that app again, frowning when he did.

" _I guess I got some time to figure out what this thing does. Time to launch it I guess."_ he muttered, tapping the icon. He felt a sharp pain in his head, seeing a low crimson light around him. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was entirely alone.

"Wha...what the hell? Mom...Mitsu?" he asked, seeing the bench beside him was empty. He glanced toward the front counter, seeing the secretary was gone too. He was about to stand up, only to clutch his head right after, the world returning to normal.

"Takumi, are you alright?" Erica asked, concerned about how he was acting.

"Huh? Where did you go? You were gone for like five seconds."

"I've...been here the entire time. Are you sure you are alright? You aren't feeling sick are you?"

"Perhaps the nerves finally got to him, it is quite typical in scenarios like this." Mitsuhide added, causing the woman to frown.

"No...no I'm fine...I guess I just got caught in a daydream." he said, giving them a smile, though Erica knew it was a fake one. Before she could say anything, the door to the side of the counter opened, and a lone man walked out.

Takumi gave him a once over, sensing quite a bit of charisma from him. He was wearing a turtle neck sweater, which was black in color with white stripes. Around his neck, he had a short red scarf, which hung over his shoulder. He was wearing a pair of pea green pants, slightly baggy with some large pockets on the sides of the legs. He was also wearing slip on shoes on his feet. He had a black beret over his curly black hair, and wore a thin pair of glasses. He had bright eyes, and chiseled features, the man was quite handsome, if he cared to admit. He had a bullhorn in his hand, most likely what he used to call out directions. Takumi shot to his feet, grabbing the man's attention.

"Ah...there he is! The young man who launched himself into stardom when he was eight years old. Takumi Mashita, I have seen your work and I must say it is excellent. My name is Ryoutaro Shimizu, a pleasure."

"Oh...um...thank you sir, it's nice meeting you too. I appreciate the words of praise, I must apologize, I haven't seen any of your films. Or rather, I might have but I might not be aware if you were directing it." he said.

"It's quite alright, my films have a certain...flair to them. I'm sure you'll be able to tell them apart from other things out there. Your mother contacted me last week, saying you were looking for a role? I am in need of someone of your caliber, would you like to try out for the part?"

"Definitely, I would love to try out. What exactly do I have to do?" Takumi asked. The man gestured for him to follow.

"This way, I'll show you to one of our sets. Erica-chan, you may tag along if you wish, and bring your little one, I'm sure she'll love seeing how we make movie magic."

"I'm already aware of various filming techniques, including the use of green screens and CGI. Though I would enjoy meeting some actors." the girl said, placing her book in her satchel.

"Haha...I like your attitude little one...say, perhaps I can squeeze you into my film. There is a scene that requires some children playing at a part, I can hire you as an extra...what do ya say?"

"Films do not interest me, though I do require the funds for when I eventually go to college. I suppose I'll think about it." Mitsuhide replied, earning a grin from the man.

They walked into another large room, seeing a film set sprawled out before them. Takumi gasped a bit at the size of it, it was a typical home set, but it looked so much more vibrant than others he had seen. It was so modern looking, with real working appliances as well. He could see a living room set, smack in the center of the room, and attached to it was a kitchen. Further behind the first set was what looked like a bedroom set, though it was smaller compared to the other set. He could see various lights hanging overhead, along with large cameras, some on moving rails, as well as some of the portable ones on tripods, which had wheels on them in case a character was set to move to another part of the set. Long cables of various lengths, and colors could be seen all over the floor, along with some large tables, filled with props and other small things.

"This is the most realistic home set I have seen in awhile. Some of the other sets I've seen make it look like it's still the 80s. This is so modern, and more...homey." Takumi said, earning a laugh from Shimizu.

"Yes, that is what I was aiming for. You see, my film is about a young woman, striving to become an idol. So there are a lot of parts that will take place in a home setting. The bigger sets are being built as we speak, so for now we are filming all of the home scenes. But the true bulk of the film will be done during the summer months. You are in school yes?"

"I start Monday...mom told me that you were famous for completing films in as little takes as possible. How do you do that?" Takumi asked curiously.

"Ah...you wish to know my method? It's simple, by having each actor and actress read the script as many times as possible, they will start to fully memorize it. It's like an opera, instead on film. If they have all of their lines already memorized, they can fully channel their acting. They will start acting and behaving as if they were really in that scene. It all blends perfectly together to create the perfect movie." he said. Takumi was impressed, he spoke so passionately about his craft, that he was quite surprised.

"See, this is why I had to bring you to him Takumi. Ryoutaro-kun is so passionate with his directing, just as you are with your acting. You two go hand in hand in this industry, and I believe this movie is what you need for those rumors to go away. It's perfect!" Erica said, a proud smile on her face.

"I agree...the other directors I met didn't have as much passion as you do. I'm so eager to show you what I can do, it's been so long since I've had a serious gig like this."

"Now now, don't get ahead of yourself. You still have to nail the part, I have to main roles that need to be filled. Our main character is a beautiful idol, but we need to give her a love interest. Are you alright with the leading male role?"

"Sure...I don't mind. All I need is the script so I can memorize the right parts." he said. Shimizu snapped his fingers, causing one of his Editors to appear before him, holding a thick bundle of papers with him. Shimizu grabbed them, handing them to the teen.

"Alright, let's start with a practice scene. It isn't gonna be filmed, but it's a key role in our story. It's near the climax of the story, act 3 scene four...I'll give you fifteen minutes to memorize your lines. If you pass this little trial, I'll give you a full try out on Monday afternoon, sound good?"

"Of course! I'll make sure to do my best!" he said happily.

"How is he going to memorize all of that and handle school work at the same time?" Mitsuhide asked.

"That's the thing, Takumi is a beast with micromanaging. Not only that but he's a multi-tasker as well. Since the school year is almost over, he doesn't have to worry about tests or anything, giving him all of the time he needs before the first day of filming. Once he nails this part, which I know he will, he will definitely be on the path to stardom!" Erica said confidently. Her phone started ringing, her demeanor instantly changing. She reached into her pocket, glancing at the screen.

"Honey, I gotta take this. Stay with your brother alright?" she said, ruffling Mitsuhide's hair. She frowned as her mother left the set.

"Busy woman, does she get a lot of calls like that?" Shimizu asked curiously.

"Indeed, they are mostly business related. Would it be alright if I take a look at the script? I would like to understand the story behind this film." the little girl said, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Of course little lady, but there are some adult themes you might now understand."

"I'm sure I'll be able to comprehend all of the themes and morals in this movie. I have seen quite a number of critically acclaimed films in the past, and have read various books on the New York Times best sellers. Handling something like a movie script is minor compared to some of the questionable reading material I have read at in the past." she replied. Shimizu was honestly quite surprised with how the young girl presented herself. He handed her the script, which she quietly took, giving the man a silent thanks. She pulled up a nearby stool and sat down, starting with the first page of the script.

After fifteen minutes, Takumi felt he was ready for the small part. It was just a meeting between the main character, Koyomi and his character, Natsuno. They would be meeting in her home, and all his character does is confess his feelings to the young starlet, and promises to marry her if she successfully becomes an idol. In her excitement, she kisses the boy, leading to a more passionate kiss between them, ending the scene. Takumi was already used to stage kissing in film, he had done it in Fleeting Angel when his best friend's little sister confessed her feelings to him, being driven to do it by Rise's character who was his older sister. He nodded to himself, setting his script down on the table his sister had been sitting at.

"It's go time, gotta channel my inner suave." he said, flicking a comb from his jacket sleeve, brushing his hair back and smoothing out some of the spikes out.

"Break a leg, big brother." the girl said, her focus still on the script.

"Are you ready then Takumi? You'll be kissing your potentially future co-star. Are you alright with that?"

"That's fine...it is part of the career of course." he said, giving the man a smirk.

"Ah...I see, I see! You like these scenes, you get a free excuse to kiss a cute girl. I like the way you think, alright bring our main star out here, her lover is waiting for her!" Shimizu called out, causing a few people to start running all over the place. It wasn't long before a young woman was brought out from another part of the set.

Takumi tried to get a good look at her, but she was being looked at by various make up artists. After a few seconds, he finally got to see who they were all fawning over. She was a short girl, in fact she was about the same height as Takumi was. She had long dark brown hair, tied into loose ponytails with a single yellow hair tie, near the middle of the tail, rather than at the base of her scalp. She was wearing a long sleeved cardigan, which was a light cream in color, with light yellow stripes on it. She wore a white skirt, with a pair of pink leggings underneath, and some plain looking sandals. She was wearing a pair of wide rimmed glasses, her brown eyes barely visible.

Normally, Takumi would have been ecstatic to see such a cute young woman. And he would have been even more excited at the chance to give her a kiss...however, the woman in front of him wasn't any old girl who was starring in the lead role of a famous movie. This woman was the famous idol Kanamin, the lead singer in the idol group, Kanamin's Kitchen, not only that. She was Takimi's older sister, who he hadn't seen since the last time he was in Japan. They just stared at each other for a few seconds, both letting out a sharp scream right after.

"What the hell are you doing here? Someone told me they got a boy to try out for the part? Are you telling me it's you?"

"I should be asking you the same question. When the hell did you become an actress? I thought you were just a singer!" Takumi returned, the shocked look evident on his face.

"Oh my...do you two know each other?" Shimizu asked.

"Like hell we do, Takumi is my little brother. Are you telling me we're doing the kissing scene with him?"

"Hey, don't say it like that. It makes it sound more insulting than it already is!" the boy cried back.

"My mistake, I wasn't aware that you two were related. The name Mashita is rather common, so I figured there was no relation between the two of you." Shimizu said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Well actually...we aren't blood related...and we weren't raised together. My father was once married to her mother, Rika and she was born when they were married. Legally, he is registered as her adoptive father, but after the divorce, we technically lost all relation. But she's still my sister, do don't you dare suggest I kiss her!" he cried. Shimizu sighed, frowning slightly.

"Well...I wasn't expecting to reach a snag in the road this early on. I was looking forward to seeing how you act, Takumi-kun. But since Kanami-chan is your sister, I can't exactly force the two of you to do that. I'm sorry, but you don't qualify for the lead role."

"Come on Director. There has to be something he can do, isn't there another role you needed to fill?" Kanami asked curiously.

"That role is for a secondary character, who won't get as much screen time. Natsuno is the main love interest for Koyomi, and this scene is the climax of their relationship. The leader of the boy band she has always admired, taking notice of her, a girl who is plain and boring, striving to be the idol he wants her to be. This scene must have a kiss, it cannot be written out!" he said firmly.

"Ugh...this is so unfair...this role is the one I need to jump start my career! Why did it have to be my sister? Why couldn't it have been Rise? I wouldn't have minded kissing her!" the boy said, a disappointed tone in his voice.

"Sheesh, I didn't think you wanted an acting career this much. Fine...we aren't related at all, other than by last names. It's totally fine if we share a kiss okay? But just for this movie, and you better not be weird about it you perv." Kanami said, walking into the living room set.

"I can't just do that sis...it's just...weird okay? You and I hung out together a lot when we were younger, I used to live with you when Rise was on hiatus. Do you actually think I can handle it?"

"You are an actor...channel your inner acting. If you want to nail this part, then you can't see me as Kanami and you can't see yourself as Takumi. You are Natsuno, I am Koyomi...simple as that." she said, sitting down on the couch, picking up one of the prop magazines that had been placed on the table. The boy sighed rubbing his eyes.

"Great, the media is gonna eat this shit for lunch...alright Director, I'll give it a try. I really want this part, so I guess I'll have to do this. You are so lucky we aren't blood related." he said, walking toward the outside part of the house, where the door was.

"Thanks for your effort Takumi-kun! Alright everyone, places!" the man called, sitting down at his chair.

"I thought you weren't going to film this?" Mitsuhide asked, standing next to Shimizu's chair.

"I wasn't, but I changed my mind. I can review this when seeing the other candidates to see who deserves the part more. Alright, channel your inner roles, let them speak through you!"

"Rolling."

"Marker!" one of the filmers said, placing it in front of the camera.

"Action!" Shimizu cried, the sharp clack of the marker starting the scene. Takumi knocked rather loudly on the door, attracting Kanami's attention, the young woman set down her magazine, rising to her feet.

"I wonder who that could be? Maybe it's Yoko, she did say she was coming over." the brown haired idol said, moving toward the door, undoing all of the locks, slowly opening the door. She jumped back a bit, a surprised expression on her face.

"N-Natsuno...w-what are you d-doing here?"

"Hey Koyo, I uh...wanted to see you. There's something very important that I have to tell you. May I come in?" he asked. The girl nodded shyly, letting the boy into the house.

"Um...h-have a s-seat. W-would you like s-something to drink?"

"No thanks. You...have nice house...it's normal. Reminds me of when I was still young, I miss those days." Takumi said, taking a seat at the couch. Kanami sat beside him, her head bowed so her hair covered her face.

"Um...so, why did you c-come here?"

"Well...listen, the last audition is this weekend. If that role is filled, you might never fulfill your dream of being an idol. I've seen how much you want this, all of the lengths you've gone too. You sacrificed the entrance to a prestigious university, just for this dream. I want you to succeed, I haven't seen someone so dedicated...so passionate for this as you."

"Natsuno...I dunno. I don't know if I truly do have what it takes to be an idol. I was a fool, thinking I could just stroll in with little to no experience. But I tried! I tried, and I practiced and I sung until my throat was raw, and then some...and I still failed to impress those judges. What makes you think I'll be able to succeed now?" she asked, glancing right into his eyes. Takumi blushed a bit, glancing nervously away from her.

"I know...that you can succeed. You have what it takes, you just have to believe in yourself. You remember that day that we met, when you were singing at that fountain and all of those children were listening? That's the Koyomi that needs to come out, that needs to be on that stage. Some girls do this for the money, or the popularity. You are the first girl, who is doing this because she loves it, because she wants to bring a smile to someone's face."

"Natsuno." the girl whispered, smiling at him.

"When I saw you that day...I felt something I hadn't before. I was confused, shocked...and curious. I needed to see more of you, I needed to see where you would go. That's why I invited you to those try outs, and started to coach you, because I see something in you that not many can see. During those moments...I...couldn't help but."

Takumi paused, glancing away from the girl. Kanami took a hold of his hand, bringing his attention to her. She had a curious look on her face, as she was silently trying to figure him out. The boy reached a hand to her face, brushing some hair behind her ears, slowly taking her glasses off.

"I couldn't help but fall in love with you. Your charisma, your singing, your dancing...your eyes. They're filled with so much passion, so much love. They're beautiful...and shine brighter than the empty soulless eyes of those idols that don't care. Koyomi...I want you to succeed, I want the woman that I love, to achieve her dreams."

"You...love me? But what about Akeno? Isn't she your girlfriend?"

"I was forced to date her, for publicity...but she is just a toxic person who doesn't deserve the time I give her. You on the other hand, are the real love of my life...I want you to realize that, and become the idol you were meant to be. What do you say? Will you give us the chance? To see that beautiful persona come out on stage?" he asked. The girl hesitated, lowering her head.

"I...I."

"It's alright if you don't...it must be nerve wracking, imagining yourself on a stage, filled with millions of people that..."

The boy was silenced by the girl, who captured his lips in a kiss. His eyes widened a bit in surprise, slowly closing as he started kissing her back. He placed his hand on her shoulder, holding her head so that she wouldn't move back from him.

"Cut! That was beautiful!" Ryoutaro shouted, shooting up to his feet, clapping loudly. Kanami and Takumi pulled away, rapidly brushing their lips off with their sleeves.

"That was so weird!"

"I know...god, did you drink root beer before this? I could taste it!" Takumi cried.

"Hey, you know how much I love root beer! It helps me concentrate!" Kanami cried, glaring at her brother.

"That was the most realistic confession I have ever seen! If I didn't know any better, you two are forbidden lovers, confessing your love to each other!" Shimizu said, causing Kanami to shoot up to her feet.

"Ha! In your dreams old man, if we are done here I am going to my prep room, I gotta brush my teeth and try to forget that kiss!" she cried, walking off the set.

"Gee, thanks for that one sis. You don't have to treat me like I'm terminally ill!" Takumi cried, also walking out of the set. Shimizu stopped before him, a smile on his face.

"You blew me away with that performance lad, as such you are getting the chance for a full audition on Monday afternoon. Be here in Akihabara at 4:00PM. That should give you enough time to make it here from your school. Take the weekend to memorize any scene you wish to try out for. If you succeed, then you sir have the part. Now, I must meet with another potential star, so please understand if I have to shoo you out."

"It's fine...is it alright if I bring Kanami with me? Despite the travesty that just happened, we really do get along. I haven't seen her in awhile, so I wanna catch up."

"She'll be on break in an hour, if you stick around Akihabara, then I'll tell her you are waiting. Though I'm sure she has your contact information correct?"

"Yeah...she has my number and Chat ID. Thanks again for this Director Shimizu...I promise, I'm going to give my all in this movie." he said, grabbing a hold of the script he had left on the table.

"I hope you do...tell your mother I said goodbye. Now people, let's set up for the next audition tape." he called out. Takumi gestured to Mitsuhide so she would follow. The boy glanced over his shoulder, eyes widening a bit at the sudden shift in the stage.

It looked a bit distorted now, the area looking rather odd. It looked, almost like an old temple to him. The hardwood floors had been replaced with traditional tatami floors. And the areas at the sides of the room were red and had wooden rails, as if there was a second floor. The area where the set had been, looked like a shrine, like the ones he had seen at the Meiji Temple when he had last visited. He blinked, the set returning to normal. Mitsuhide tugged on his hand, causing him to look down.

"You suddenly froze, are you day dreaming again? Or are you perhaps remembering the chaste kiss you shared with Kanamin?"

"Shut up! You will not tell mom about this...I'll buy you four books of your choosing."

"Five, hard covers...and a bunny plushy...I saw one at a store we passed earlier." she said, flushing slightly. He sighed, giving her a nod.

" _Somehow, I feel like this one is going to bleed me dry."_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Wow, look at all of the manga this store has! Perhaps I was too quick on my judgment of this genre. I believe I can learn to appreciate the artwork behind the stories here." Mitsuhide exclaimed, as soon as they had entered the store.

This particular store was filled with Manga, and was the biggest store in Akihabara. Four floors of nothing but manga, figurines, doujinshi and anime galore. It was truly the place where otaku came to look for something new to read. Mitsuhide had told Takumi that she didn't really read manga because she hadn't given it a try, but he encouraged her to a least find something, and guided her to this particular store. To him, it was like a large library for otakus like him, and he very much like that about it. He had decided to head to the second floor to check on some of the new arrivals he had, and took his sister with him. Erica was still talking on the phone, mostly business, though she had a worried expression on her face. When questioned, she put a fake smile on and went on like it was nothing. He knew something was wrong, but didn't want to put the woman off. After all, he used his acting skills to often hide how he was truly feeling.

"See anything ya like? I already bought you that bunny you wanted, so I'll get you any five volumes you want. You can pick the first volume of five different series or go for your own little collection. I'll even let you read the stuff that I have, I'm gonna try to complete some of the series I'm missing. I gotta get volumes 42-63 of Fairy Tail anyway." he said, already finding the manga he was looking for. He grabbed the ones he needed, totaling twenty three. Thankfully he had grabbed a basket just in case.

"Do you have any recommendations? I don't want something that full of romance. While I do like romance, I wish to branch out a bit, but nothing too gory yet. I want something light hearted but also interesting."

"Light hearted and interesting...I guess DanMachi is a good start...too bad you don't want to read something gory, I was gonna start you off with Danganronpa. I'm sure the murder mystery genre is something you'd appreciate."

"Danganronpa? What's that series about?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a smile from the boy. He looked around, finding the four volumes for the first game, handing them to the girl.

"This is a series, where sixteen students are trapped inside the prestigious Hope's Peak Academy. They are being kept inside by the psychotic bear, Monokuma. In order for them to leave, they need to get away with murder. I have the games back home, so I don't really need the manga. But I'm willing to buy you these, since I'll add them to my own collection, and you can still pick the five you want."

"Really? Well...you have certainly piqued my interest. I suppose I'll select something for myself...I wish to find something interesting." she said, going off on her own. He kept an eye on her, making sure she didn't lose herself. He remembered the first time he had come to this store, he had gotten lost and hadn't found the exit. Of course he did find several good stories to read, until his grandmother came looking for him.

" _It's good that I'm getting my sister into manga...but still...I'm reeling from that scene. I can't believe out of all the people I had to kiss, it had to be Kanami. I know we aren't blood related or anything, but still it's super weird. And what was with that temple I saw? It was as if it was distorted or something."_

He felt his phone vibrate, and pulled it out of his pocket, glancing at the screen. His Chat ID had gotten a message. He swiped the screen, seeing the black and white picture of his sister, in her Kanamin outfit, winking at the camera. He tapped the picture, opening the chat.

 _ **(Chatbox)xxx**_

 **Kanamin:** _Director Shimizu said you wanted to hang out?_

 _Uh yeah, I just wanted to hang out for a bit, you know..hehe_ **:Takumi**

 **Kanamin:** _I suppose. We haven't seen each other in awhile_

 **Kanamin:** _Are you alright with that? I mean, we're both celebrities_

 _I'm fine with that sis...it's perfectly normal_ **:Takumi**

 _Besides, didn't you tell me no one knew Kanami?_ **:Takumi**

 _You looked normal_ **:Takumi**

 **Kanamin:** _I'm just good at hiding._

 **Kanamin:** _Unlike someone I know, who hides in plain sight._

 _Yeah yeah, so where do we meet up?_ **:Takumi**

 **Kanamin:** _How about...My Own Maid?_

 **Kanamin:** _It's this cute maid cafe that just opened up...my treat!_

 _Aw, thanks for thinking of the little people sis!_ **:Takumi**

 _I really appreciate you covering the tab, Mitsu is with me though_ **:Takumi**

 **Kanamin:** _That's fine...I haven't seen her in forever._

 **Kanamin:** _Be there in fifteen, or else!_

 _Pfft, or else what? You'll kiss me to death?_ **:Takumi**

 **Kanamin:** _Suck a long slimy 8=======D_

 _ **(Chatbox closed)xxx**_

Takumi chuckled as he closed his Chat ID. He and his sister usually talked a bit differently, but he could tell she was still the same Kanami that he had left two years prior. He selected the last of his purchases, glad that he had brought his backpack with him. He went to find his little sister, seeing her sitting down on the floor with several thick manga volumes beside her. He looked at the cover of one of them, seeing the name, Dance in the Vampire Bund on the front. She had grabbed five of the thick books, which had four entire volumes in them. In fact, the five she had grabbed covered the beginning of the series, nearly to the midpoint. She looked up at him, blushing a bit when she saw him grab one of the books she had selected.  
"It's not what it looks like, I am not interested in gaudy vampire drama...honest."

"Mitsu...it's alright. You know, I actually like this manga, I never completed it though. I like to have the single volumes instead of the big ones like this. The five books you have only reach to like chapter sixty, if I recall. Why not grab the last two? I'm fine with giving you a complete series." he said.

"R-really?" she asked. He gave her a nod, causing the girl to jump to her feet, wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you for this gift big brother. I think, a lot of people would make fun of me for reading something like this...I don't have many friends. This will...keep me entertained for awhile." she said.

"I'm glad then...we're gonna meet up with Kanami at My Own Maid alright? So put those in the basket and grab the last two. Don't worry about the cost or anything, I got my own nest egg for I can splurge if I want. Come on, we can't be late or Kanami will beat my ass." he said, urging his little sister on. He grabbed his phone, deciding to check his separate bank account to see if his funds had been converted from American Dollars to Japanese Yen. That familiar red app was glaring at him again. He growled, glaring at it.

" _This damn thing is starting to piss me off. This is the last time I'm gonna delete it, if it comes back I am gonna get myself a new phone."_ he said, dragging the application to the trash. After the weird distortions he had been seeing throughout the day, he wasn't going to keep that application around. Not to mention, whenever he saw those distortions, he felt something weird in his heart, as if something was begging for release, causing him that sharp pain in his head. He shook it off, heading to the registers on the first floor.

" _I don't have time to focus on some silly app. I gotta focus on my script, and on school. Maybe this time around, I'll finally be able to drop this mask I keep putting on. Always the happy guy, always ignoring the rumors...if only they knew, how much that stuff actually hurt."_

He stopped mid stride, glancing over his shoulder, eyes scanning the stairwell behind him. He didn't know why, but he felt like he was being watched, by who, he didn't know. But for a brief second, he felt as if something was following him. He noticed everything around him had stopped...no...more like slowed down. The people walking, the talking, even the tapping he could hear coming from Mitsuhide's text message. He blinked, seeing a bright blue butterfly cutting across his line of sight.

" _This world is an unfair one...if you can hear my voice, then that means your story can still change. I sought a special person for help, but he alone cannot handle this...I'm afraid he has failed in another iteration and we cannot let this happen again. The Fool, he walks his path alone...filled with innocence, blindly following his orders."_

"What...what are you talking about? Who is this?"

" _I am but a humble servant, torn apart by an evil no one yet knows. If you can hear my voice, then it isn't too late. Please...break away from the chains that hold you back. Do not let them repress how you feel, trust the feeling in your heart, rebel against what holds you back. Break thy chains of captivity, only you and those he trusts can defeat this evil."_

The boy stood there, completely confused as the voice faded from his mind. Mitsuhide looked back at him, about to ask him a question, when she noticed the lone tear that slid down his cheek. He reached a hand for his face, wiping it away, surprised to actually see it. He blinked a few times, glancing at the ceiling.

" _Why did I? That voice...it sounded so sad...why are you sad...Lavenza?"_

"Who's Lavenza?" Mitsuhide asked, causing the boy to look at her.

"Huh? What?"

"You muttered the name Lavenza, so I'm just wondering who that is...perhaps a previous lover? Did you remember a past memory with her? If so I am sorry for intruding."

"No...no, I don't know anyone with that name...it just...popped in my mind. Let's get out of here, alright?" he said, earning a nod from the girl, who rapidly turned around. Takumi frowned, adopting a pensive look.

" _Break thy chains of captivity...wings of rebellion? Why are those two phrases swimming around in my mind? Just what is going on here? What are those distortions about? And what does that app truly do? Tch...I guess I'll have to figure that shit out on my own, typical. As if keeping this charade wasn't bad enough."_

The boy once again adopted a smile on his face, another of his fake masks. In his mind, he wondered just how long he would have to pretend he was happy, when he truly wasn't. For some reason, breaking the chains of captivity, and rebelling against the ones that held him down, sounded like a fine idea indeed.


	4. The Velvet Room

**A/N:**

 **Welcome one and all to Chapter 4 of Codename: Songbird. I would like to apologize to all of you, this story's beginning arc is a little bit slow, but I am getting close to the first part of the story. I said that Takumi would be getting his Persona soon, but it won't be happening for a few more chapters. I wanted to make sure to flesh out Takumi a bit before taking him to the Metaverse. I will say that this story is going to be a little different from the plot, as I said before. There is something going on that will be mentioned throughout the story, the truth behind what is going on. Takumi will have his first few experiences with the Metaverse in the coming chapters.**

 **I haven't decided exactly who Takumi will end up with. I'm pretty sure that Ann is Ren's canon girlfriend, but since you can literally date anyone, I'm not exactly sure. There will be some OC confidants that might become Takumi's girlfriend as well, or he might stay single like Ryuji. The candidates are of course all of the girls from the Phantom Thieves, Ann, Makoto, Futaba, and Haru. As for everyone else that he might interact with, you'll have to wait and see because I don't want to spoil all of his future confidants, I mean it's obvious that his fellow Phantom Thieves would become confidants, but there are original ones as well as ones that Joker knows. Also, I'm not sure if you've guessed Takumi's future Persona yet, but as you read more of the new chapters, you should be able to take a good guess. I'm not giving you any clues, aside from the Tower Arcana being the one that represents failure and failed heroes. His Persona won't be a failed hero, at least not until his evolution near the end of the story, to take a guess if you like, he won't be making an appearance until much later in this beginning arc, chapter 9 or 10.**

 **I hope you guys have a good day, let me know what you think of this chapter. Like it, hate it? Leave a review or whatever you feel like...see ya next Tuesday.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 4

The Velvet Room

 _ **Date: Friday June 3rd**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon(2:20PM)**_

 _ **Location: My Own Maid(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi found himself in a booth in the very back of My Own Maid. It was a rather cute store, with a bit of low lighting. It was styled to look more like a mansion than a restaurant. There were girls dressed as maids and guys dressed as butlers walking around. It was something that he hadn't been expecting to see. He figured it would be a normal looking cafe, but for it to look like a mansion was completely something else. Mitsuhide was sitting beside him, her attention on the first volume of Dance in the Vampire Bund, which she had started devouring the second they had left the manga store. Across from them was the famous idol Kanamin, though in her normal life, she was known as Kanami. Takumi called her Kana for short when they were in public, to avoid people walking over to them. Though they had come to the very back of the cafe, and had told some of the workers not to let anyone back there in case someone caused a commotion. They were rather understanding, and had even put a small VIP sign separating that area of the cafe from the rest of it so no one would wonder over there.

Takumi was currently drinking the best chocolate milkshake had ever had. Kanami had ordered for him once he had sat down, having gotten him a sandwich which he had already eaten. She had gotten Mitsuhide a small slice of cake which she had also eaten, having her focus solely on her book rather than the pastry she had gotten. The brown haired girl was currently looking at her phone, texting someone, most likely one of her friends from her idol group. She set her phone face down, glancing up at her little brother, a small smile on her face.

"I gotta admit, I knew that you were in Tokyo, but I wasn't aware that you were looking for acting gigs. You got lucky, but seriously...are you okay with...you know?"

"Of course I'm not. But I just...want to shave that past off of myself. My father ruined everything for me, and even now people are talking shit about me." the boy said, taking a sip from his drink.

"I know...I heard some stuff online, saying you were selling drugs to minors, and that living in LA most likely poisoned you. Some people were also saying that you were the head of some street gang, who decided to start one here because you are escaping from the authorities."

"Ugh...that is such horse shit!"

"I got a question...if you hate this stuff so much, why do you suck it up? Why don't you just go out and tell everyone that this is fake? Why don't you face your father, force him to tell the truth?" Kanami asked, poking her straw with her finger tip, her manicured nail glittering in the low light.

"He isn't going too. I knows what he did, and I have threatened him many times in the past. He said there is no proof that he was involved, that everything that I could use, doesn't exist in physical form. So I tired hacking into his company server and couldn't get in. He was proud of himself too, but I just acted like everything was hunky dory, so I could just live through the day."

"So...in essence, you were acting...how do I know you aren't acting now?"

"Kana please, I am not acting right now. This is the real me."

"And yet you still hide who you truly are. You are not a proper young man, in fact you are a lot more cheerful than this brooding person before me. If I'm being honest, the person that kissed me earlier was the real you, that reaction was genuine." she said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I'm not acting, I am me, nobody else. Can we please not do this? I wanted to catch up with you, not talk about this bullshit. That's the reason why I left America, to leave that life behind. Sadly, society doesn't know when to let shit die." he said, wrapping his hands around his glass, squeezing it hard. Kanami frowned, but decided to instead change the topic. She reached into her bag, pulling two things from within, placing them on the table.

"Here, I got you something for your birthday. It was a day ago right?" she asked.

"Yeah, June 2nd. You should know this, considering Rise's birthday is the day before...I'm finally an adult, of course this is in America and not here. So what did ya get me?" he asked, seeing the two wrapped presents. One was a flat square shaped object, while the second was a small black box with a small bow on it.

"Well, the bottom one is actually a present from Rise. She wanted to come see you, but she's in Inaba visiting her grandmother and her friends. She's been having some issues with her long time boyfriend, so she wanted to go back since they meet every summer. The top one is mine, I hope you like it." she said, giving him a smile. The boy decided to open Rise's present first, surprised to see her newest album hidden under the paper.

"Wow, I've been seeing all of the Sapphire posters everywhere. I was actually going to buy it, but I'm glad I waited. And she signed it, how sweet of her." he said, glancing at the CD that rested within, which had Risette's signature on it.

"I knew you would like it and so did she...that's why she sent you the deluxe version. This one has some unreleased studio songs as well, not a lot of these were made, so you are indeed lucky. She also said she'd get you some VIP tickets whenever her next concert is, as an added bonus."

"So, the second idol you knew was Risette? I figured that was the case, you should perhaps keep that a secret from Ayumi. I'm certain she knows Kanami is your older sister, but knowing how aloof she is, she probably forgot." Mitsuhide said, quietly turning the page in her book.

"Yeah...I know that...don't worry, I'll have her meet Rise and Kana next time we can all meet up. Anyway, onto your present sis, let's see what is under lid number 1!" the bow said, pulling the small ribbon.

Resting inside was a silver bracelet, consisting mostly of a thin silver chain. Hanging from the side of it was a small star shaped charm, which was a light blue color, and had a small red bow tied to the top of it. It was a four pointed star, which had his first initial, a T on the front. The boy looked up at his sister, a surprised look on his face.

"This is..."

"Cute? I know...this is a special charm. Supposedly, it was infused with a powerful blessing that is said to destroy and nullify curses. Obviously, I don't believe in superstition or what not. But I liked the color, and since sky blue happens to be your favorite, I just had to buy it. Do you like it?"

"I love it sis, thank you. I'll cherish it forever." he said, wrapping the bracelet around his left wrist.

"I'm glad then. So, now that you are in Japan, what do you make of all this Mental Breakdown business?" Kanami asked, finishing her sweet tea. The boy leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms as he did.

"I'm not sure, from an outsiders perspective, there's a lot that I don't get. I haven't been here long, so obviously I can't comment on what I think. But as a the sleuth I can be sometimes, it makes me think that there's something at play here. Do you actually think people randomly have these...psychotic breakdowns and injure everyone around them? Only for them to have amnesia or shutdown entirely afterwards?"

"That's what I'm saying...sadly, one of the members of Kanamin's Kitchen was injured in one of those attacks. Not during the train attack of course, there was this guy driving a car, who lost control and tried ramming her. One guy was able to pull her back, but the man still ran over her leg. We're not sure if she'll be able to dance again." she said, a frown on her face. His eyes widened in shock, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Are you for real? No way."

"Yes...it's why I had to take that movie deal...I needed the money to pay for her outrageously high medical bills. The other girls are busy finding alternative work. Unfortunately, they want the entire set, that means six of us, or none of us. I've tried to speak with Rise to see if she could temp for us, but she's busy with her own life." Kanami said. She gasped, as if in pain, quickly reaching for her side, clutching it rather hard.

"Kana, are you alright?"

"Huh? Y-yeah I'm fine...I bumped into a table at work the other day, the corner dug into my side, so it's a little bruised. I'll be just fine."

"Are you sure? You didn't look that way earlier, in fact you looked and walked around just fine." Takumi said.

"Like I said before, I'm fine...I was using painkillers earlier, their effect just wore off is all. Anyway, this isn't about me, it's about you...are you sure you can handle the pressures of being an actor and handling school? It might not be the right call at the moment, given the circumstances."

"You needn't worry sister, mother clearly stated that Takumi is a multi-tasker and is good at micromanaging. I'm sure he can handle the daily throws of school while having time to perfect his acting." Mitsuhide said, finally finishing her cake, dabbing her lips with her napkin.

"Is he now? I suppose he is good at what he does then, an actor can very well manage everything, or at least act like it's all fine."

"Kana."

"I kid, I kid. Tis but a joke from me, the amazing cow loving Kanamin! Next time we hang out, I'm treating you to steak. You look like you could use some meat on these bones. How else could you carry your future wife if you look all lanky?"

"Oh my god." Takumi muttered, resting his face on the table. Kanami giggled, only to stop when he phone started beeping. She picked it up from the table, glancing at the screen, a frown on her face.

"It seems the advent of torture beckons me. I shall return to the dwelling of the film makers, alas, the shining beauty is required to kiss mortal men once more." she said, resting her arm on her forehead, causing Takumi to roll his eyes. He stood up from his seat, pulling the girl into a hug.

"Thanks for hanging out sis, and for your gift. I'll get you something cool for your birthday. Also thanks for bringing me here, I actually like the ambiance."

"I knew you would, plus I wanted a place where little Mitsu could read her books in peace. The staff is friendly too, besides, I saw you eyeing Clara, I went ahead and gave her your number. Chat her up, maybe you can get yourself a girlfriend."

"Kana! Come on, I don't need a girlfriend!"

"Are you acting again? I'm sure you are." the girl said, giving him a wink. He sighed angrily, crossing his arms in annoyance. He hated when his older sister teased him, especially like this.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ah, home sweet home...it's been a long day. I still got so many things to do, shipment to handle and I gotta get started on dinner too." Erica said, running a hand through her hair as she walked further into her store.

"You alright mom? You look stressed." Takumi said, concerned for how his mother had been acting. Ever since they had left My Own Maid, she had been acting rather strangely. She had been peppy and upbeat in the morning, but now that it was late afternoon, she had been acting entirely different. She gave the boy a smile, another fake one, he mused.

"I'm fine sweetheart, being the owner of a business can be stressful at times. But I love doing what I do...listen, now that you'll be going to school, I need to tell you to be careful. There are reports of people taking money from school kids. So I want you and Ayumi to walk home together from now on. I can't always go pick you up okay?"

"Alright momma...me and big brother will walk home together. But I have Cheerleading practice sometimes, I can't make him wait for me." the violet haired girl said.

"Hey, it's totally fine. I'll just go back when practice is over and bring you home. The filming of the movie starts in the summer, which is basically until the end of the term, that is literally a few weeks away. I got no issue walking you home." he replied, ruffling her hair.

"It is rather worrying to hear that children are being extorted of their money. I am quite ashamed to hear that Shibuya has fallen victim to this trend lately, it used to be such a calm and peaceful place." Mitsuhide said. She shook her head, glancing inside her plastic bag, at the books she had gotten.

"I can see you wanna start reading that stuff. I can't believe you are almost done with that first thick book. I'm impressed." Erica said, earning a blush from the little girl.

"What? I enjoy these vampires a lot more. They are more realistic than the ones depicted in Twilight. I mean, their skin shining like diamonds, that is the most unrealistic thing ever. They also made them nearly invincible, when vampires are weak to sunlight, garlic, holy water and wooden stakes...ugh...I just can't believe they were turned into sissies by that woman."

"Calm down Mitsuhide, it's a serious problem...I can literally just, burst into sparkles...I really can't control it." Takumi said, flipping his hair like a stereotypical bad boy, causing Ayumi to start laughing loudly.

"Alright, head on upstairs. I've got some things to handle here, then we can all brain storm on what we want for dinner. I might end up ordering out again."

"Pizza?"

"No, we had plenty of that a couple days ago. I'd rather have a Cosmic Burger." Takumi said.

"I'd like lamb cutlets, well done in a light mint sauce." Mitsuhide said, causing them all to look at her. Ayumi placed her hands on her hips, a firm look on her face.

"We aren't going to a five star restaurant to eat the remains of cute baby sheep. Try again."

"It matters not what you want, if I have my own money than I can purchase what I want. As long as it is well made of course, I cannot stress enough that bloody meat is not healthy." she said firmly.

"You are such a carnivore! Can't you eat healthy stuff like salads? The girls in my squad eat salad all the time and look at how fast we can move without getting tired."

"If I wanted to eat salad, I'd go to Inokashira Park and start grazing on the grass. Besides, the consumption of carbonated drinks doesn't help with weight loss, in fact it can lead to bloating, making one look fatter by comparison. If you wish to lose weight, salad will not cut it. You must consume a protein rich menu consisting of low to zero carb food. That also includes no pasta, no rice or starchy foods like potato chips, no junk food and no soda." Mitsuhide said firmly.

"And give up Mom's spaghetti? Hell no! I'd rather be fat and happy than skinny and disappointed!"

"Alright you two, let's take it up stairs okay?" Takumi said, pushing the two girls toward the stairs.

Once in the apartment, Takumi headed straight to his room, adding the manga that he had just purchased to his collection, while keeping his stacks as evenly as possible. It turned out to be a bit of a hard task, since now he had an odd number instead of an even one. He shrugged it off, sitting down on his bed, glancing at his phone, seeing the Navigation App had made a return, for the forth time. He was honestly going to throw his phone out the window, when he recalled what that voice had said, back in Akihabara.

"Break thy chains of rebellion...stand up for what I believe in...what does that mean? Who was that? And why is the name Lavenza so important to me?"

He didn't know why, but he felt the name rattling around in his head. Whenever he thought about it, he couldn't help but feel really sad, as if whoever this Lavenza was, was suffering from something. He also recalled what the voice said, that he couldn't do it alone, but he didn't know who he was. She had also mentioned someone was being lead astray, being used by someone else, and that he had failed in the past. But it was all just a jumbled mess to him. He lay back in his bed, glancing at the application on his phone, a frown on his face.

"What the hell are you, and what do you do? Who is Lavenza to me?" he asked, as if the application had all of the answers. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt very sleepy. His eyes drooped closed, his phone falling to the floor beside him.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday June 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Unknown**_

 _ **Time: Unknown**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

The light piano tune was what broke him from his trance. His eyes slowly opened, as he sat up, releasing that he was laying on a rather hard and lumpy bed. He glanced around the room, eyes widening a bit when he saw it was a lot smaller than he remembered. He saw some chains hanging from the wall, shackles, all of them jingling lightly. He glanced down at himself, finding himself in a stereotypical prison jumpsuit, with black and white stripes. As he stood up, he noticed the large ball tied to his ankle, restricting his movement quite a bit. He walked forward toward the other end of the room, being barred by a large iron door, prison bars, he figured. Just beyond it, he could see a wooden desk, and a man sitting behind it.

Behind the table, sat a short portly man. He had pale colored skin, and gray hair, which had thinned to the sides of his head, leaving the top fully bald. He had thick brows, knitted together, his large eyes focused solely on me. He had a large angled nose, making it look almost like the beak of a bird, surely that served to attract attention, whether good or bad, I didn't knock. He was wearing a dark blue suit, which seemed to match the rest of the room. He was wearing a white shirt underneath, the collar folded over the bright blue tie he was wearing. He wore matching slacks, which were raised slightly to reveal his black socks. He wore black oxford shoes, barely visible from behind the table. His hands were resting under his chin, barely hiding a smirk.

On either side of the doors, were two young girls, no older than twelve, he guessed. They were both wearing the same garb, a long sleeved blue blazer, over a white blouse which was kept tucked in. Both were wearing ties around their necks, keeping the look rather formal. They were wearing white shorts and black shoes. The girl on the left, had a blue hat atop her head, with some letters on the brim, that he couldn't make out from where he stood. He noticed she was wearing a black eye patch over her right eye, with a bold golden V on it. Her hair was braided into a single braid that fell down her back, he noticed she was holding a clipboard in her hands.

The second girl, while dressed like the other, acted a lot different, if her body language was enough to go by. She also had an eye patch, hers being over her left eye, bearing the same V that the other girl's patch displayed. Her hat also had golden letters on the brim, though like before, he couldn't tell what letters they were. This girl had her blonde hair tucked into neat buns on either side of her head. She was holding a baton in her hands, rather tightly at that. Their golden gaze bore into his own crimson one, making him swallow hard. The man, finally content with staring, moved slightly, bringing Takumi's attention back to him.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. It is quite a surprise to see you back here."

"Huh? What are you talking about? Where even am I?"

"Pay attention Inmate! Show your respect to our master!" the baton toting girl cried, slamming the metal rod against the bars.

"Ah...sheesh alright. No need to get all pissy with me, my apologies, I am just a bit confused."

"It is quite alright, you are confused so it is natural that you do not understand what is going on. As such, I shall introduce myself. My name is Igor, and this is the Velvet Room. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is tailored to reflect the place of the guest who can be welcomed here."

"So it's a prison?" Takumi asked curiously, grabbing a hold of the bars.

"Didn't you hear what our Master just said? Are you deaf?"

"It's quite alright Caroline, he doesn't understand what this place is yet. We must give him an explanation that he can understand."

"Ugh...fine, you do it Justine. I'm not explaining myself again...though this one acts a bit differently than the other Inmate."

"Other inmate? I'm not the only one here?" Takumi asked.

"Quiet! You piss me off more than the other guy!" the girl, Caroline, cried, once again slamming her baton against the bars.

"I see you have met Justine and Caroline...they serve as wardens here and are to assist the guests of the Velvet Room. Normally, only one guest can visit at a time, but it seems you were brought here for an entirely different reason. It seems your previous mistakes have brought you back here, you did not complete your rehabilitation, and thus you must start where you left off."

"Rehabilitation? Oh I get it, you think I'm a drug addict too. Listen man, I dunno what you've heard, but that shit is totally fake. My father is the one that spread that around, I do not need rehabilitation! So kindly leave me be!"

"Ugh you idiot! He isn't talking about that kind of rehabilitation! Why did we even bring him back here? He was useless before, and he will be useless again!" Caroline snapped angrily.

"Calm down sister, he clearly has a purpose if Master has decided to bring him back here." Justine said, calming her sister down.

"Takumi Mashita...you are an interesting case. You are being oppressed by false rumors, created by one who wanted to bring you down. You constantly wear a mask to hide your true emotions, the rebel within you wants to break free, yet you hold it back in...why is that?" Igor asked curiously.

"I...have no idea what you are talking about." he said, earning a deep laugh from Igor. It was so unnerving that Takumi couldn't help but shiver when he heard it.

"Very well...it seems you do not remember your failures. You were once a very powerful Trickster, but in order to save those around you, you did something no one could have predicted. Thus, that iteration started over, and here you are once more. You are but a different person, but a fraction of you previous power remains. You shall now use it, to help the new Trickster with his rehabilitation." Igor said, further confusing the boy.

" _This is so fucking weird...what the hell does this guy smoke? It's clearly not pot."_ Takumi thought, smirking inwardly.

"You are aware that your inner thoughts are broadcast for all to hear correct?" Igor asked, causing Takumi to gasp.

"Let me at him! He will not continue disrespecting our master!" Caroline cried, pulling the keys from Justine's belt.

"It is fine Caroline...how he is acting now, that is his true form. Witty, cunning and intelligent, the traits of a thief. Not just that, but a Trickster as well...you will indeed be an asset to us. While we cannot restore your previous powers due to what happened, we will grant you our aid, but only when you require it the most. Now then, are you familiar with Tarot Cards?" Igor asked curiously.

"Of course, their used in fortune telling. There are twenty two major arcana and fifty-six minor arcana. The major arcana follows the story of the Fool, going on the Fool's Journey, meeting people who had a trait from each arcana."

"Very good, it seems your knowledge hasn't waned. Knowing this, I shall give you one card that represents you...all you have to do is tell me the first number that pops in you..."

"Sixteen." Takumi said, interrupting the man. Igor blinked a few times, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Why have you chosen that number Inmate? Was it just random? Or does it hold meaning?" Justine asked. Takumi bowed his head, frowning when he thought about it.

"Sixteen...that was my age, when I realized that I was just my father's tool...that he didn't care for me or my dreams. He payed his lawyers sixteen million dollars to fabricate those rumors, he payed the doctors sixteen million dollars to tell the media that my blood samples contained signs of drugs. Sixteen, the age where you aren't a child, but you aren't an adult...Sixteen...the sixteenth day, of the sixth month, of my sixth year of life...was when my mother passed away. It is a tragic number...my father beget my existence...so that he could have an heir for his company. The sixteenth day, of the sixth month, of the two thousand and sixteenth year...the day he told me...that my only purpose was to lead his empire when he left this world." he replied, feeling the tears well in his eyes, though they remained unshed. The last thing he wanted was for these strangers to see him at his weakest.

"I didn't think that number had such meaning...color me impressed Inmate." Caroline said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"I hate it...I hate that number...because it fits me so well...the number sixteen in the Fool's Journey...that number belongs to the Tower Arcana. A card the fortells coming disasters...the arcana of fallen heroes, of people who are destined to failure. That's the card you wanted to give me yes?"

"Indeed...but you must remember...this arcana is your power. The fallen hero will rise like a Phoenix from the ashes...just like you. You will struggle through your journey, but you will come back stronger than ever. The Tower Arcana is an important part of this game, with it, you must assist the Trickster into preventing the coming ruin. I assure you, you will not fail this time." Igor said, flicking the card toward him. It disappeared into his chest, flowing into his heart.

"What do you mean, this time?"

"It is time for you to return to the world of reality. We shall meet again Inmate, sometime soon." Justine said. Takumi realized the world around him was starting to become lighter, he was waking up in the real world.

"Hey wait! What do you mean by this time? Who are you? What does that App do? Who's Lavenza?" he asked, only to disappear shortly after. The man stiffened slightly at the name, a smirk barely hidden behind his hands.

"La...ven...za?"

"Justine, are you alright?" Caroline asked, concerned for her sister. Justine shook her head, glancing at the empty sell.

"It is nothing, a passing dizzy spell. It won't be long until the Trickster returns...we must assess his rehabilitation and help in the creation of new Personas."

Caroline frowned, glaring at the empty sell. She didn't know why, but she felt something weird with that boy, but she couldn't put her finger on it.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi shot awake, clutching his chest tightly. He blinked a few times, glancing around the room, only to find himself back in his bedroom. He felt around his bed for his phone, finding it resting on the floor. When he grabbed it, he saw that only twenty minutes had passed. He stood up and headed into the bathroom, opening the tap to splash some water onto his face. He glanced at his reflection in the mirror, seeing the water droplets slowly rolling down his cheeks. His crimson eyes were reflected back at him, holding something that he hadn't seen in awhile. Mischievousness, something that he had forced out of himself when he was younger. Just another mask he had used to hide what he was truly feeling, an act...a farce. He knew the rumors hurt him, he knew that everything he tried was destined to fail because of it. And yet he just conformed to it and accepted it. He glanced at his hand, opening and closing it a few times, before grabbing a towel to wipe his face off.

"The Tower huh? I suppose if any arcana fit me...it's definitely that one. Though...is failure brought upon by the actions of someone else truly a thing? Or am I just destined to catastrophe my entire life."

" _Catastrophe is but a part of life...if you wish to salvage your own, then you must rebel against the ones that brought you down. So that you may rise to the sky like a Phoenix."_

"Huh? Who's there?" the boy cried, spinning on his heel.

"Is something wrong big brother?" Ayumi asked, glancing into the bathroom as she was passing by. The boy sighed, shaking his head.

"Nah...I'm fine, just...never mind. Has mom decided on dinner yet? If not then I'll pitch in for food." He said.

"She and Mitsu went to the market for some ingredients it's spaghetti night. If you remember, she makes the best spaghetti in the world. It's like, it's own food group!" she exclaimed, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"That's true, oh how I've missed that. Well we should busy ourselves with some chores then. I peeked into your room earlier and it was a mess, I'll help you clean it up okay? If you wanna bring friends over or even a boy, you have to have a clean room."

"No! I'll clean it myself. I don't want my big bro touching my panties!"

"I wasn't going too...sheesh. Alright, pick up your clothes and toss them into the wash. Once that's done, I'll go in and start picking up the trash and everything else...if we team up, we'll have time to play some of my video games later...deal?"

"Okay...but I get to pick!"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: June 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy (Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Are you excited for this big brother? It's your first day at a new school!" Ayumi cried, as she walked beside her brother. The two of them had just gotten to Aoyama-Itchome from Shibuya, and were following the throng of students toward the school.

Even though it was almost the summer season, the boy had worn his winter uniform. They hadn't switched to the summer uniforms yet, in fact that would be happening on Wednesday of that week. So for now he would be wearing the winter stuff. He was wearing a pressed black blazer, with the collar folded down. He had rolled the sleeves up to his elbows, as it was a bit hot out. He was wearing a sky blue shirt underneath with a faded picture of Captain Jack Sparrow on the front, the shocked expression on his face, along with the words, "But Why's the Rum Gone?" could be seen on it. He was wearing a pair of jeans, which were black and red in color, with a plaid pattern. He had hooked his wallet chain to the left side of his pants, keeping it in his back left pocket. Finally, he had decided to wear a pair of combat boots, which he usually wore whenever he wasn't skating. But since Tokyo was filled with a lot of pedestrians, it was likely he would have to go to a skate park to continue his sport.

His brown hair had been brushed down, his bangs having grown a bit longer since the last time he had gotten them cut. They fell slightly over his eyes, and he was constantly brushing them out of his eyes. His hair was mostly down, though there were some parts that were a bit spiky, though that was something he couldn't help. The last thing he was wearing, was a pair of eyeglasses. He didn't need them to correct his vision, so he had just worn them for style, in fact they didn't help him see at all. He just decided it would be best to mask his identity, though he already knew people were already talking about him. He was pretty sure the Student Council President had already leaked the information to her friends.

"I feel normal sis...I'm just gonna get through the day. Mom told me I had to go to the faculty office to meet my Homeroom teacher...it's gonna be fun I guess. Who's your homeroom teacher?"

"Oh, my teacher is Mr. Gonzalez, he's the Spanish teacher. Of course, I'm a first year right now, so you'll have to deal with the second year teachers. Oh, I feel bad for you if you get Ms. Chuono, I hear she's like...super nosy and annoying." Ayumi said, picking at her orange fingernails, if it wasn't for the uniform, he was sure she would have dressed in orange, as it was her favorite color.

"Sis, you should speak like that about the teachers. She'll be your teacher next year, even if she acts like that, you have to respect your elders."

"I know, unless it's Kamoshida. Fuck that scum sucker...don't tell momma I said that."

"Secret's safe with me sis."

They both walked into Shujin Academy, seeing a few students hanging around the front gates. He paused for a brief second, trying to listen to some of the conversations being had, but Ayumi quickly pulled him along. She said that eavesdropping wasn't a polite thing to do, even if they had talked about him. She lead him to the second floor of the classroom building, taking him toward the middle part of the building, in between the many classrooms. He noticed that there were five classrooms, labeled 2-A through 2-E. He vaguely remembered that the letter represented the learning curve for some of the students, with 2-A and 2-B being AP classes, 2-C and 2-D being the regular classes, and the last one, 2-E being the class for lower classes, or Level 1 classes as they would be in America. A few people brushed past him, whispering things to each other, about him, making him frown inwardly. Outwardly, he was still wearing his mask...something that he had grown used to.

"Well, here it is big brother. I don't have Cheer practice today, so just tell me what classroom you get assigned and I'll come find you."

"Eh...sure. You go out for lunch right?"

"Yup, the lunch here is crap. There's a deli nearby that the students often hang out at, I'll take you there later. I'll even pay for your lunch, but just this once. See you later big brother." she cried, giving the boy a hug, racing toward the stairs leading to the third floor. He turned to face the door, sighing audibly.

"Well, here we go...another Christmas in the trenches." he said, quoting one of his favorite movies. He slid the door open and stepped into the office, glancing at the few teachers that were hanging around.

"Um, excuse me. I was told to come here to meet my homeroom teacher." he said, grabbing the attention of a haughty looking woman. She had light colored skin, with a slight tan, dark hair falling to her shoulders, and was wearing a long sleeved pink dress with stripes, that he was sure wasn't appropriate for a school teacher to wear. She gave him a once over, a smirk on her face.

"So, you're the famous actor I've been hearing about. Takumi Mashita, you've certainly grown into a fine young man."

"Um...I guess...are you familiar with my work?"

"I'm from America, so sadly I am not familiar with your work...though I did catch one episode of that horrid straight to Netflix show. How the mighty fall...my name is Michelle Chuono, but that'll be Ms. Chuono to you, I'm the English teacher here. From now on, you'll be in my homeroom. You better not slack off either, I'm pretty strict with my work." she said firmly, earning a nod from the boy.

"Of course, I do know how to speak English, so this work should be easy for me. I look forward to your teachings, Ms. Chuono." he replied politely, giving the woman a boy.

"Hmm...very well, you shall be placed in class 2-E. Principle Kobayakawa said you hadn't been in school since you were in fifth grade. You should be a first year, but your paperwork stated that you were at the level of a Sophomore, so you get to be in the second year here. When we get to the classroom, introduce yourself to the class and leave nothing out. Well...leave all of the drug use stuff out of it."

"Ms. I don't use drugs...that was all a baseless claim that was made to ruin my career." the boy said, rather firmly. The woman smirked, giving him a nod.

"I know, I know...I did my research. I don't believe for a second that a twelve year old can get access to that stuff. However, for your benefit, it would be best that you avoid speaking about that. We already have one problem student in our midst, we don't need two...follow me, class is about to start." she said, leading him out of the office, grabbing the badge with her Teacher Identification card on it.

" _Hey look, there he is."_

" _He looks normal, no way he's a junkie."_

" _He's an actor, so he knows how to hide that shit man. He'd probably slug me if I look at him wrong."_

" _Do you think he has a gun? Don't drug dealers carry those for self defense? It's scary to be around him and that delinquent too!"_

"God, please let this end." he muttered softly.

Thankfully, classroom 2-E wasn't that far away from the faculty office. Ms. Chuono opened the door and strode in almost like she owned the place, and technically she did, since she was the homeroom teacher there. The students that were all standing around, quickly found their seats, all of them paying immediate attention to the teacher, who stood at the front of the class with Takumi by her side, the boy glancing down at the floor.

"Class, we have a new student with us. He's come back from the United States after being gone for two years. This is his first time in school for quite a long time, so make sure to make him feel welcome. Go on, introduce yourself."

"Hello, as you probably already know...my name is Takumi Mashita. I hope we can get along...oh, and feel free to call me by name. I got used to being addressed by name in America, so it feels weird with honorifics. I look forward to working with you."

" _Wow, he's so polite. Maybe the rumors are fake."_

" _Doubt it, he's probably on Adderall or something."_

"Well let's see...there's an empty seat behind Sakamoto, one of our students used to sit there, but she's been signed out of school for the rest of the year. For now, you'll take her spot. Sakamoto, raise your hand would you?" Ms. Chuono said, causing one blond spiky haired teen to raise a single hand into the air. Takumi started walking toward the back of the room, ignoring all of the muffled comments about him as he walked. He sat back in his chair, placing his backpack down beside him.

"I hate this shit so much, can't people just keep their damn mouths closed?" he muttered quietly, staring out the window beside him.

"Alright then class, homeroom is about to begin so stop the chit-chatting and get to working. The faster we work, the faster the day ends, and the faster you'll all get to be on summer break. Speaking of, in a few days we will be holding the Social Studies field trip. You've only got a few more days to pick where you wish to go. And before you ask, no you cannot go to Dome Town, amusement parks are not part of social studies." the woman said, causing everyone to groan.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi sighed, as the mathematics teacher, Ms. Usami finally took her leave. It was finally Lunch time, meaning he could take a break from the bullshit that was school. Even though he hated the rumors that people wouldn't be able to stop, he did enjoy being in school again. After being home schooled and tutored for so long, he had missed being in a traditional school. He always wondered what American school was like, but he never really bothered attending one. Some of his co-workers on New Age had been high school students, taking time off during the day and taking night school to maintain their acting. Of course they stopped giving it their all once they had been told the show was going straight to Netflix. He packed his notebooks up, standing up and slinging his backpack onto his shoulder.

"Hey, got a second?" the boy in front of him asked, causing Takumi to stop.

"Sure, depends on what this is about. If you are gonna ask me for the best place to score some hash, then you can keep your words to yourself."

"No man, it's not that...I just wanted to introduce myself. Names Ryuji Sakamoto...nice to meet ya." the blond haired teen said, holding his hand out to him. Takumi narrowed his eyes a bit, before shaking his hand.

"Takumi Mashita, just Takumi please."

"Okay, call me Ryuji then...so man, what made you decide to come to high school? You want to learn about torture methods for your films?" he asked, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Not really...though the pressures of high school do help raise stress levels. Especially for scenes where your character is stressed. I just wanted something to do during the day, I could have easily gotten myself a tutor, but what's the fun in that?"

"So, school's a distraction then? It's a pretty shitty one...especially with the people here. I heard some of the crap they've been saying, just know that I don't believe any of that. I never really did."

"Huh...well, I appreciate that. Guess there's one decent person in this class, who doesn't want to know if I'm carrying a gun on me." Takumi said, glaring at a couple of girls who were speaking in hushed tones. They both stiffened, jumping out of their seats a second later.

"Sorry man, that shit tends to happen a lot here. Ever since the Kamoshida incident, and all this other crap started happening. Then there was the Phantom Thief thing going around..."

"Phantom Thief? You mean those guys that steal hearts?" Takumi asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"Yeah, you hear of them?"

"I did...when I was filming in America, I saw this really cute website that was all flashy and stuff. I usually keep tabs on stuff happening in the homeland, and I saw it pop out of nowhere. The bright red color is what attracted me." Takumi said, opening his browser to show one of his open tabs, which showed a website called the Phan-Site. The boy smirked, though he quickly adopted a curious look.

"So...do you think their real?"

"Phantom Thieves that steal hearts and fight for the injustice of the world? It's a beautiful dream...and maybe the plot to a good action film. But you know what they say, seeing is believing and all that crap...I guess if I saw it happen in front of me, I'd believe it. Maybe they exist, maybe they don't...but getting back at a teacher, and a scumbag plagiarist artist...it makes me think that there really are good people in this world. Among all of the piles of horse shit of course." Takumi asked. Ryuji was about to say something when the classroom door burst open, and a single girl ran in, coming to a stop in front of the two.

"Sorry big brother, I had to retake a test before the school field trip. We only got forty minutes left of our lunch. Come on, before they run out of meatballs!" she cried, tugging on his hand.

"Okay, okay...it was nice talking to ya Ryuji...maybe we can talk more later...you're the only cool person in this class, by far anyway."

"Sure thing, I know it isn't much, but welcome to Shujin." the blond boy said, earning a nod from the boy, who turned to follow his sister out of the classroom.

Once outside, the boy followed his sister through the streets of Aoyama-Itchome, listening to all of the places that his sister frequented. He couldn't help but wonder what that strange dream he had was about, and why it was so vivid. He had wanted to tell someone about it, but for some reason, he knew that wouldn't be a wise idea. He had thought back to the name Lavenza, and started wondering why that name meant so much to him. It was like someone was squeezing his heart whenever he said or even thought about the name. Intense sadness would over take him, as if whoever this Lavenza was, had meet a cruel fate. He sighed, frowning at the sky as he listened on to his little sister.

" _I just hope nothing bad happens. I got enough on my plate already, I don't need this bullshit on top of everything else. I just hope today ends, it's only twelve twenty-three and I'm already drained...oh yeah...I have that audition this afternoon...I guess I better walk Ayumi home and then head to Akihabara as soon as I can."_

"Big brother, are you paying attention?"

"Hmm? Sorry, I was just thinking about my audition...it's today at 4 in Akihabara. So I'm gonna walk you home and then head back to Shibuya station. I have to make it, after all I've practiced enough for this film and I need to have this role."

"Okay...I can walk home by myself. This gig is more important, besides those attacks on students mostly happen during the night hours. I'll be just fine." she said.

"Are you sure? I don't mind walking you, I can still make it."

"It's fine, don't worry about it! I got my rape whistle and I'm a cheerleader, I'm physically fit so I can run all the way home. Trust your cute little sister would you?" Ayumi said, giving him a wink.

"You have a rape whistle? Never mind...I guess I'll have to trust your work for it. But you call me as soon as you make it home, got it? No buts about it, I don't want mom to ride my ass because you told me to head to my audition. Got it?"

"Mhmm...let's go get that meatball sub now, I'm effing starving!" she said, once again tugging on his arm.


	5. The Metaverse

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 5 of Codename: Songbird. I hope you guys are enjoying this beginning arc, like I said before, it is going to be rather slow, but I assure you, chapter 10 will be the one where Takumi finally get's his persona. Some of you are pointing out that Igor knows Takumi...and I am not going to say anything, but I will say that this mystery will be part of the story. So keep those thinking caps on as you read this, because everything that happens to Takumi will happen for a reason, and it will lead to his confidants and to everything that revolves around him. It will also reveal why Lavenza means so much to him.**

 **During the next few chapters, you will all see some stuff that will lead to his future look in the Phantom Thieves, I mean in one chapter you get to see his Metaverse Garb, and if you don't guess what his Persona is by then, then you'll be happy to know that two chapters later you will finally get to see it. I will however say the element he will use. I was thinking of giving him Bless as an element, but I decided against it, since our favorite detective uses that as is element. So I decided to give him Almighty as his element, as no one in the main cast had that element, aside from the Protagonist who gets access to it via other Persona.**

 **I do hope you all have a wonderful day, more stuff for this story shall be coming soon, including Takumi finally meeting Ren Amamiya. Everything after that will become a bit more fast paced, as he works with Ren to figure out who is threatening people in Shibuya. It might be too fast, but hey, Ren got his Persona the same day he met Ryuji and I felt that was a bit fast, if not intense because of Arsene being a total badass. I have also decided to have Ren have a twin sister, but she isn't going to be a Persona user, just one of Takumi's confidants, but I'm not gonna reveal her Arcana just yet or what her role in the entire story is going to be based around. You'll have to wait and see.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 5

The Metaverse

 _ **Date: Monday June 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon(1:20PM)**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

As soon as he made it back to school, Takumi remembered some papers he had to bring to the principle. They had been given to Erica to review at home, since she was his legal guardian while he was in Japan, she had to fill out various forms for him to attend Shujin Academy. He found it extremely tedious, but as long as he didn't have any issues with staying at school, he didn't exactly care. So he split up from his sister at the main entrance, and he headed toward the Principle's office in the Practice Building, glad that he had ten minutes to spare. Honestly, he had been thinking of ditching the last three class periods but he knew that wouldn't be a wise idea. Especially because he hadn't met three of his six teachers. He didn't know why, but he felt the urge to try his absolute best at school. Perhaps if he did well in his academics, then people would cease with the rumors and finally see him for who he was, not the person his father had claimed to be. But for now, he would continue wearing his false smile on his face, even if it shaved away at his soul every time he did.

He kept his head down as he walked, singing the lyrics to a song in his mind, using that as a distraction. He was currently texting his sister letting her know that he would be in Akihabara for his audition soon. This time he wasn't going to act with anyone else, he was just going to recite some lines and do his best. He needed her there as a sort of good luck charm, in fact the bracelet she had given him had become sort of like a good luck charm. Just when he was entering the practice building, he ended up finding five thousand yen on the floor. He hadn't seen anyone around and instantly pocketed it. If someone had been asking around for it, or was looking for it, he would have given it back, but the Finders Keepers rule applied when no one was around, at least that's what he thought. He arrived at the second floor, just as the bell rung. Since the classroom building would be full, the Practice building wouldn't be crawling with students, giving him a bit of peace as he walked. He reached the Principle's office, about to walk in when he heard voices inside.

"Miss Nijima, how goes the search? Have you found any leads?"

"I have not, I'm afraid...I have narrowed it down significantly. But I don't have any hard proof yet. I will find something soon though, I can feel it."

" _Nijima...right, that girl I met on Friday...the council president...what search is Kobayakawa talking about?"_ Takumi thought to himself. He leaned close to the door, opening just a crack, enough to peek inside. The girl was standing in front of the Principle's desk, blocking his view of the hulking man, though he could still partly see his face.

"You must understand, this is for the good of the school. Ever since Kamoshida turned himself in, the rumors surrounding our school haven't been favorable. Your older sister was an alumni here, and now holds a job in the Public Prosecutors Office right? I'm sure her little sister's failure would definitely make an impact in her career." Kobayakawa said, earning a soft whimper from the girl.

"Do you think these Psychotic Breakdowns are tied to what happened to Mr. Kamoshida? You saw it yourself didn't it?"

"I did...it was as if he was a different person entirely. He confessed to such heinous crimes...but I'm not sure of those breakdowns are the same as having a change of heart." Makoto replied, earning a nod from the man.

"I don't doubt it...but I believe it is...similar. The calling card was found here in Shujin Academy, and shortly after, Kamoshida changed entirely. I spoke with him, and all he does is apologize for what he did. Similarly, that famous artist Madarame...confessed to years of plagiarism, and abusing his own pupils. He also received a calling card...these Phantom Thieves...started in Shujin Academy. You must understand, that we are doing this, for the safety of our students."

"I understand...as I said before, I am getting close to finding the ones responsible. I have narrowed it down to a few people, but I need evidence of their involvement. When I have it, I will bring it straight to you."

"Yes, I know you will. Your father was an excellent police officer, so I believe you shall do just fine. You are one of our most intelligent students, and will easily make Valedictorian this year. You will graduate at the top of your class, certainly I can write you a letter of recommendation to any school you wish. I'm certain you will find everything you need. Now, return to class...we mustn't let the students catch wind of this." Kobayakawa said, earning a shy nod from the girl.

"I'll do my best...if you'll excuse me." she said, spinning around her heel, turning toward the door. Takumi backed away, quickly ducking into a nearby supply closet. He watched curiously as Makoto stood in the hall, glancing at her feet, a look of disappointment on her face.

"Why did it have to be me? Why do you always ask me these kinds of questions?" she said softly, continuing on down the hall. The boy waited for a few seconds until she was gone, in order to come out of the closet he had hidden inside.

" _What a total dick...so the Phantom Thieves attacked Kamoshida here, and now you force her to find answers for you? She isn't your fucking slave or your personal detective. I can't believe he's using her grades as blackmail. I knew I didn't like that piece of shit."_

Swallowing his new found dislike of his Principle, the boy walked toward his door and gave a few knocks, slowly sliding it open, once again adopting a fake smile. The man sat up, giving him the okay to enter the door.

"Principle Kobayakawa, I brought the papers you wanted my mother to sign. I would have brought them earlier, but my sister dragged me off to a local diner. I'll try to get back to class before my teacher chews me out." he said, handing the folder to the man.

"It's quite alright, just tell them you were with me...ah before you go...I have a question for you. How are you liking our school? Is it everything you were expecting?"

"Oh...it's a lovely school. I haven't been here long enough though, but I do like the atmosphere, I certainly did miss this." Takumi replied.

"Good, that's good. We've been suffering from a lot of wild rumors since the Kamoshida incident, so don't let them beat you down. Anyway, you may return to class...I do hope you find your time here to be fulfilling. Work hard, and don't slack off on your academics, I know you are auditioning for a movie role, but you can't let that distract you from what's truly important in life."

"I understand, thank you for allowing me to come here sir...I very much appreciate it." he said, giving the man a bow before leaving the room. As he walked, he discarded his smile, replacing it with a scowl, as he tightened his fist.

" _Piece of shit, he's just as fake as everyone else. Heh, in a sea of counterfeits, am I truly the only one who's real? No...maybe that Ryuji kid is like me...honest about the bullshit of this school. Makoto seems distraught herself, hiding her feelings behind a mask...heh, maybe all of this is just one giant act."_

The boy continued walking back toward class, a new perspective having up for him. He felt another twinge in his heart, but he ignored it this time, he had no time to think about silly things or even that girl who kept invading his mind as of late. He had to focus on his school work and his acting career for now.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday June 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Station**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi yawned as he walked out into Shibuya from the underground walkway. The train from Aoyama-Itchome had just arrived, dumping all of the students he had transfers at the station. Ayumi was texting someone, her thumbs flying on her phone screen, completely distracted as they walked. He glanced over to the Teikyu Building, knowing he had to take the next transfer at the JR Yamanote Line in order to reach Akihabara. He had decided to at least walk Ayumi part of the way, separating at Central Street. She was supposed to go straight home before doing anything, but he was sure she wasn't going to do that. As long as she didn't get into trouble, he knew that she'd be fine. He stretched his arms a bit as he reached for his phone, having felt an incoming message.

"Ugh...this damn application again...I wish it would just disappear already." he muttered dryly. Instead of getting a notification from a message, it had been the weird Navigation app which had re-installed in his phone. He stopped in his tracks, glaring at the thing which was glowing a bright red.

"Hey big brother, my friend Takao-chan is doing a crossword puzzle with her little brother. It's across, and it's a word that has seven letters, and means, to own and or purchase something to remember a trip or a place."

"Souvenir." the boy said. The girl grinned, typing the word out and sending it to her friend, only to receive a message from her friend.

"Too long, that one has eight letters, the word she's looking for is seven."

"Wait...is it plural or singular?"

"Plural I think." Ayumi said, glancing at her chatbox. The boy glanced up at the sky, glancing at the drifting gray clouds, tapping his phone screen with his thumb, unknowingly hitting the Navigation app.

"Seven letters...a word that means to own or purchase something to remember a trip or place...oh, try Mementos, that one is seven letters long."

"Oh nice! That one will work!" her sister said, typing out the word on her box.

"Ugh...my sister told me earlier, this loser named Akihiko Shouji is trying out for my part. Not just that, she said that he's a total playboy douche bag too. And he's my competition, makes me want to give it my all, even though I gotta do something weird in that movie." Takumi said, glancing at the nearby clock.

" _Candidate Found, transferring to Mementos."_

"Eh...what was that?" Ayumi asked, glancing at her brother. The two looked around, gasping when they saw the world around them freeze, seeing it slowly start falling apart. They blinked, finding the entire square to be empty. Takumi looked around, doing a full 360, finding the square empty.

"What...what...WHAT? What the hell is going on here!?" he shouted.

"Don't ask me, you did something weird! Check your phone, the voice came from there!" Ayumi asked, causing the boy to look at his phone screen. All he saw was a red screen, all of his apps seemed to be frozen, except his chat, his number pad and the glowing navigation app. He tapped one of his apps, but it wasn't able to launch.

"Okay...this is weird. None of my apps work, and it looks like I got not signal either...but we're standing in the middle of Shibuya!"

"Big brother, this is serious! I had plans with my friends to hangout! And after I went through the trouble of cleaning my room. You have to do something!" she said.

"I know...fine, I'll walk you home. I got enough time to make it to Akihabara if I run back...come on." he said, breaking into a sprint, running away from the Station Square. Ayumi frowned, following after the older teen.

The further they walked, the most distorted things became. Takumi noticed that there wasn't anyone anywhere. There were no cars on the road, no people walking around and all of the shops looked empty. He didn't know why, but he felt a weird pressure in his chest, along with a sense of dread. He didn't know why it was, but he tried to ignore it as he continued running, slowing down to a light walk. Ayumi grabbed a hold of his arm as they walked, keeping her eyes peeled for anything or anyone. She swallowed hard, shivering a bit in fear.

"What is this place? Where is everyone?"

"I dunno...but this is Shibuya...nothing has changed at all. It's probably like this because it's close to sunset. So it looks pinkish red." Takumi reassured.

"If you say so...I just wanna get home."

Takumi walked briskly, shortening the distance to Erica's Music Emporium, quickly opening the door. They both walked into the store, seeing that it looked exactly the same as it normally did. Even on the weekends, there were at least ten people walking around looking at various instruments. Here it was a different story, the store was dead, and it certainly didn't feel homey. He walked further into the store, hearing a loud cry of pain.

"Mom?" he called out, moving toward the recording booth. He peeked through the open door, seeing two people standing in the room, along with third person. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was his step-mother Erica, except she had glowing golden eyes and looked to be fearful of the other two.

"I've already told you bitch...if you don't pay me back in full...I will destroy you. You're life will belong to me, and so will this store...you are the one who made a deal with me so you wouldn't go bankrupt. That's what you get for having such a brilliant child, they're wants and needs far exceed your own."

"You don't understand...I want my daughter to succeed...please, just give me an extension...I'll pay you back in full soon!" Erica cried, her voice sounding distorted.

"Tch...you know the boss isn't gonna like that. We've given you three extensions...if you add a fourth, plus interest...you'll owe him 30,000,000 Yen, instead of the 9 million you owe now. Is that what you want?"

"Yes...I'll pay it in full...please just give me a few more weeks...I should have the money by July 12th. My son is staying with me, he has money, so I can easily ask him for it. And if not...I can just take his credit card."

"A son eh? That famous actor...hmm...I believe this shall be fine...but remember, Kaneshiro likes being paid in full. 30 million Yen, by July 12th, no later than that...or we will take your daughters until you pay us back. For every day that you are late, that's one finger we'll send you by mail."

"NO! I'll pay it back, I promise...even if I have to do horrible things! I will!"

"Big brother...what's going on here?" Ayumi asked softly.

"I dunno...but these fucks are threatening mom...I'm not gonna let them get away with that!" he said, slamming the door open as hard as he could, causing the two men to turn around.

"What the...when did this kid get here?"

"I dunno idiot, you were supposed to be watching the door!"

"Hey! I dunno who the hell you are, but you do not threaten my mother like that, you got it? Get the hell out of here!" Takumi cried.

"This must be the kid that's loaded...let's take him to Kaneshiro. I'm sure he'd love to see this kid."

"Alright then...let's."

"No, leave him alone!" Erica cried.

Takumi got ready to fight, only for the two men to burst into a crimson black smoke, which swirled around the room for a few seconds. Instead of two humans, Takumi was now staring at the weirdest things he had ever seen. They looked almost like Onions, with a puckered look on their face and closed eyes. There were floating in mid air, and had small frail looking bodies, which supported their overgrown heads. Ayumi's jaw dropped in surprise, and she instantly turned around, backing out of the hallway.

"Big brother, run!"

"We can't...these dickholes threatened mom...and I'm not gonna let them hurt her, or my sisters!" he cried, grabbing hold of a nearby guitar. He backed away as the two creatures lunged at him.

He swung the guitar as hard as he could, striking one of them in the head, sending them flying back into the wall. The second tackled the boy to the ground, making him loose the air in his lungs. Ayumi gasped, grabbing hold of a nearby violin, smashing it over the creature's face, an angry look on her face.

"Leave my brother alone you freaks!" she cried, tossing aside the broken violin.

The two creatures let out a scream, sending a weird wave at the two teenagers, blowing them back into some instruments. Takumi grabbed a hold of his side, clutching it hard from the attack he had taken. Ayumi groaned, clutching her head, a small cut on the side of her temple. The boy growled, grabbing a hold of her arm, pulling her out of the store.

"Come on, there's no way we can fight against those...those things! What the hell kinda place is this? That shit looked like magic!"

"I feel dizzy big brother...oh no...I'm bleeding!" she cried, glancing at her hand.

"Don't worry about it, just run! We'll come back when their gone!" Takumi said, urging her forward. They found themselves running back to the Station Square, ducking down the stairs into the station itself, passing through a set of metal doors. The two fell down on their knees, panting hard from the running they had done. Takumi sat back against the wall, glancing around, seeing glowing red lines pulsing on the walls, along with a swirling wave that was above the escalators leading down.

"What the fuck is this place? First those onion things and now this place? This cannot be real!"

"This looks...like the train station...maybe we should go down...those guys could be after us." Ayumi said, glancing at the iron door behind them.

"Absolutely not! We are not going down there...here, let me see that cut." the boy said, pulling out a tissue from his pocket. He held it against her bleeding cut, wiping away the crimson liquid from her face.

"Still...we can't hide here forever...mom is in danger!"

"I know that...but we can't fight those things unarmed. God...what is this, the real world?"

" _Now returning to the real world."_

The two gasped as the station around them disappeared entirely, being replaced by the normal bustling Shibuya Station. They found themselves kneeling down next to some trash cans, while people were walking to and fro, hurrying from destination to destination. Takumi rapidly stood up, racing up the stairs, finding the Central Square filled with people. He rubbed his eyes for a few seconds, but the scenery had remained.

"What the fuck?"

"We came back?" Ayumi said, poking at her cut, finding it was completely gone, though the area was still a bit irritated.

"What do you mean came back? We never left!"

"No...I heard your phone say, now returning to the real world...so that means that other place we were at wasn't real...what kind of things do you have on your phone big brother?" Ayumi asked, reaching into his blazer pocket for his phone. She looked it over for a few seconds, but he grabbed it out of her hand before she could see anything.

"You listen to me, and listen to me good. You do not tell anyone about that place, those onion things, or what we saw happening with mom. Whatever that place was, it was probably a hallucination brought upon by stress or some shit. But we are not gonna talk about this, ever again...got it?"

"But big brother..."

"Ayumi, this is serious! Just listen to me, it's for your own good." he said, brushing some hair out of her face. She sighed, giving him a nod.

"I'll keep it a secret...I gotta go home...what time is it?" she asked. Takumi glanced at his phone, eyes widening in shock.

"What? It's 4:30? how can that be? It was 3:30 five minutes ago?"

"Oh no...it is...big brother you're late for you audition! Run, or you'll miss the next train to Akihabara!" she cried, pushing him toward the Teikyu building.

"Run home, and don't stop anywhere, got it?" he cried back, earning a thumbs up from his sister. He turned back, continuing his sprint toward the Akihabara line. He purchased his ticket and quickly made it onto the train, just as the doors were closing.

" _I barely made it...what the hell was all of that shit? Were we gone for an entire hour? But it was only five minutes...that world...god never mind...this is insane."_ he thought to himself, as he slid into a seat, a frown on his face.

"Hey...you go to Shujin?"

Takumi glanced across from him, eyes widening a bit as he looked at one of the prettiest girls he had seen in awhile. He could see she was wearing the female uniform for his school. Her blazer was over a hooded jacket, which she had zipped up most of the way, a large S being visible on the side. She was wearing a plaid, red and black skirt, with crimson tights and brown boots. The most noticeable feature, was her curly blonde hair, tied into pigtails, and her vibrant sea green eyes. It was a combination that he didn't see often. After a second, he gave the girl a nod, glancing at the floor.

"I just started today. Class 2-E."

"You're the kid my friend Ryuji was telling me about, the actor right? It's so odd that I'd run into someone famous on a train."

"I'm not that famous...the collective populous views me as a drug junkie. Shujin Academy is no different, all of them are just so...goddamn mouthy. Then there's the principle...god he pisses me off." Takumi muttered, leaning back against the wall.

"Huh...? Really, why do you hate him?" the girl asked, seemingly interested in what he had said. He was debating on not telling her, but since it concerned the Council President, he threw caution to the wind, an almost mischievous smirk on his face.

"That fat gremlin was giving the Student Council President the third degree. Actually it wasn't even that, it was straight up blackmail...you see, because of the Phantom Thieves attacking that fucker Kamoshida. He's put her on an investigation of sorts, no idea what she's investigating, but she said she had narrowed some suspects down. The fucker straight up tells her, that if she doesn't find evidence or a group that fits the bill, that he isn't gonna writer her a letter of rec to whatever college she wants. On top of that, she said something about her failure being bad for her older sister...some prosecutor or something."

"Are you serious? You heard all of this go down?"

"Every word...I had to take some papers to him, and I managed to listen to most of the conversation. He said since the Phantom Thieves started in Shujin, that it had to be students of the school that were responsible. He also said that Kamoshida and Madarame both are suspected to be connected to the Psychotic breakdowns happening all over Japan." he replied, glancing at his phone screen.

"Hmm...so that's why Makoto talked to us that day." the girl muttered to herself. She shook her head, giving the boy a smile.

"Don't let that stuff bother you...it sucks that Nijima-Sempai is being blackmailed, but there's nothing us regular students can do about it."

"Tch...ain't that the truth...people like that piss me off. They find nothing but joy in ruining the lives of others. Blackmailing them into doing their bidding, if I had the power I would change the minds of those people, until there was no one evil on this godforsaken planet." he said, clenching his fist tightly. The girl watched him, a curious look on her face.

"I get what you mean I guess...a lot of us suffered because of Kamoshida...I'm glad you were spared something like that."

" _ **Now Entering Akihabara Station, Last Stop Akihabara Station."**_

"Ugh...finally, I'm so late for this damn movie audition...the director is gonna chew my ass when I get there." he muttered.

"You're here for a movie audition? That's interesting...I came here for a modeling job...small world...anyway, before I forget. My name is Ann Takamaki...I'm in class 2-D. If you ever see me in school, don't be afraid to talk to me. And don't worry about the rumors, I know they're nothing but lies."

"Thanks, it's reassuring to know that some people like you and Ryuji actually don't buy that crap. I'm Takumi Mashita, just call me Takumi...I don't really care for honorifics. By the way, are you American?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah yeah...I'm a quarter American, a quarter Japanese and half Finnish. Weird combination isn't it?"

"Sort of, but it is pretty cool that you have so many different backgrounds. Makes for a complex character, I look forward to speaking with you again Ann." he said.

" _ **We have arrived in Akihabara Station, the doors will open on the left. We have arrived in Akihabara Station, the doors will open on the left."**_

The brown haired boy sighed, waiting for the doors to open, heading towards Electric Town as soon as he stepped out.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"This is completely unacceptable. Mr. Mashita, I gave you a solid time for you to arrive and you came 45 minutes late! What's worse is that you don't even have an excuse! An actor must be punctual, on time! We cannot have laziness and tardiness on my set!" Shimizu cried, earning a cringe from the boy.

"It isn't my fault...the trains...the trains were slow because of the accident. Ikebukuro Line was rerouted to the Akihabara train was out, I didn't have money for a cab and..."

"Zip it, I don't want to hear it! You had such promise, the scene you filmed with Kanamin was absolutely divine! I watched it throughout the weekend and was enamored with your acting and how you handled it. But I cannot forgive this grave error, the part was already given to Akihiko Shouji, he did an excellent job and was on time. If you wish to take acting seriously, then you must begin with your punctuality! If you aren't going to take it seriously, then remove yourself from my studio." the man said, turning away from the boy.

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time. Perhaps in the future we can work together again." Takumi said, giving the man a bow, before leaving the set. He kept walking down the hall, and through the small counter, entering the already open elevator. As soon as the doors closed, he threw a punch at the nearby wall, growling angrily.

"Fuck, goddamn it! I had it made, this movie was going to restart my career! Why can't things ever go my way?!" he shouted angrily in English, his anguished voice echoing around the small room. He clutched his head in pain, gritting his teeth.

" _Failure is something that will always happen. You must take this in stride and continue to rise, until one day you are able to soar. But until you fight back against what has happened in the past, you will always fail."_

"What...that voice...who the hell are you?" he cried, glancing around the empty elevator. The doors slowly slid open, revealing the lobby of the building. He took a deep breath and walked out, frowning as he passed by a few other people. One young man, bumped shoulders with him, almost sending him to the ground. Takumi turned around, glaring at him.

"Mind watching where you are going?"

"Eh? What was that?" the young man said, turning around.

Takumi could tell he was an arrogant dirt bag right from the smug look on his face. His hair was slicked back with gel, shining in the lighting of the office. He was wearing a rather expensive looking suit, made of the finest silk around, with a bright cerulean tie around his neck, and matching slacks and pants. He had piercing blue eyes, and the chiseled features of a handsome man. Takumi instantly hated him, just by how he acted.

"I said, watch where you are going next time."

"Oh...I'm sorry, I didn't think this place was for plebeians like you. It's just...I didn't notice you...now wait a minute, have I seen you before? Ah yes, you're that failed actor!"

"Ugh...whatever, I don't have time for this shit." the brunette replied, about to leave when the man grabbed a hold of his blazer, pulling him hard.

"I'm not done talking to you, you piece of amphibian trash. I don't know what you are doing here, but druggies like you aren't allowed in prestigious places like this. This is a place where young talent comes to express themselves, to become the future celebrities of Japan and the world. Not for failed actors like you...although, I must say, New Age was quite entertaining."

"Man, fuck off." Takumi said, brushing the man's hand away from him. He smirked, standing to his full height of six feet, towering over the boy.

"What's it like, being a failure? And knowing you are destined to fail? I mean, you would be quite famous if it wasn't for the drug allegations. I can't believe it, someone like you habitually using drugs from a young age...I bet it was your grandmother who got them to you, wasn't it?"

"Shut up." Takumi growled, tightening his fist.

"Hmm? Speak up boy, I can't hear you...it's interesting to see someone like you here though. I think LA suited you best, my mistake...I'm sure Director Shimizu is going to love my performance, after all I did show up on time." he said smugly, causing Takumi to gasp...his anger coursed through him, but he remained calm, using another one of his masks to keep himself from exploding.

"Oh? Well I do hope you enjoy filming your movie...I bet it's gonna come out like trash. Especially because Kanami would never kiss a piece of shit like you."

"What was that? What do you know about Kanami? How dare you talk about her like you know her? You disgusting slime!"

"Hey, that's enough!"

"K-Kanami?" Akihiko cried, spinning on his heel as the young idol walked up behind him. Takumi noticed that she was in her idol get up, wearing her usual wig and styled outfit, instead of her normal street clothes.

"Akihiko, I get that you are the son of the famous Takeshiro Shouji, but that doesn't mean you can act like this. More importantly, it doesn't give you the right to act like this towards my little brother."

"Brother...him? You're lying? Someone as beautiful as you cannot be associated with this...this...d-drug addict!"

"I'm not a fucking drug addict you jackass! That was all bullshit that my father came up with to ruin my career!" Takumi shouted, about to hit the man, when Kanami stepped in. She reached into her shirt, pulling out a card from within, handing it to the boy.

"Here, it's the key to my apartment. I'll text you the address, just get out of here...we'll talk once I'm off work. Make sure you feed my cat for me alright?"

"Huh...whatever." he said, shoving the card in his pocket as he walked out of the building. Kanami turned to face the other man, a pissed off look on her face.

"Now then, lets talk about you never insulting my little brother again. Because if you do, your fucking balls will be turned into chowder, and don't even think about running, because I will find you!" she cried, making Akihiko swallow the lump in his throat.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Kanami's apartment was rather plain looking, it was normal. Normal furniture, appliances...everything. He had been expecting something to pop out at him, but other than some framed posters, records and various other things, the house was just that...a normal place to live. As soon as he arrived, he heard the loud meowing of a cat, a beautiful Siamese cat with piercing blue eyes, that instantly strode toward him, despite never meeting him. He shrugged and gave her a few pats on the side, before walking toward the kitchen, looking around for the food. Thankfully, Kanami had texted him the location of it so he didn't have to search for long. He grabbed a can of Salmon flavored food and a spoon, grabbing the steel bowl from the floor. He spooned half of its contents into the bowl, placing it down for the hungry cat to eat.

"Wow...must have been really hungry. Hope Kana is feeding you regularly girl." he said, giving the cat a few pats as she continued to devour her food. He walked toward the living room, peeking out the large windows, which overlooked Akihabara. Ironically enough, the apartment was four blocks away from where Jadis and Associates was located, and on the eighth floor, he could easily see the building. He frowned, placing his fist against the glass.

"God...I'm such a failure...it's all because of that stupid app! If I didn't have it on my phone, then I wouldn't have been taken to that stupid world! I wouldn't have missed my fucking window, and I wouldn't have met that bastard. Who the fuck does he think he is? Talking to me like that...goddamn it."

He honestly surprised himself. It had been awhile since he had been that angry, normally he would just act like everything is fine, but Akihiko had truly pissed him off. Not just that, Shimizu's demeanor had changed as well. He had been extremely nice when they had met on Friday, but now that he had missed his opportunity, it's as if another man had taken his place. When he had arrived, he had been shouting to some of the set designers through his megaphone, shouting various things at them including some obscenities. He had even thrown a fake orange at a girl who had messed up on his coffee order. He had seen people act like that before, but this man was on an entirely different level. He could almost sense the fear everyone had on the set.

"Maybe that's how he normally is...as soon as you piss him off, your own his shit list. Heh...reminds me of that teacher Rise told me about." he said, glancing at his phone screen, wondering when his sister would be back home. He glared at the app, even though it had been the cause of his misfortune, he couldn't help but feel curious about it as well. He sighed, tapping it with his thumb, watching it open, a search bar at the top with a glowing green cursor.

"Huh...search history says...that Mementos was the last place visited...so that store me and Ayumi went too...wasn't the real store? But what could that have meant? Those guys were threatening mom...could it be that she...is getting extorted by those guys...the people attacking students in Shibuya?" he muttered to himself. He rubbed his chin in thought, glancing out at the building he had just come from.

By the way it had looked, it made sense that his mom was suffering from something. She had been acting weird since they had met up, always excusing herself to speak with clients. She would be happy and upbeat, but after that call she would look drained, and even worried. Whenever they were at the store, they were up stairs with locked doors, and she wouldn't allow them down in the showroom until they had closed for the night and she had lowered the gates. The scene he had seen in the recording room was proof of something, but he didn't know what.

"Hmm...maybe what happened in that place was a visual representation, because in the real world it isn't happening. Real world...does that mean that other world is...something else? Is it even another world?"

" _The Metaverse Navigation App is picking up signs of distortion nearby. Please enter the key words to search for a candidate."_ the mechanical voice chirped, bringing Takumi's attention back to his phone, brows furrowed in confusion.

"Metaverse? Candidates...wait a minute...this is a navigation app, so that means it navigates for you...in this metaverse place? But what is the metaverse? And what's this about keywords?"

He started messing around with the app for a few seconds, but was unable to find anything. He sighed, clutching his phone angrily. He felt it vibrate, and saw his chat open up. His sister had sent him a text, telling him that she was on her way back, and that they were going to talk about what happened earlier. He frowned, sending her a reply, telling her that her cat had been fed and that he'd be waiting for her in the living room. He glanced back at the far off building, narrowing his eyes a bit.

"Huh...that director was acting a little weird...I do see a name here from before, that guy I ran into at Jadis and Associates, and Mementos...that brought me into that weird Shibuya. But this one is displaying three bars...that means...aside from the name and the location, I need something else. I guess I can just say random shit...see if it works." he said, sitting down in the love seat nearest the window, swinging his legs over the arm rest, using the other arm rest to rest his head. He looked at the app, humming to himself as the jingling bell of Kanami's cat filled his ears.

"Alright then, I'll try that...Bells."

" _No candidate found."_

"Hmm...okay, cat?"

" _No candidate found."_

He continued this for several minutes, finding the same result. He had mentally crossed out all of the choices he had made, frowning a bit when he arrived at nothing. He had been listing items and places, but he didn't really find anything. He glanced at the ceiling for a second, glancing back at Jadis and Associate's building. He narrowed his eyes, a small smile on his face.

"Jadis and Associates." he said, glancing at his phone, seeing the loading icon appearing on the phone.

" _Candidate found."_

"No way! So, if I figure out the other two words, that means I'll be lead to that weird world, to the version of Jadis and Associates that exists there...ugh...this is insane. Not only am I messing with an app I don't understand, now I believe this hallucination of mine is another world, and I'm talking to myself."

"Mewl."

Kanami's cat meowed loudly, hopping up to the couch. She spun around for a few seconds, before coiling up into a ball on the cushion. He rolled his eyes, at least he wasn't alone. He narrowed his eyes in thought again, glancing at the top bar of his search.

"Hmm...I said that name earlier, maybe it will work. Akihiko Shouji."

" _No candidate found."_

"Well...it was a try...hmm...Kanami Mashita."

" _No candidate found."_

"Ugh...sheesh...alright, this is the last time I'm gonna try this shit...I'm just getting pissed off now. Ryoutaro Shimizu."

" _Candidate Found."_

"Huh...it worked? It worked!" the boy said, sitting up in his seat, glancing at his phone screen. He reached inside his backpack, pulling out a clean sheet of paper and his notebook, writing down the two keywords so he wouldn't forget them.

"Alright...but I still need a third word...the first was the name, the second was a location...but what's the last one? I guess it has to be related to that other world. It was all distorted when me and Ayumi were there...it was as if it was a different version of our world, as seen by someone else. That's why it was so distorted...but what could that have to do with this?" he said, closing his eyes. He let out a small groan, as pain shot through his head.

" _The distortion is what that person views this place as right? Like how Kamoshida thought the school was a castle? So what does Madarame think of this shack?"_

" _It has to be something to do with art right? How about a store?"_

" _No candidate found."_

" _It didn't work."_

" _Okay...how about a mansion?"_

" _No candidate found."_

" _Ugh...we're never gonna find it this way...what do you think?"_

" _Me? Hmm...I guess it has to be something that does with art, like Ann said...I know, a museum!"_

" _Candidate found, beginning navigation."_

"What the fuck was that? Voices? Two of them sounded familiar...but I don't recognize the other too...and that last one...was definitely mine. What the hell is this?"

"Takumi, I'm home. You haven't been sniffing your sister's panties have you?"

"What? Hell no! Who the fuck do you think I am?" the boy cried, shooting up to his feet, as his sister made her way to the living room, now in her regular clothes.

"I know that, you respect me as your sister. But you do know me and Rise share this apartment right? If you want I can give you a pair of her panties. I know you still have a crush on her."

"Kanami, if I were you, I would shut up before I toe tag your ass."

"Ugh...I can never joke around with you. Anyway, I called Erica and let her know you're going to stay with me tonight. Don't worry, I got clothes that will fit you, Rise's boyfriend left some stuff here during his last visit, it should fit you."

"Uh...alright I guess."

"Anyway, let's talk...I tried talking to Shimizu about giving you another shot, he isn't having it. You messed up bad." Kanami said, sitting down next to her cat, grabbing a hold of her television remote.

"It wasn't my fault...there was this..." he paused, glancing out the window briefly.

" _Should I tell her about that weird app...and this Metaverse place? Would she even understand it? She'd probably think I was on drugs or something, that last thing I fucking want out of her. I'm gonna keep that myself."_

"There was this what? What happened?"

"Like I said, the trains were late, there was a delay and I couldn't make it. I didn't have his number so I couldn't call him. It wasn't my goddamn fault these psychotic breakdowns fucked me up." he said. She looked him over for a second, giving him a nod.

"It's alright...but because of this, Shimizu has lost trust in you...I doubt he'll actually hire you for any roles now." she said, flipping through the channels, not finding anything to watch.

"Yeah...hey, I got a question...he was acting all nice when we met, but when I saw him today, he was a completely different person. Is he always that...violent?" he asked. The girl stiffened a bit, not having expected that question. She giggled, brushing some hair out of her eyes.

"I haven't noticed...he does get pissed when things take too long to film. I had already done my scene for the day, but the set builders were a bit slow...so he got mad."

"So swearing at them and throwing a fake orange at a girl for fucking up his coffee is acceptable? That poor girl was scared, she couldn't have been older than you." he said.

"She shouldn't have messed up his order. Anyway, I'm gonna make some food, wanna help me out?"

"Sure...that's fine." he said, standing up from his seat. Kanami stood up, crying in pain as she did, clutching her side. She stumbled a bit, causing Takumi to grab her before she fell.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, that damn bruise from the table is still bothering me. I just gotta take some painkillers." she reassured, earning a glare from the boy.

"You clutched your right side on Friday, not your left. Sis, is something happening? Is that director hitting you? Like how he hit that girl with that orange?" he asked. She shook her head, pushing herself away from the boy.

"Like I said, I'm fine. Aside from shooting that movie, I am working on Idol stuff. Handling a double life like this is hard, I gotta work at Lawson tomorrow morning and then head to the studio at night. You'll understand when you are an adult like me." she said, giving him a grin as she entered the kitchen. Takumi narrowed his eyes, glancing over his shoulder at the far off building.

" _Something fishy is going on here...the way Shimizu was acting really put me off, as did that Shouji douche bag. But I can't worry about that now, I gotta figure out if mom is doing fine...what a pain in the ass."_ he thought to himself.


	6. Gathering Information I

**A/N:**

 **Hello and welcome, to Chapter 6 of Codename: Songbird. I am happy to announce that in four chapters, you will all get to see the persona that Takumi has awakened. It took me awhile to pick the right one, but I am sure that this persona will fit him, and once you figure out and or see who it is, you will get it too. One thing that I'm sure you are curious of, is Takumi's codename...well you'll also get to see that during the Kaneshiro Palace Infiltration. With him joining the Phantom Thieves, will come a bit more seriousness to infiltrations, as well as a wider variety in Infiltration tools and the like. I always wondered why Joker didn't have a grappling hook or a grapple gun in the game, wouldn't that be a useful tool for a thief? I also wondered why he didn't have that fancy laser spray for Madarame's palace, though I guess the Eagle Vision thing works as that.**

 **I am also going to make a bit of a change. I said in chapter one that he had a steel sword strapped to his back, but that actually doesn't go well with his outfit. So, he will use short swords instead of long swords. They're much easier to work with and very light, almost like Joker's dagger. I always wondered where it was that they all kept their weapons. For Joker, it was obvious, he kept his gun and dagger behind his back beneath his coat. But did Skull carry that bat on his shoulders? Panther obviously has her whip strapped to her side, and Yusuke carries his Katana around. Makoto has her knuckles, Futaba is in her flying saucer...and then we have Haru with a fucking axe and a grenade launcher. You know, her choice in weapons really makes me laugh. Someone sweet and innocent packs a fucking punch, you'd never expect her to waltz into a fight with a damn battle axe. But it fits her, a long with her Musketeer look, though I would had prefered her using a Rapier instead of an axe, it fits her motif better. Then we got Crow, who decided to take a page from Star Wars the Force Unleashed and brought a fucking lightsaber to the party. I can still hear Cartman in my head, softly saying, Kevin Goddamnit. In fact, I recite this whenever I use Crow in battle, it's kinda funny really.**

 **Well...I'll leave this chapter here for you all to enjoy. Let me know what you think, from here on, the plot to the third part of the game will begin along with the plans behind the third heist. I will make sure to include Takumi into the mix as well as keep the story balanced with new events as well as the canon ones. I was actually going to have Takumi and Makoto's awakening's happening at the same time, but I ended up writing something different, so I hope you all look forward to it. This chapter will be the true beginning to Takumi's transition from regular boring kid to moonlighting Phantom Thief. It'll still be a little slow, but it is necessary to ensure everything is flowing as smooth as a soft bowel movement...I apologize for that analogy, it was a rather bad one. Eh...better than saying it flows like shit...because that would just make it sound like shit.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 6

Gathering Information

 _ **Date: Wednesday June 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Alright students, as you all know tomorrow is the Social Studies trip. Because of this, the you will be able to go home early to prepare for the trip. Those of you who have chosen to go to the Television Studio will have to report to classroom 2-D as Ms. Kawakami will be in charge of that trip, for those that chose the Art Museum in Ueno, you will report here and check in with me. If you have any other questions, about other locations and teachers, I shall answer them now." Ms. Chuono said, earning nods of agreement from her class.

Some people instantly rose their hands, asking the woman various questions, while others continued texting or chatting with their friends. Takumi had been half paying attention...he had chosen to go to the Art Museum, as he had never been to Ueno. But due to some twisted fate, he had been called by the television studio and asked if he would be willing to participate in a celebrity report. He wasn't really looking forward, and have been considering turning it down, but figured he could use the media to at least settle some of the allegations against him. He still couldn't believe that after so many years, this stuff kept rearing it's ugly head back at him. He was getting sick of it, so now would be the perfect time. He'd have to rip his good boy mask and tell them like it was.

Except, he couldn't...he was more worried about other things. He hadn't been able to get anything about Ryoutaro Shimizu, so he didn't know where the Metaverse Navigator would take him. Since he didn't have the last word, he decided to abandon it. He had tried asking Kanami if she knew about any abuse or other things going on, but she had refused to say anything. The bruise on her side was bothering him as well, when he was walking past her bedroom, he had caught her putting some ointment on her side, and he had spotted a rather ugly bruise on her side. He had wanted to ask her, but he already knew she wasn't going to tell him, so he left it at that. The fact that his sister was being hit, was enough to piss him off, but he had no information to go by. Since he wasn't allowed on the set, he couldn't prod the workers for information either.

So he had resorted to the other pressing matter, the one that dealt with his mother. He and Ayumi had kept quiet about what happened in that other world, in fact he was convinced that Ayumi had forgotten it entirely. She had claimed it to be some weird daydream that never happened, and he of course went along with it. But that didn't ease his worry in the slightest. He knew something was going on with his mother, that he needed to handle. She was the person that had given him lodging for an entire year, and that reminded him so much of his deceased mother. He wasn't going to let some bastard do whatever he wanted with her. He had yet to ask her any questions, because he was sure she wasn't going to say anything. He sighed, tapping away at his screen, having received a message from his sister saying that she had Cheer Practice that afternoon, and that he could go ahead home if he wanted.

"Yo dude, you've been sighing a lot...bored?" Ryuji asked. Takumi glanced up from his phone, giving him a nod. He hadn't interacted much with his blond haired classmate, mostly because he didn't feel like he could trust him yet. After all of the rumors he had been hearing, he had just fallen into his normal routine of putting on a mask and staying on guard.

"We got no actual classes this afternoon, but I haven't got shit to do. On top of that, I had a very important audition earlier this week and I blew it. It was my first big gig in awhile."

"Bummer...I didn't think you'd actually want to go back to acting...you know, with all the crap flying around."

"Yeah...but you know what they say, when the going gets tough, the tough kicks ass. I can't just sit back because some asshole behind a computer keeps saying I like shooting heroin behind a Big Bang Burger dumpster...which is unsanitary by the way. Out of all the places I would want to do that, it would be in a place with a lot of bleach." he said, earning a chuckle from the blond.

"Tell me about it, some of these rumors are shit man. This social studies trip is gonna be a bust...me and my friends picked the TV station...how about you? What did you pick?" Ryuji asked, turning himself sideways, to fully face him. The teacher was still answering questions, so they knew she wouldn't actually continue teaching.

"I didn't...I was actually looking forward to going to Ueno's art museum. I heard there was a replica of the Mona Lisa on display for two days only, and the tickets were free. I also heard some other famous works, including an original Picasso was going to be there. But the local TV station called me, asked me if I was interested in doing a Celebrity interview. As luck would have it, it's the same one you're all going too."

"Whoa really? That means you're gonna be on TV right? What's it like?" he asked.

"It's alright...but the lights get so damn hot, you actually start to sweat. You know how sometimes, people have shiny foreheads on screen? Yeah, that's because of the make up they use. It's actually so you don't sweat, but it feels like you made sweet love to a custard cake...fuckin sucks." Takumi said, glancing at his phone, shooting a reply to his sister.

"Aw...man, I thought it was because of the sweat. So, do the ladies dig the suave celebrity vibe or nah?"

"Hmm? Are you asking me if I'm always surrounded by girls? Because currently, I'm not. At one point, maybe I would have been...besides, all of them are fake. Ooh, I want your autograph...would you go out with me? Here's my number, text me...it's all bullshit. They only like you because your famous and have money, not because of who you are."

"Right right...I figured it was like that...anyway man, if you got nothing to do, my buddy Ren and I are gonna head to Shibuya. You should totally tag along, I mean if you want of course."

" _Whoa...he's seriously asking me to hang out? That actually sounds better than sitting at home. And it gives me a good excuse to scout around the area."_

"Sure, we can stop by my place first. I can leave all of my shit there and change out of this damn uniform." he said.

"Oh yeah sure, rumor has it you live in some dilapidated house. I wanna see it with my own eyes so I can tell them you actually have a sweet pad."

"Well, if you like music then you'll be right at home." Takumi said, a reassuring tone in his voice. The bell started to ring, causing all of the students to shoot up to their feet.

"Remember, if you are going to the television station tomorrow, head to Ms. Kawakami's homeroom. I'm not paying for your tickets if you decide too late to come to Ueno with us." Ms. Chuono barked loudly, watching as her students rushed out of the room.

"Finally...come on, my buddy Ren is in 2-D right now...maybe if we're lucky we can get Ann to hang out too."

"Ann? Is her last name Takamaki?" Takumi asked, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"Yeah...you meet her yet?"

"We did actually, on Monday. We were both heading to Akihabara...she made for pleasant company, she's really sweet."

"Tch...wait until you actually get to know her more. The sweetness is just a front, I'm telling ya now man, for your own safety." he said, earning a chuckle from Takumi.

Maybe hanging out with someone his age would help him relax a bit. He didn't know why, but he felt like he could take off his mask around Ryuji. Of course he'd still be wary, after all, many people had befriended him and asked him for money days after they had met. He had gotten to used to it, that he didn't bother making friends anywhere he went, only talking to his fellow cast members and some of the interns. Even then he didn't want to hang out after a shoot or anything, not wanting to be lulled into a sense of false security, like many others had before.

As they walked out into the hall, Takumi noticed a tall young man slowly approaching them, with frizzy black hair, and a wide pair of glasses. Like all the other boys, he was wearing a white collared shirt, with Shujin's emblem on the front, and was wearing a pair of pants, with red and white plaid markings on them, along with a pair of brown shoes. He had a bag on his shoulder, which was slightly open. Takumi swore he saw a white tipped tail sticking out of it.

"Hey Ren, hope you don't mind...this dude's tagging along with us. He's the new kid."

"That's fine...my name is Ren Amamiya...it's nice to formally meet you, Takumi Mashita-san." the boy politely said, holding his hand out to him. Takumi returned the gesture, giving him a firm hand shake.

"Nice to meet you too. You can call me Takumi, I don't really like the honorifics."

"Alright, feel free to do the same for me."

"We haven't decided where exactly we're going, but Taku here wants to stop by his place. And don't worry Ren, it isn't dilapidated crack house like the rumors say."

"I'm pretty sure that was obvious. He walks to school with one of our juniors, a girl named Isoshima-san. If I recall, she lives in a music store." Ren said, causing Takumi to raise his brows.

"Wow...that's pretty much right. Rumors really do travel fast...unless it's something else, maybe you're trying to score a date with my little sis. Is that it?" Takumi asked, making the boy back away, a crossed look on his face.

"Um...no, that isn't it at all."

"Hehe...come on man, I'm breaking your balls. Let's go, mom sometimes let's me play instruments while there are customers. Maybe we can jam out and piss off the pedestrians." he said, taking the lead.

"Heh, you're talking my language man...you know, you aren't half bad!" Ryuji said, following him down the stairs.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Heart)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Thursday June 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

After reaching Shibuya Square, Takumi and his new friends, Ryuji and Ren started walking toward Erica's shop. They had been getting to know each other on the train, getting some stories from each of them. Ryuji had asked Takumi about where the rumors about him originated, and he had told him that it had all been a scheme that his father had created to ruin his acting career. That he had done it because he wanted his only heir to inherit his company when he passed on. To say the blond boy was mad was an understatement. But Takumi had gotten pretty mad himself when Ren had told him that he had gone on probation for helping a woman from a drunkard. Apparently, the man had thrown a punch and had fallen and hurt himself. The police showed up and the man said he had been assaulted, worse yet, the woman had said the same thing, and Ren had gotten arrested and kicked out of his previous school. It really pissed him off how adults could take advantage of teenagers like that.

"Still though, your old man is scumbag for doing that to ya. Wouldn't he be happy that you were a successful actor? I mean I've seen some of your old stuff and I still laugh at those innocent jokes. Even Fleeting Angel was great for it's time, those are all critically acclaimed. How can he be so goddamn selfish?"

"That's just how it is man. People see your success and they just shit on it. My father just wanted me there to run his ship when he died, he doesn't care what I want. He doesn't care that I want to be an actor, or that I like skateboarding, or that I'm half decent sketch artist. You know for as long as I have known him, the bastard has never asked me, oh son, how's your day been?"

"Seriously?" Ren asked.

"Yeah...all he said was...the company's stocks have gone up today son. That means we're gonna get some money our way. You gotta learn to read the stock market, after all you hold a lot of shares here. Like the fuck? Don't you wanna know what I did today? What I ate? Who I fucked?"

"Whoa...I wouldn't tell my old man that last part."

"I was exaggerating...but you get the point. I mean, he wasn't even excited when I told him I was recording New Age...I mean the show was shit...but still. That's why I decided to just leave LA and come back here. Yet when I get here, I find even more shitty adults." Takumi said, stopping at the crosswalk, pressing the button a few times.

"What do you mean by that?" Ren calmly asked, pushing his glasses up his nose, the glare on the lenses finally clearing.

"It's like this...I met this famous director last Friday. He was such an awesome dude, and sounded really kind. Even praised my acting, but I was late on Monday, as I said before. He just gave me the third degree so fuckin bad man. He shouted at me, saying that if I wanted to be a serious actor, I had to be punctual. I mean it's not my goddamn fault the fucking trains were late. Not only that, he was shouting at the workers, and even threw a fake orange at a girl for fucking up his coffee."

"Sounds like a bastard to me. But that's not unheard of, directors are pretty rough on their actors right?" Ryuji asked.

"Generally yes...they want them to look as best as they can on camera. But shouting at them when they aren't filming and putting the fear of god in them...that's something else. You don't throw an orange at someone when Starbucks fucks your coffee up. Then there was that Akihiko Shouji douche dick...he got my leading role, and then just treated me like horse shit when he bumped into me. I really wish I could hit him in the face, the bastard." Takumi said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked. They made it across the street, seeing the music store not far from where they were.

"Sounds like everyone's got it rough. No matter what path you walk in life, there's always just a sprinkle of bullshit to mess up your day." Ren said.

"Couldn't have said it better myself...eh, who needs them? I'm sure you'll find a movie that's right for you. Perhaps you could work on Cake Knight II. I'd love to see you be the main baddie in that movie."

"Isn't that the movie where the guy fights with pies?"

"Mhmm...we went to see it last week...it's pretty funny." Ren said, earning an eye roll from Takumi. He glanced at the boy's shoulder bag, noticing something flicking around. He looked closely, seeing it was actually a pair of ears, belonging to a black cat.

"You know...you shouldn't put your cat in a bag like that. Did you...seriously bring him to school?" Takumi asked, causing the two boys to stiffen a bit.

"He uh...get's lonely at home. I live at a cafe, and he can't be downstairs while it's open so...I bring him with me. Don't snitch me out."

"Relax, I won't...you got balls though, bringing a cat to school and all. He's pretty cute."

" _Ugh...I am not cute!"_

"Eh...what was that?"

"What was what?" Ryuji asked, causing Takumi to stop, glancing around the area.

"Hmm...thought I heard a kid or something...never mind. Well, here we all...my humble abode...or rather the store. The abode is above it." he said, pulling the doors open, leading the two teenagers and one cat into the store.

"Whoa...check it out Ren! It's like musical heaven, oh oh...look at that Les Paul, and that Flying V...dude there's even an Explorer over here." the blond cried, moving toward the guitar section of the store. Erica looked up from her magazine, as the store had been empty a few moments ago.

"Huh...oh Takumi, you're home."

"Hey mom...hope you don't mind, I brought some friends with me. This here's Ren, and that's Ryuji."

"Nice to meet you two...you can call me Erica. I'm Takumi's step mom...or was before his bastard father divorced me. Eh...it doesn't matter, I'm his mom and that's final. Either of you need advice on an instrument?"

"Oh...maybe some other time. Some of these are really expensive and I'm pretty much broke. It's nice to meet you ma'am...you have a nice store." Ryuji said.

"I agree, your selection of musical instruments is astounding. Though I prefer the quiet tune of a flute myself." Ren said, earning a curious look from Takumi. He shrugged, heading toward the back.

"I'm gonna change real quick, then we can head out." he said, heading upstairs to the second floor.

"Well...feel free to look around, if you do find anything, do tell. Since you're my son's friends, I'll give you a store discount." Erica said, giving the two boys a smile.

"Wow, thanks...I might actually take you up on that. Let's go Ren, that Gibson Explorer is screamin' my name." Ryuji said, pulling his friend along.

"Hey Ren...there's something weird about that Takumi kid."

"Hmm? Are you sure Morgana? He seems normal to me." Ren said softly, glancing at one of the guitars on display.

"I'm pretty sure he heard me speak. When he called me cute, I said I wasn't cute, and he started looking around, as if he heard my voice."

"But that's impossible...only people who've gone to the Metaverse can understand you...right?" Ryuji asked softly.

"That's right...which is why I find it a little odd that he heard me. It might be a coincidence, but I think something's going on with him. That Akihiko Shouji fellow...wasn't his name on the Phan-Site?"

"That's right...Mishima said that there was an actor who bullied other actors. He often times faked phone calls to some of the auditioners and took their roles. He hasn't been in any movies, and has in fact tried to get on the big screen before." Ren said, glancing at his phone screen.

"He seems like a suitable target...wanna discuss him on our next meeting? Maybe we can go to Mementos and change his heart."

"That's the thing Ryuji...that Takumi boy...if he heard my voice, then maybe he's been to the Metaverse. If I could take a look at his phone and try to find the Meta-Nav, I'll know for sure. If that's the case, then he might've accidentally gone there if he said Akihiko's name and Mementos." Morgana said.

"But...isn't that a good thing? He might be a Persona user like us."

"And that's the thing, if he is and he's running around Mementos, that could be bad. He could be changing people's hearts, or even causing mental breakdowns. This is something we can't ignore."

"He seems like a good kid...I think we should monitor him closely." Ren said, earning a nod from Ryuji and Morgana. The three heard a loud jingle and looked toward the door, seeing two men in suits walking into the store. They looked rather firm, as if they had business with someone. Erica glanced up from her magazine, gasping a bit when she saw them. Their presence was enough for her to jump out of her seat.

"H-hello...m-may I h-help you?" she asked.

"Yes...we've come to pick up an order. Are you busy?" the man asked, glancing at the two boys standing near the guitars, who were pretending to mind their business.

"Huh...oh they're just waiting for my son...would you mind waiting for a few minutes? They should be gone by then."

"It's urgent that we pick up this order...they'll have to wait outside." the man said.

"Hey you two...beat it. We have to speak to the owner of this joint, in private." the second man said, approaching Ren and Ryuji, who turned around to meet his gaze.

"We're waiting for our friend...we'll be gone in a few minutes." Ren said calmly.

"I don't think you understand...this is a private matter...so either leave, or I'll throw you out!"

"You can't throw us out? Who the hell do you think you are? The cops? We aren't doing shit! Besides, she's the one who can throw us out because it's her store. So why don't you step off?" Ryuji snapped, standing firm. The man growled angrily, reaching into his vest.

"R-Ren...R-Ryuji...why don't you boys go upstairs? The door should be open, you can go and help yourselves to anything you'd like. Takumi will understand, this will only be a moment." Erica said.

"Huh? Um...alright I guess." Ryuji said. Ren spared one last look at the woman, who looked genuinely frightened, silently telling him to go upstairs, as if her life depended on it. He followed Ryuji toward the door, heading up the stairs.

"I don't like the looks of this...those two looked like rough housers. Pretty sure that one had a gun." Morgana said softly, once they had made it into the apartment.

"For real? How can you tell?" Ryuji asked.

"Well, for one he reached inside his suit. What other reason would someone have to do that, unless they were serving you papers or offering you a cigar?" the cat replied.

"Pardon me...you do know customers are not allowed upstairs correct? That is a breach of privacy, I'm gonna have to ask you kindly to leave, before I mace the two of you."

"Eh?" Ryuji muttered, looking down at the source of the voice, finding a black haired girl with a green can in her hand.

"I won't ask you again...if you do not leave, you will get maced. You have until the count of five...one...two...three."

"Hang on squirt, we're friends of your brother. Your mom sent us up here because two dudes showed up. Said they had pressing matters to attend too." the boy said.

"Tch...again? Do those men not understand that my mother is not their personal bank? This is the fourth time this month this has happened, and we aren't even half way through June." the girl said, turning around.

"What...this has happened before?" Ren asked curiously.

"I'm not at liberty to discuss such matters. I do recommend you stay up here until she is done speaking with them. I fear you may be in danger if you do go down there. The kitchen is over there, if mother has given you access, then you may grab whatever you like." she said, sitting down at the love seat.

"Mitsu? Who are you talking too, I'm the only one...whoa, what are you guys doing up here?" Takumi asked, as he finished putting his shirt on, grabbing his backpack off the floor.

"Your mom sent us, there are two men in suits down stairs. She looked pretty scared." Ren said.

"And you left her alone with them? What did they look like?" Takumi asked.

"Um...they're pretty tall...black suits, pressed ties, one of them probably has a gun." Ryuji said. Takumi growled angrily, moving toward the door, pulling the door open.

"Big brother don't!" Mitsuhide cried, following after the boy, only for Ren to grab her.

"You'll get hurt, we'll go down there...here, watch my cat for me." he said, handing the girl his school bag. She saw the black cat inside poke his head out, meowing loudly at her. She gave him a worried look, hugging the bag tightly.

"I don't want my mommy to get hurt...I don't want my big brother to get hurt either. This is all my fault." she said softly.

"Excuse me...what are you guys doing here?" Takumi asked, stopping next to the counter, grabbing the two men's attention. One of them smirked, turning to face him.

"We're just purchasing some musical instruments. This is between adults son, don't worry we'll be gone in no time."

"Tch...that's a bullshit lie. I'm an actor, so I can tell when someone is lying to me. Let me guess, you're here for money aren't you?"

"Takumi stop this...these respectable men have come here to buy instruments for their idol group. They come here regularly, the only reason you haven't seen them is because you are in school all day." Erica said.

"Oh really? Then why did that little girl upstairs say you were their personal bank? Come on miss, I may have just met you, but even I know this isn't right!" Ryuji said.

"I'm afraid we're gonna have to ask you to leave us be. Our idol group has a pretty big gig tonight, and they need these instruments."

"Idol group huh? What's their name? Maybe I know them, after all I know some of the idol groups personally. Go on, tell me the name." Takumi said, crossing his arms, a smirk on his face.

"Honestly kid, you are starting to piss me off. The idol group is called Kanamin's Kitchen. They're pretty famous, you probably haven't even met them, so please leave us be." the taller of the two said. Takumi reached for his cellphone, opening his contact list, hitting Kanami's name. He held the phone to his ear, waiting for the girl to pick up, which luckily she did. He put it on speaker for everyone to hear.

"Hey Kanami, it's Takumi...how are you?"

" _I'm fine little brother, why are you calling me? You know I was just about to pee, so make it quick."_

"Is Kanamin's Kitchen performing tonight?"

" _What? No...you know Ayane has a broken leg. We aren't gonna preform for a long time...why are you asking?"_

"That's all I needed to know...thanks sis, love ya." he said, hanging up the call. He glanced at the man, a smug look on his face.

"So...Kanamin's Kitchen eh? Bet you didn't know I'm related to Kanami huh? I'm gonna ask you again...who are you? And what do you want here? If you don't leave in the next five minutes, I'm calling the fucking cops."

"Takumi, you will do no such thing. These men are honest business men, I'm sorry. I just needed to confirm the order. Here's the guitar you were asking for. That'll be no cost to you." the woman said, handing them a black guitar case. The man turned it slightly, flicking it open to look inside. He nodded, holding his hand out to her.

"Thanks for your business. We will return soon with our next order...it would be best for us to meet during school hours. If you'll excuse us." the man said, turning to leave the store.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I told you not to come down here when I'm handling business."

"You call extortion business? I'm sorry but that was not business. You were scared shitless, don't deny it." Ryuji said, glaring at the woman, who shied back a bit.

"I was not...if you're gonna hang out with your friends, I think you should do it somewhere else. If you have the time, take Mitsu with you alright?"

"Mom...this is serious...why haven't you called the police? You and I both know they aren't businessmen. Businessmen don't scare store owners, and they definitely don't refer to their clients as banks." Takumi said firmly.

"I dunno what you are talking about...they come here all the time. I'm a music store owner, I help a lot of upcoming idols out. We've done business many times before, and now you've made me look bad in front of them...I'm worried they won't come back."

"Tch...and I'm worried they might pop a cap in your ass...listen, it isn't my place, but your little girl was seriously worried about you. Especially because she had a can of mace with her." Ryuji said.

"You should tell the police about this ma'am...it's for the safety of your family and yourself." Ren said.

"I'm fine...everything is fine, it's nice that you worry about me. But I am not in danger and neither are we."

"How much did they take?"

"Huh?" Erica said, glancing at her son who had a frown on his face.

"How much money did they take? It must have been all of it right? The register is empty, I can see the box from here." he said. She quickly closed it, a sigh escaping her lips.

"I can't...I can't tell you, you might get hurt." she said. The boy pulled his backpack off his shoulders, and placed it on the counter, reaching inside for a black box, which was the same dimensions as a thick text book. He pulled the cover off of it once he had placed it on the counter, taking out ten stacks of bills, each of them being 50,000Y.

"Here, I usually keep a bit of cash on me in case I need it...that's a million yen. I hope it helps you keep this store running, as well as keep your family fed. I love you mom, but please...cut ties with those men...they'll only bring you misery and pain." he said.

"Son...I can't accept this."

"You can and you will. I'm not taking it back, make sure Mitsuhide is fine. You guys still up for hanging out somewhere?" Takumi asked, turning to his new friends.

"Sure if you want...but after all of this, I've sort of lost the mood, you know?" Ryuji said.

"I know, wanna go to Central Street's diner and grab something to eat? I'll cover it. We can check out the mall or hit on girls, whatever you city dudes do."

"It can't hurt to use my good looks to attract the ladies." Ren said, earning a laugh from Erica, who covered her mouth with her hand.

"Oh...I haven't laughed like that in awhile. Go on, enjoy the afternoon, Takumi make sure you pick up your sister after Cheer Practice, you hear?"

"Loud and clear mom...hey, what about your cat? Didn't you leave him upstairs?" the brunette asked, turning to the frizzy haired boy.

"Your sister is taking care of him...he'll be fine. He likes little girls." he said, a smirk on his face. Ryuji noticed his smirk, and bit back his own laughter, as the three headed out the door.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Hey man...I know it ain't my place but...did you know what your mom was doing beforehand?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"If he had, he wouldn't have reacted that way Ryuji." Ren replied, earning a glare from his friend.

"I wasn't...but knowing that she is pisses me off. Makes me wonder what piece of shit decided to mess around with her. My mother is tough as nails, she even put up with my dad's bullshit. Why would she turn into a submissive house wife all of a sudden?"

"You know...this might have to do with that crime ring. We've heard some people in school are getting scammed in Shibuya." the frizzy haired lad said, causing Takumi to look at him.

"Crime ring huh? I heard the same thing, it's why I have to pick my sister up as soon as she gets into Shibuya. Hmm...I need to get to the bottom of this, so I can help my mom out. What say you to a little sleuthing...it might be dangerous, but if I can find a solid lead, I can stop these fuckers from terrorizing people like my mom."

"Hehe...you're talking my language. But eh...where do we start?" Ryuji asked.

"Good question...it would have to be in a place full of people. People that are gullible enough to buy a scam. They could be anywhere, but they could also be working in pairs. I think me and Ren should be the ones asking questions, while Ryuji watches." Takumi said.

"I agree...if these guys are being targeted, they might get scared with his abrasiveness." the boy replied.

"What...ugh...seriously?" the blond said.

"Sorry man...oh right, let's exchange information. It might be easier to text each other instead of speaking openly." Takumi said.

"Good idea." Ren said, reaching for his phone, with Ryuji doing the same. They traded information, all three of them smirking.

"Let's stop some shitty adults."

With that, the three teenagers walked into Central Street, glancing around for some people. They acted like they were just hanging out, speaking about random topics as they walked. Takumi spotted a girl leaning next to some vending machines, looking quite lonely. She also had a frightened look on her face as she kept glancing around shyly, as if she was being followed. Takumi texted Ren about her, and he glanced over to the machines, giving the brunette a nod. They told Ryuji to wait nearby and started walking towards her.

"Excuse me." Takumi said softly.

"Huh? I'm blocking the machine aren't I? Sorry." she said softly, about to walk away.

"That uniform...you go to Kosei right?" Ren asked, glancing at the emblem on her shirt, and the navy blue skirt.

"Y-yes...you got to Shujin right? I've been hearing those nasty rumors recently."

"Mhmm...they're pretty bad...but something else is bothering me. Why's a pretty girl like you here by herself? Looking like she's lost...like she's being followed?" Takumi asked, causing her to shy away from him.

"I'm uh...new to the city is all. I just got a little lost, nothing major...I'm waiting for my dad to pick me up."

"Don't lie to me, I know when people are lying sweetie. I'm not gonna rat you out or anything...I wanna help. We've been hearing rumor of people getting scammed, have you fallen victim to that as well?" he asked.

"Um...yes. This man came up to me, telling me that if I gave him fifty thousand yen, he'd get me a real cheap car. So I told him that I would pay him in installments, ten thousand yen every week. But when I came for the keys, he never showed up. I've come here this whole week and he hasn't shown up, and the phone number he gave me is no good. I ran into him earlier, and he said that if I wanted that car, I'd have to give him something else, and that's when I ran for it." she said.

"What an asshole...so he took your money and tried sexually abusing you. Why didn't you call the police?" Ren asked curiously.

"Because...he said that if I did, something bad would happen to my family. He had grabbed my arm, and when I threatened him, he said that, so I kicked him in the leg and that's when I ran. I'm sorry, I can't say anymore, he might hurt me." she said, turning around to leave. Takumi grabbed a hold of her arm, pulling her to a stop.

"Wait...I'm not done."

"Please, just leave me be...I don't want you to get hurt either." she said. Takumi reached inside his backpack, pulling out a stack of bills, unzipping her back and placing it inside.

"I'm not gonna say anything...I've just payed you for your for the information. And to keep you silent, if you will. Go home, and don't come back here, just in case." he said. The girl glanced inside her bag, eyes widening in shock.

"I...thank you."

"No problem, let's go Ren." he said, turning away from the girl heading back toward Ryuji.

"That was nice...giving her some money back."

"Well, I hate when people get scammed. Trust me, back in LA, I had a lot of fake friends. They talk to you like they care, and hang out with you, pretend to care about your interests, until they ask ya for a loan that you'll never see in your life. Poor girl must have worked her ass off thinking she'd get a car for herself. Hopefully she'll think twice about who she deals with in the future." he said.

"Yo...I just spoke to a kid inside the video rental store. He said this dude was selling chocolate bars, claiming that they'd make the girl you like fall in love with you. The idiot bought two cases, and it turns out they were just regular chocolates." Ryuji said.

"Okay...so that's two...I'm sure we'll be able to find more people if we walk around some more."

"Yeah but...what are we gonna do with this information? I mean...it isn't like we can stop these bastards ourselves."

"Well...maybe. But if we manage to get a name...I think we'll be able to do something about it. Or rather, the Phantom Thieves will...I heard, that all you have to do, is post a name on the Phan-Site, and they'll take care of it. Maybe if we find a location too, that would probably help them a lot." Takumi said.

"You...believe in the Phantom Thieves?" Ren asked, causing the boy to stop.

"If there's someone out there, willing to change this oppressed society. To help people break the chains that hold them back, to do the things that people are afraid to do. To raise their voices and fight this injustice...then I have to believe in them. Because if they exist, then maybe...just maybe...I can ask them to help me out. To make my father have a change of heart, so I can finally rip this mask off my face." he said.

"Mask huh...you know, I've noticed something...you act a lot differently in school. But out here you've been acting so differently...like the real you is struggling to break free." Ryuji said.

"Is that about right? I never noticed it...you are right, it's all an act, I'm an actor after all. All of those rumors, the allegations, the insults...I just want them to stop...I want to stop them so bad I can taste it. But I can't...I'm powerless to stop it. I guess I'm just destined to fail at everything I do...but at least I'm glad, I feel like you two are real. Not fakes like the ones I'm used too...I'm glad we met." Takumi said, a smile on his face. Ren nodded, closing his eyes for a brief moment.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Unknown**_

 _ **Location: Unknown**_

 _ **Time: Unknown**_

 _ **Weather: Unknown**_

 _ **xxx**_

Ren clutched his head, his clouded eyes glancing at the woman before him. The one who had been interrogating him for quite some time now. She gave him a curious look, leaning back in his seat, a small smirk on her face.

"It's impressive that someone like you could lead a double life without being caught. Being able to lie on the spot, act like you were fine, ignore your pain and put a smile on your face. You must have learned all of that from someone...someone who knows how to act."

Ren looked up at her, giving her a shrug, causing her to slam her hand against the table, making him jolt back a bit. His heart raced as the woman forced herself to come back.

"I'm sure you know what'll happen...we can track down someone with reasonable acting skills. We already know someone who fits the bill...tell me, is he also your accomplice? Did he teach you all how to act like you were fine, while moonlighting as the Phantom Thieves at night? Tell me..."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Thursday June 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Central Street(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I..._

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **birth**_ _of the Tower Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power...**_ _"_

"Anyway, we should keep searching around this area...we might find some more people. After we get enough information, I'll write the post and place it on the Phan-Site forum." Takumi said, a smirk on his face.

"If you say so...ah...but you gotta get your sister. How about you go get her and we'll finish this off. We'll send you all of our information via chat and then you can do the rest yourself...deal?" Ryuji said.

"Okay...we can talk more during the field trip, seeing as I'll be heading to the TV station with you." Takumi said, reaching for his phone, receiving a text from his sister a second after.

"I'll come by to get my cat later, good luck Takumi."

"Thanks Ren...and don't be shy about texting me either...like I said before, I feel like I can be myself around you two. Let's work together to bring those bastards down!" he said happily, earning nods from the two teenagers.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ah...you're back." Sojiro said, earning a nod from Ren as he stopped in front of the counter, checking his messages.

"Do you need any help tonight? I have some free time." he said, earning a small smile from the man.

"I'm all set for tonight. If you could wash those dishes for me, I'd appreciate it. You'll be heading to the TV station tomorrow right? Try not to make an ass out of yourself on television, spare the rest of Japan your ineptness."

"What are you talking about? You and I both know that I'd be able to charm anyone, even through their television screens." he said, causing the man to chuckle.

"Right...well I'm leaving, make sure you lock up. There's some curry left in the pot, don't let it go to waste." Sojiro said, grabbing his white fedora from the hat rack, leaving the cafe right after, making sure to flip the sign. Ren set his bag down, letting Morgana jump to the floor as he walked around the counter, grabbing the dish soap from the sink.

"Hey Ren, I've got some intel for you...I'm sure you were doing the same today, right?"

"Me, Ryuji and Takumi spent most of the afternoon walking around Shibuya. Looks like the rumors are true, students and people are getting scammed out of their money. Though what we saw at the music store was way worse." Ren said, opening the tap water, filling the basin with warm water.

"Remember how I said that Takumi boy could understand me? My hunch was right...his sister, who I found out was named Mitsuhide, was talking to herself, most likely for reassurance. She said that the people who came to the store were there because of her. That her mom took out a loan with someone because the store was going bankrupt. She said something about a college fund." Morgana said, jumping up to one of the chairs, licking one of his paws.

"A loan shark huh? That makes sense...if she missed her date, then they might have added interest...it fits in with her saying that her mother wasn't their personal bank. But it's obvious those guys do the dirty work. One girl we spoke too said one sharply dressed man, promised her a car for fifty thousand yen, and tried sexually assaulting her too."

"Do you think it's the same people then?"

"Definitely...but we don't know who's leading them...they might be someone powerful, someone dangerous...now about your hunch?"

"Right, I almost forgot. As it turns out, Mitsuhide has an older sister, a girl named Ayumi. She was talking to her about dreams a few days before, apparently this little girl is some sort of genius, because I saw some Philosophy and Psychology books in her room. She said her sister made mentions to some weird distorted Shibuya. She also said two sharply dressed businessmen morphed into onion looking things and attacked them with what she could only describe as magic."

"What? Are you certain?" Ren asked curiously.

"I thought it was all a delusion, until Mitsuhide said the word Mementos. I'm sure Takumi and his sister stumbled into Mementos together. That means that Takumi can understand me, and if I'm right, his sister can understand me too." Morgana said, his ears flicking to and fro.

"Hmm...alright then...but what do we do? We can't exactly drag them with us to Mementos...they might get hurt."

"I've been thinking...maybe Takumi is that black mask guy Madarame was talking about. He has to know about Palaces, if he can freely enter them. He might be causing Mental Shutdowns. If that's the case, then we as Phantom Thieves have to stop him!"

"I don't think that's the case. He was genuine...do you actually think someone who handed a million yen to his mother out of his backpack, has what it takes to hurt people like that?" Ren asked curiously.

"It could be an act...he is an actor."

"No...that isn't it. Whatever the case, this does bring some concern forth...not only are people being swindled, but an innocent woman is being extorted, girls are being sexually attack. Worse yet, there's some rotten bastard out there leading it all. We need to nail his name so we can stop him."

"Hehe...you actually think he has a palace?" Morgana asked. Ren dried his hands off, finishing with the last dish. He had set one aside, having turned the stove on to reheat the left over curry.

"More than likely. Madarame looked like an honest artist, and he turned out to be a bastard. I'm sure whoever this is, that's stealing money from people, has a desire so distorted that they manifested a palace. And if that's the case, then their heart is ours for the taking."

"That's my Joker...let's watch Takumi for a bit, see if he says or does anything incriminating. We have to test his sister too, Takumi seems cautious, and with his acting we're not sure what he can do. But his sister is probably more open about it."

"Hmm...I have the perfect idea...I'll relay it to the squad tomorrow. For now, lets eat. I'm sure Sojiro won't mind if I use a bit of this salmon."

"Yes! Ren you are the best!"


	7. Gathering Information II

**A/N:**

 **Hey everyone...welcome to Chapter 7 of Codename: Songbird! As I said last night, this chapter is going to start leading more toward the next part of the story, the infiltration of Kenshiro's palace. The next couple chapters will serve as the set up. And Chapter 10 is where the action will begin, so look forward to it. One of you guys mentioned something interesting, which was about the people who could hear Morgana. Yes, I'm certain that you are correct, but until that point, you must remember that Aketchi heard Morgana and they had never met until they infiltrated Sae's palace. I think Futaba did mention something, but for my story, I'm going to tweak it. That way, those that have contact with the Metaverse will be able to hear Morgana speak. Obviously, only the main cast and a few others might be able to hear him speak.**

 **This story is going to have quite a bit of filler between story arcs. I want to use every day that I can to further develop relationships between people. I am going to do the Confidant Rank up whenever Takumi hangs out with someone. It will be mostly geared toward acting, or firearms knowledge, as the Tower Arcana was replaced for Ren when I added him to the story. Since Takumi will have his own confidants, I will have to spend time developing relationships with characters that aren't part of the main cast, mostly ocs...in fact, in this chapter, you will get to meet a future confidant for Takumi, but I'm not going to say which Arcana will be represented. I am also replacing the Judgment Arcana with the Aeon Arcana for Takumi, since he isn't going to meet Sae Nijima until after a certain point in the story. I'm sure you'll know who the Aeon will be when everything is said and done, in fact I'm sure if you've been paying extra attention, you'll know that it's someone that Takumi shares a close connection with.**

 **Well, that's all the news I got concerning this story for now. As I said, I'm most likely gonna have a lot of filler between arcs, to develop the characters and stuff, but that is to be expected. Persona is a series mostly about the bonds the protagonist shares with his close friends. Persona 5 didn't have many of the friendship events Persona 4 had, which was mostly part of it taking place in Tokyo where there was a lot to do. But I'll be sure to use every day as well as I can. So look forward to it. See you all later!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 7

Gathering Information II

 _ **Date: Thursday June 9**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Location: Television Station**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on the Swindlers**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Are you alright big brother? Mitsu told me what happened last night...those scary men didn't hurt you did they?" Ayumi asked, causing Takumi to shake his head.

"Nah...they didn't hurt me...but I sure as hell wish I could hurt them." the boy said, scratching his head. His hair looked a bit unruly, and more laid back than normal. He decided against brushing it down and keeping it neat. He hated doing it, plus his spiky look was his favorite.

"I know, mom has been dealing with them for awhile...I don't exactly know how they came to our store at first. I think they came to do business and swindled her...it was while ago, around March I think." Ayumi said, adopting a pensive look on her face.

"So...they've been taking money from her for nearly four months...not on my watch." he muttered, clenching his fist tightly.

"We're going on a field trip too. The aquarium, it's for biology class...I heard you were going to the TV station. I wish you luck big brother, I hear that stuff is pretty boring."

"Oh gee...thanks for that. I'd rather stay in this hellhole than go to a damn television station, but going on air will help me quell those allegations. So thanks for wishing me luck...here, buy yourself some souvenirs." he said, handing the girl two five thousand yen bills. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Are you serious? This is too much big brother."

"No it isn't...I want one of those big plush Orca's for my room. Oh, and don't forget to scream, Sea World Sucks at the top of your lungs. They shouldn't keep those cute penguins in captivity!" he said, a firm look on his face. His sister shook her head, shoving the money into her skirt pocket.

"Sure, do you want me to put my middle fingers up, like I just don't give a f..."

"Hey, no swearing. It's unbecoming of a young lady like you!" Takumi said. He ruffled her hair, earning a giggle from her.

" _What a waste of a Friday."_

" _Tell me about it, I won't be able to get any Yakisoba Pan today...dammit."_

" _I heard Mashita-san is going to be on television, wonder what for?"_

" _Maybe to tell the world that he finally got out of rehab. It's probably some PR stint."_

Ignoring the daily bout of rumors, Takumi and his sister parted on the second floor. He glanced around for a few seconds, almost walking into his homeroom when he remembered the field trip. He swiftly turned around, bumping into someone as he did, sending several things to the floor. He cringed inwardly, almost wanting to face palm.

"Sheesh, mind watching where you're going?"

"Sorry...sorry. I'll get that for you." he said, kneeling down to grab the small notepad, pen and text book. He stood up, handing them to their owner.

He had to admit, this girl was pretty cute. She had long raven locks that fell to her mid back, two strands framing her face. She had light colored skin, bright hazel eyes, shielded behind a thin pair of pink eyeglasses. She was wearing a short sleeved shirt, with Shujin's emblem on the left breast, along with a pleated skirt, which was red and black in color, held up by some matching suspenders. She wore black leggings and red sneakers. She had a laid back expression on her face, with hints of annoyance sprinkled in. She leaned forward, resting a hand behind her back as she looked at his face, as if memorizing his features.

"Hmm...haven't I seen you somewhere before?" she asked.

"Maybe...I'm an actor, Takumi Mashita...I just came to this school. It's my first week."

"Never heard of you, well...I have but I haven't seen your movies. Not into sappy romance stuff. I've heard a lot of rumors about you...all of them bullshit of course." she said.

"Oh...well, I guess I'm happy to hear you don't buy that crap."

"Duh...I'm part of the Newspaper club. I write only factual and truthful things for our beloved Shujin Bulletin. I just finished covering Kamoshida, all of the rumors that spread and our most interesting student, Ren Amamiya and his criminal case. But just as I had run out of things to write, I slam right into my next big scoop."

"I'm not free to do interviews...sorry." Takumi said, brushing past her.

"It doesn't matter, I'll still dig up information...I want people to care about our school. Having a newspaper for our alumni to read is a good thing, it will inform them of the happenings of our school. It'll squash the rumors, and put to rest everything that is going on with the student body. You are our most interesting student, so please consider that interview. My name is Kagura Fujisaki, you can normally find me here or in the Newspaper Club room in the practice building. I look forward to your interview." she said, walking off with a spring in her step. He sighed, as he opened the door to Classroom 2-D, glancing down the hall.

"Ugh...what a pain in my ass."

"Yo, over here." Ryuji called out, grabbing his attention. The boy quickly walked into the room, heading to where he and Ren were standing, near the blackboard. He chuckled at the drawing of Madarame that had been drawn on the board, with some quotes from the Press Conference he had held.

"That is one accurate portrayal of Madarame...hmm...if he was a true genuine artist, do you think he'd laugh at this, or cry?" he asked curiously.

"Hell if I know, I don't understand the fine arts. So, are you ready for this trip?" the blond asked.

"Yes, I'm ready for this trip to end...hey, do either of you know a girl named Kagura?"

"I do...she's the only person left in the Newspaper club. I speak with her often, her paper is quite interesting. Especially the horoscope section, it's amazing that she writes it all by herself." Ren said.

"Whoa...she's all alone in there...that sucks. I bumped into her just now, and she wants an interview, but that would just stir the pot. If the school paper has an interview with me, everyone will just look at me as if I had a dick glued on my forehead."

"I know how you feel, people look at me that way every day."

"That's because sometimes you can be a massive dickhead." Ren said, causing Takumi to burst into laughter. Ryuji glared at his friend, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Alright, funny joke asshat, I'll get you for that one later. Damn, she's taking a long time, think she's powdering her nose?"

"Who are you talking about?" Takumi asked, glancing away from his phone.

"Our friend Ann...she likes to make sure she looks perfect. Since we're going to the television station, she thought she'd spruce up a bit."

"Wouldn't she do that at home, you know before coming here?" the boy asked.

"Yes, but you have to remember, Ann is blonde. So she is aloof and an airhead, not to mention annoying too." Ryuji said, only to feel a slap to the back of his head, causing him to yelp in pain.

"What did I tell you about shit talking me behind my back?" the girl in question snapped, causing Ryuji to turn around.

"Ah...wait, it was a mistake you see...I was talking about someone else...this girl named Ann...a. _Anna_ , that's right, and she's blonde like you, but not as stupid."

"Would you like a shovel Ryuji? At this rate your gonna need it for when you have to dig your grave." Ren said.

"You aren't helping dude!"

"Ignore him Ann, just because a woman is a natural blonde doesn't mean she's stupid. I took a peek at those test scores as I came in, and I happened to see Ryuji at the bottom of the list. So that proves that you are smarter than him." Takumi said, causing Ryuji to bow his head.

"Yeah yeah, I'm more brawn than brains. It's totally fine for me."

"So Takumi, how did that audition go? You were pretty excited for it, and I never got the chance to ask you how it went." Ann asked, earning a frown from the boy.

"It was total shit. I was way too late and Director Shimizu rode my ass, telling me about being punctual and shit."

"Shimizu? As in Ryoutaro Shimizu? That guy?" the girl cried, eyes widened at the sound of the name. Ryuji and Ren both shared a look, a bit confused as to why she had reacted that way.

"Yeah...you heard of him?"

"Have I heard of him? He's like the best romance writer in the movie business. Every single film he makes is an award winning classic, he's written two movies a year for the past ten years. They're even popular in other parts of the world. I can't believe you botched an audition with him of all people!"

"Well it wasn't his fault the damn trains were late. They're still recovering from that Mental Shutdown you know. That's the reason why he was late!" Ryuji said.

"Oh...right, I totally forgot. Sorry Takumi, I'm sure you were looking forward to that gig."

"It's fine Ann, there are more fish in the sea as they say. If I want to climb out if this sick pit my father shot me into, I'm gonna have to claw my way to the top. Even if I skin my knees on the way up." he said, giving her a wink. The girl flushed, glancing away from him.

"Sorry to change the subject...Takumi...were you able to get more information out of your mom?" Ren asked, a bit softer than normal. Takumi looked around for a few seconds, before shaking his head.

"Fraid not...I asked her about it and she told me to leave it alone. Guess those fuckers have her scared shitless. She even told me where she kept her gun, just in case something happened while she was gone."

"I was afraid of that...even with all of the leads we found in Shibuya, it isn't enough to do anything." Ryuji said.

"Wait...what are you guys talking about?" Ann asked, confused about their conversation.

"Takumi's mom is being threatened by some bad guys, they're pretty much making her hand money over to them. We also talked to some people in Shibuya who are being scammed, and we think they're connected." Ryuji said.

"We're gathering all of the information we can, so that we can post a request on the Phan-Site. I want the Phantom Thieves take care of it, my mom is scared. Worse yet, my little sisters are in danger because of these fucks. I need to put a stop to it, but I can't...so this is the only thing I can do."

"Don't worry, I'm sure the Phantom Thieves will take the request. Especially because people's lives are in danger." Ren said in a reassuring tone. Takumi cheered up a bit, feeling more relieved than before.

"Alright students, the bus is waiting outside. Make sure you pick a partner and stick close to each other so you don't get separated." Ms. Kawakami said, sounding annoyed as she spoke. Takumi noticed the woman looked tired, almost like she hadn't even slept. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned back, meeting Ann's sea green eyes.

"Hey, those two are gonna be partners, figured you'd want to stick close to us. You wanna be mine?"

"I suppose...but I am going on television, so we'll probably be separated for a bit. Were you aware of the live filming?" he asked curiously.

"Someone said it might happen, but I wasn't sure it was going to happen. Still, I think it's pretty cool that you're gonna be on television, I can't wait to see it get filmed."

"Yeah...me neither...I'll be looking forward to seeing my face get plastered all over the six o'clock news." he replied rubbing the back of his neck.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"As you can probably guess, most of the internal revenue for the television station comes from advertisement. Commercial breaks are paid slots in our programming used for product placement. Companies then give us compensation for those commercials." the woman said, smiling at the clearly disinterested students. Ryuji yawned rather loudly, not bothering to hide his boredom.

"Jeez, as if that wasn't obvious enough. Hey Ren, what do you think of all this?" the blond asked, tapping his friend, who had a far off look on his face. He prodded his cheek with his fingertip, the boy remaining still.

"He's not even listening to me."

"Now then, if you have ever wondered what programming is on at what time, that falls onto our schedulers at the scheduling department. Soap operas are most popular during the day, while the local and national news are at night, this is all done in this manner so that our programming can fit a normal daily routine. Often times, the daily programming is split into sections, so that there is an allotted amount of commercial time. In order to edit each program to the desired length, it is sent to the editing department." the woman continued, earning mutters from the crowd.

"As if I didn't already know that...hey Ren, do you find any of this interesting?" Ann asked, turning toward her friend, who was standing still, a far off look on his face. She snapped her fingers in front of his face, not even getting a reaction from him.

"This guy didn't even hear me."

"Must be some concentration...maybe he's thinking about some girl's panties." Takumi said, earning a giggle from the girl. He glanced back to his phone screen, as he had been in the middle of a chat with his sister Kanami.

"Goddamn it, could this be any more boring? I would have preferred going to Ueno with all of those art freaks." Ryuji muttered dryly. Ms. Kawakami walked over to him, an annoyed look on her face.

"Listen, I understand that you are bored. But try not to act out alright? It'll look bad if you do."

"Yeah, don't worry teach, I'll behave." the boy replied. The woman nodded, walking back toward another group of students. Ren shook his head, glancing at his friends, a bored look on his face.

"Did I miss anything?"

"Nothing at all, must have been some day dream...seeing as you didn't hear what I was saying." Ann said, making the boy smirk slyly.

"Oh I heard you, I just didn't answer you. I didn't really have an answer to give you, figured the air of mystery would have been enough of an answer." he said, pushing up his glasses. Takumi was about to say something, when a man in a pressed suit walked into him knocking his phone to the ground, an audible crack filling his ears as it hit the ground.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" he cried out, grabbing a hold of his phone, seeing the top corner of it had several cracks running through it, stopping at the middle of the screen.

"What is the meaning of this? You know I cannot concentrate with all of this racket!" the suit wearing man snapped, earning a surprised cry from the tour guide.

"Y-yes of course...I was just about to conclude the tour in this area. We'll be moving along shortly."

"Very well, do hurry along."

"Hey douche bag, are you gonna pay for my damn phone? Thanks to you bumping into me. My damn screen is cracked, this cost me 800 dollars." Takumi snapped, causing the man to turn to him.

"I don't know who you think you are, but you cannot speak to your elders like that."

"I'll speak to you however the fuck I want. When someone breaks my shit, they don't deserve my respect. So you better pay for my new phone screen or you and I will have a problem."

"Takumi, calm down...we wouldn't want anything bad happening here, would we?" Ren asked, placing a hand on his shoulder. The boy sighed, giving his friend a nod.

"Takumi...as in Takumi Mashita? What are the odds...the young man I was going to interview turned out to be a vulgar young retch. It's no wonder the film industry doesn't hire you anymore. It's because you have no class, you have no business in the film industry either. The filming is about to start, you better get ready for it." the man said smugly, walking away with his nose held high.

"Goddamn fuckin son of a bitch!" the boy exclaimed in English, causing a few people to look his way.

"Oh, he's so mad he swore in another language. That's some serious shit." Ryuji said. Takumi sighed, glancing at his cracked screen.

"What a week I'm having...I gotta go. I just got a text from the television manager...uh...Dome Town is nearby. You guys wanna head there afterwards? I'll pay for your tickets." the boy said, giving his friends a smile.

"Seriously? We wouldn't want you to do that." Ren said.

"Eh, it's no problem. I can tell all of you are bored, even the cat seems like he needs a little bit of fun." he said, petting the blue eyed cat's head, scratching behind his ear.

" _Oh...that feels nice."_

"I'm sure it does...what's his name?" Takumi asked, glancing at Ren who had narrowed his eyes a bit. He shared a look with Ryuji and Ann before giving the brunette a smile.

"His name is Morgana."

"A boy cat with a girl name...it's fitting. Though he is a weird breed of Siamese cat, I've never seen a black Siamese with brilliant blue eyes like this. You've got quite the special kitty here. I heard from Mitsu that you left him with her so she could stay calm...so thanks. She hates to admit it, but she loves cats and bunnies, and basically anything cute and furry. I gotta jet, I'll meet you at the front entrance when I'm done." he said, heading toward the back of the studio.

"Um...did he reply to Morgana's comment?" Ann asked curiously.

"Yeah...though I don't think he did it knowingly. We haven't spoken about this with you yet, we think he's the black mask guy who was in Madarame's palace."

"Huh? Him? But...he's so nice!" the blonde girl said, glancing at the door where their new friend had disappeared too.

"Looks can be deceiving, which is why we have a plan set up. He wants the Phantom Thieves to take a request, so we're gonna handle it for him. We just need the name of the leader of that gang and when we have it, we'll just stake out the palace. If he knows about it already, he might let the name slip." Morgana said, earning a nod from the girl.

"Okay...it's a shame though. I really hope he isn't a bad guy, he seems too...genuine to be a bad guy."

"Alright students, how would you like to take part in a live filming? How about you there, you've got a smoking bod, you'd be perfect for television." one of the camera men said, giving Ann a pervy look. The girl sighed, glaring at him.

Meanwhile in the backroom, Takumi was getting ready for his television appearance. He had turned down any help from the make up artists, deciding to go as he was. He pulled his school blazer from inside his backpack, slipping it on over his tee shirt, folding the collar down. He took a look at his reflection in the mirror, brushing his blazer down a bit, buttoning the bottom three buttons. He brushed a bit of his hair back, keeping his mostly unruly look. Once he made himself as presentable as possible, he turned back, about to leave the room when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He looked back toward his reflection, eyes widening a bit.

Instead of his Shujin Academy uniform, he was wearing something entirely different. He was now wearing a pressed white button down shirt, with a folded collar, and a black bow tie around his neck. He was wearing a solid black suit vest, with golden buttons on it which were sparkling in the light, his shirt being tucked into his pants. They were held up by a black leather belt, which had two holsters on either side of it, brown in color, hanging down part way down his thigh. He was wearing slacks, which were both snug on his body, but comfortable enough for him to move around in. He was wearing a pair of knee high buckle boots, with several belts and buckles tied snugly around the side of the legs, the silver buckles glinting in the light. The toe was a bit pointed outward, resembling winkle pickers. Around his shoulders, he was wearing a black cape, with star shaped patterns on the inside of it, and a high collar around his neck. He was also wearing a top hat atop his head, which was both black and white in color. The most noticeable thing he was noticed was the mask he was wearing on his face.

It was a white face mask, which reminded him a lot of the one worn by a character in one of his favorite movies. It was smooth and fit perfectly over the right side of his face, showing his eye. It came down around the side of his right cheek, partially covering his lips. He noticed that this part of the mask was curved downward, as if resembling a frown. He was quite familiar with the design, it reminded him of the opera masks, one was happy and the other was sad. If this mask was showing him the sad half, then that meant his uncovered cheek was the happy side. He reached a hand toward it, noticing the white gloves that adorned his hands.

"What is this?" he muttered. He heard a knock on the door and turned around, watching it slowly open, a young woman sticking her head inside.

"Two minutes Mashita-san. Are you all set?"

"Yeah I'm...I'm ready." he said, glancing at his reflection, seeing that he was now looking back at his normal attire. He shook his head as he grabbed his backpack, not wanting to leave it inside the room. He placed his cellphone in his pocket, following the girl toward the studio.

As he walked in, he noticed the anchors were already seated, on red leather couches. The same man from before had a smug look on his face, as soon as he saw him. The woman beside him was looking at her cellphone, most likely memorizing the questions she was going to ask the boy. He gave the man a glare as he sat down on the love seat, resting his backpack on the side of it, away from the camera's angle so it couldn't be seen. He leaned back into it, glancing at the crowd, a small smile on his face. Another mask that he was forced to wear...while his normal public mask was for when he was dealing with people on the street, the one who wore was different. It was one he had crafted especially for television appearances, and it was the mask he detested the most. But if he planned on leaving this battle unscathed, he'd have to act, after all it was his talent. Though, he was till confused as to what he had just seen in the prep room, or what it looked so familiar. There was something comforting about that look, and he didn't understand why. He had started thinking about Lavenza again, and he didn't know why. As he looked toward the back of the studio, he noticed a small glittering trail of light, just before it left through an open window.

"And we're back with our Celebrity Panel, where we bring you information about the celebrities you all love. This week we have a special guest, a young man who you may all recognize. He played the role of Takeshi Tojo in the movie Fleeting Angel, and later in it's sequel. A young man who's been acting since he was eight years old, give a hand to the young and talented Takumi Mashita!" the female anchor said happily, earning applause from those present, which only consisted of fellow students for him. Takumi smiled for the camera, giving it a wave.

"I'm happy to be here today. I wasn't planning on being on television any time soon, but I couldn't turn down such a humble request."

"Yes, the president of the company was quite impressed when you agreed. Let us speak about your return to Japan, it seems you have been gone for quite awhile. Our sources indicate that this was because you took a role in an American sitcom correct?" the smug man from before asked.

"That is indeed correct. After Fleeting Angel 2, I decided to seek more serious roles. But in order to get more movie roles you have to start small, so I agreed to filming the sitcom New Age. It sadly wasn't picked up by any network, but you can catch it on Netflix if you are interested." he replied.

"You have been in the news a lot recently, ever since your arrival in fact. We've heard that you stayed with your father, businessman Takarou Mashita, owner of Mashita Inc. a company that supplies special computer parts for various companies around the world. What was that like? Did you have to live a normal life after all of the acting?"

"For the most part yes...but as soon as I went to Los Angeles, I spoke with the directors behind New Age. I left for Montana to film the first season and remained there for most of my time. It was only after the series was canned that I returned home and spent time with my father. It wasn't the best times for me." the boy replied.

"Why is that? Was daddy too hard on you?" the male anchor asked, earning a few chuckles from the crowd. Takumi leaned forward in his seat, crossing his legs, his foot resting on his left knee.

"Actually, _daddy_ wasn't too hard on me at all. In fact, I was allowed to do as I pleased. I took that time to catch up on my studies, practice my acting and seek new career opportunities, among other things. I was actually studying various books on play writing in case I felt the need to write one." he replied, a smug look on his face. He had silently given the man a sign that the ball was in his court, hoping he'd take the bait.

"Books on play writing you say? I wasn't aware that you were interested in that?"

"Yes...it's another facet of acting. Acting in a play and acting in a movie is quite different, there is a sense of camaraderie you feel on a stage. As opposed to behind the lens of a camera...of course most people these days are to uncultured to know the fine intricacies of either, and give unfair reviews and comments to the actors who are doing phenomenal work." Takumi replied. The man grit his teeth, forcing a smile onto his face.

"That is very interesting...I wasn't aware that someone so young could be interested in plays. What else interests you?"

"A lot of things...opera being another one. My mother owns a music store, so being surrounded by instruments is always inspiring. In fact, you might see me featured in Kanamin's new album. That is if she agrees to let me be on it." he replied, earning a giggle from the woman.

"Now then, let us move on to a more interesting topic of discussion. The drug allegations, many sources say that you did indeed inject drugs when you were twelve years old. Some even said that the reason why you turned down most movie deals during 2012 and 2013 was because you were in rehabilitation. Is it true that you also left Japan to go to Rehab in America?"

"Ah, the famous allegations. Well let me answer your question with a question...if you truly do believe that I did inject drugs into my system, how did I acquire them? I was just a twelve year old boy, not yet used to real world topics. Where would I get the drugs? How would I inject them if I didn't know how to do it? Strangely fascinating questions don't you agree sir?" Takumi countered, keeping the smile on his face.

"You tell me...I'm just trying to settle these rumors, for your sake of course. People said that it was your deceased grandmother who bought you the drugs, because you were so addicted to them, that she didn't want to see you suffer."

"That's a load of bullshit and you know it. My grandmother was an amazingly kind woman, and I will not sit here, listening to this farce!"

"Takumi-kun, please we're on live television." the co-anchor said, calming the boy down. He sighed, glancing at the camera.

"My apologies...I don't know about you, but if my family was repeatedly insulted, I would get mad too. Let it be known that those reports were all fake...I never once injected drugs into my system. My grandmother did not purchase them for me, and I didn't go to rehab. I'm not a drug addict, I'm not in any gangs, an I'm not a drug dealer either. I am an honest young man, trying to find his way in life." Takumi replied.

"So it would seem. Even though you claim these allegations to be false, it was your own father who brought them to light. Are you doubting your own father's word? He is a famous businessman, both here in Japan and in the United States of America. I'd trust his word over a teenager's word anyway."

"I'm sorry, I was lead to believe this interview was about my future career goals while in Japan. If we aren't going to discuss this, then I am leaving. I didn't come here to get slandered, I came here on a school trip. This is very unprofessional."

"Uh...we will now cut to a commercial break. Thanks a lot Takumi-kun for being here and answering our questions. Coming up next, we will be talking about a trending topic, the mysterious Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and how they might be involved in Madarame's change of heart. Back in five." the co-anchor said, winking at the camera.

"And we're clear." the camera man cried out. Takumi shot to his feet, slinging his backpack onto his shoulders, about to leave the set when the anchor stopped him.

"Aren't you going to stay? We wanted to get your opinion on the Phantom Thieves..since they're as fake as your claims to be drug free."

"Sir, if you do not leave me alone, I am pressing charges on you for harassment. You are honestly the biggest piece of shit I have ever met, I cannot believe someone like you is allowed to ask that sort of question to a teenager on live television. If I had known that this interview was made to slander me, then I would have refused. Where's your supervisor, I'd like to have a word with him." he said firmly.

"Tch...you actually think you can do anything about it? I'm a free man, I can do what I want."

"Oh? Really...that's lovely. I bet you've done this to others as well...anyone gets invited to your program and you shamelessly attack them on television. By the way, what's your name?" the boy asked curiously.

"My name? It's Yoshioda Miyamoto of course, I'm the top news anchor in this television station and the best in Japan. I don't have time to deal with insolent children such as yourself. Excuse yourself from this studio at once."

"Sorry, I'm on a school trip, you can't kick me out. But I'll gladly wait outside, thanks for the interview and the slander...karma is gonna bite you in the ass one day." He said, offering the man a bow as he turned to leave the studio, cutting across the center of the stands. Ren grabbed a hold of his arm as he walked, causing him to stop.

"Are you alright? I couldn't hear anything from over here, but by your facial expressions, I can tell you aren't fine."

"It's alright bro, I got it. I just gotta make a request real quick...no biggie. I'll be heading toward Dome Town alright? See you at the gates." he said, continuing his walk toward the exit.

As he did, he pulled up the Phan-Site, heading straight to the forum. There was a question up that was asking people if they believed the Phantom Thieves were real. He had already voted on it when he had seen the Press Conference Madarame had put together. He went to the post and opened the prompt, a smirk on his face.

"There is a television news anchor that likes to slander people on live television. I only met this man once, but just by judging him I could tell that he was high and mighty. Not only did he break my phone, but he insulted someone on live television. Phantom Thieves, if you truly do exist, then change his heart for me. His name is Yoshioda Miyamoto, I'm counting on you to stop this asshole from slandering and insulting people on television!" he typed out, hitting the post button a smirk on his face.

" _Now, we wait to see if they're real."_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Are you serious? That son of a bitch said that to you?" Ryuji cried, taking a drink from his soda. He, along with Ren, Ann and Morgana were sitting at a bench, though the cat was hidden away in Ren's bag as Pet's weren't allowed in the park. He gave them a nod, poking at his churro.

"Yeah, he did. He did all of that just to insult me, I bet you he was the one who put the president of that station to it. He probably said, hey, let me get an interview with Takumi Mashita, he is the most talked about kid in Japan right now. Just so he could fuckin slander me on live television."

"That was horrible and unprofessional. You said it yourself after all, I was just sitting in my seat, boiling with rage. I know what it's like to be treated like that, one of the models I work with did the same thing to me. She pretty much killed my chances of getting any shoots for the next few weeks."

"That sucks...you should have slapped her." Takumi said, earning a chuckle from Ren.

"Trust me, she was close to slapping her. I was there with her when this happened too..she was a haughty Prima Donna. Pretty sure that news anchor was the same way too. He probably let the power get to his head, won't be long until someone hurts themselves because of what they did."

"I have bad news man...I just checked Twitter and Instagram, that interview you had just blew up. People are commenting up the ass, saying you were acting immature during it." Ryuji said, causing Takumi to snag a hold of his phone, seeing some of the comments for himself.

"That is just what I fucking needed. Try to stay out of the lime light, behave like a normal person and you still get a foot in your ass. God, this shit pisses me off...if only there was something I could do about it...so I could kill these rumors once and for all. But enough about me, I gotta figure out where these fucking gangsters hang out. My mom and my sisters are in danger."

"There isn't a lot of leads we can take I'm afraid. We're just gonna have to wait until something pops up. Only then can we truly post that on the site." Ren said, earning a frown from Takumi.

"I know that...but we aren't getting much. We spoke with a lot of people yesterday who were victims, but none of them know jack about this guy."

"Maybe your mom might say something if you ask her in private...you never know. Although, if you said she was scared then I doubt she'd spill the beans. She'd probably be scared to tell you, because you might actually do something." Ann said, finishing her drink right after.

"I wouldn't be that stupid. Hmm...there is one way I might be able to find something out. This is just annoying, and these new allegations and rumors is just stressing me out even more." he muttered, resting his face in his hand, a frown on his face.

"Hey Takumi...this might be sudden but...my house is getting fumigated tonight. I can't keep Morgana with me where I'm going since pet's aren't allowed, and neither Ann nor Ryuji can take him for the night. Is it alright if you watch him?"

"You...want me to watch your cat? Wait...what's your house getting fumigated for?" Takumi asked curiously.

"Ants...I live in a cafe and there was a nest of ants that just broke all over the place. So we're closing down while they come take care of it. They said the poison should be gone by the morning if all of the windows are left open. But I wouldn't want him to get sick." Ren said. The boy sighed, frowning a bit a he looked at Morgana, who had an almost pleading look in his eye.

"Aw...alright...you're lucky he's adorable. I'll stop by the market and get some food for him, and maybe a flea collar. We wouldn't want him to get fleas and ticks would we?"

"That's right, I never once considered getting that for him. He is an outdoor cat and likes to roam around the neighborhood. Just keep him inside tonight, since he doesn't know Shibuya well."

"Sure thing...anyway, it's already pretty late. Ayumi should have gotten home from the aquarium an hour ago. Man, I can't believe we stayed here so late, the sun is setting." Takumi said, standing up from his seat, tossing all of his trash into the garbage bin. He opened his backpack, so that Morgana could jump inside, leaving it open enough for the cat to breathe.

"Alright, we'll meet at school tomorrow. If we find out any information, we'll relay it to you." Ryuji said, earning a nod from the brunette.

"Yeah, I'll do the same...I just hope the six o'clock news doesn't show that bullshit interview on television, though it was being filmed live. Why the hell does the world always make me suffer?" he muttered, heading toward the front gates to the park.

"Do you think this will work Ren?"

"It has too. Mona will let me know tomorrow if Takumi has truly been to the Metaverse. We tested it out earlier, his paws work on touch screen, as long as he can manage to unlock his phone and flip through the apps, he'll know. We also think his little sister Ayumi went with him, since Mitsuhide was talking about some delusional dream she had supposedly had."

"Hmm...still, Takumi is acting different. It's like, something wants to break free and yet he holds it back. I saw it back during that interview...he was holding that mask the entire time, all the way to the end when he flipped out on that anchor."

"Yo, check this out...I just reloaded the Phan-Site and I found this on the forum. News Anchor Slanders TV Guests, his name is Yoshioda Miyamoto, and the poster says this guy broke his phone. This has Takumi written all over it." Ryuji said, passing his phone over to Ren, who read the post himself.

"Well...we got a name, and our friend wanted this request done. Any objections?"

"None from me, I wanna get back at him for how he treated Takumi on live TV." Ann said.

"Same here, the dude was a total asshole. Let's get Yusuke in on this, since the cat is gone, it'll be just the four of us." Ryuji said.

"Alright...I'll call him on our way back to Shibuya. It's certainly going to be an interesting week." Ren said a smirk on his face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Well Morgana, welcome to my home...though you've already been here before. Mom said it was alright to let you roam, so make yourself at home. Though judging by that look, I can tell you want me to grill that salmon for you huh?" Takumi asked. Morgana didn't say anything, decided to just rub his face around Takumi's legs, like a normal cat would. Though it was embarrassing, he knew the time wasn't right to say or do anything.

"Big brother, you're finally home. Oh my god, what a cute cat!" Ayumi cried, scooping Morgana into her grasp, squeezing him hard.

"Gah...meow, meow!"

"Ayumi, don't squeeze him like that, he can't breathe." Takumi said, taking a hold of the cat, setting him down on the floor.

"Sorry...is he a stray?"

"No, he belongs to a friend. His house is getting fumigated so I agreed to take care of him for the night. How was the aquarium?"

"Pretty fun, I got you that whale plush you wanted, it's in your room. Oh oh, you won't believe what happened to me in Shibuya today! This really nice man sold me these scratch tickets. He said they were winning numbers, but since he didn't have an ID, he couldn't cash them. I was wondering if you'd do that for me. We can split the profits!" the girl said, causing Takumi to drop the spatula he had been holding.

"What? Let me see those!" he said, turning around to face the girl. She dug her hand into her skirt, pulling the folded tickets from within. It did indeed show the winning numbers, telling him that he had won 100,000 Yen on each one.

"See? If you go and cash them, then you can have 100,000Y all to yourself! Though I'm sure you probably have millions from your acting."

"Ayumi, sweetheart these are fakes."

"Eh? No they're not!" the girl cried, puffing her cheeks out. He turned the ticket over, reading the terms and conditions.

"Right here, in order to claim the winning prize, you must pick up the phone and call your momma's house. Once she confirms that you are in fact the winner, you will have to wait by her fireplace for Santa Clause who will deliver the winning prize." he said. Ayumi snagged the ticket from his hand, reading the small words herself. She growled angrily, tearing the ticket apart.

"Goddamn it! That fucking bum stole my money! I had ten thousand Yen left for those tee shirts I wanted to get tomorrow, but now...I just had to listen to that fucker!"

"Ayumi Isoshima, how many times have I told you not to swear in my house?" Erica cried, stopping right at the top of the stairs, glaring at her oldest daughter.

"Mom, it's alright...this time her outburst is justified. These fucks in Shibuya sold her these fake tickets and conned her out of some money." he said, handing the black haired woman the ticket. To say she was furious was an understatement.

"How dare these people take my little girl to the cleaners? I'm gonna march down there and give them a piece of my mind. What does he look like? I bet you he's dressed like a bum isn't he?"

"No wait...mom you can't...the people that swindled her. They're part of a bigger crime organization...the same one that's been extorting you for cash." he said. Her eyes widened in shock, but she quickly looked away, crossing her arms.

"I'm not being extorted for money. How many times have I told you, those are just businessmen!"

"Yes, and the Easter Bunny delivers my Christmas presents. Will you cut the shit already and tell me the truth? I already know you are getting extorted so don't hide it. Mitsuhide told me about it, and Ayumi said it's been happening since March. These people are dangerous, we need to do something about it." he said. She sighed, closing and locking the door behind her. She had already closed for the night so she wouldn't have to worry about customers.

"What do you want me to do about it? The only reason they come here is because I'm late on payments. My store was going bankrupt, I didn't want to lose this...I didn't want my little girls to have to live in a shelter. So I did the only thing I could do, I contacted a Loan Shark and took a loan out with them. I paid my bills and got everything financially stable, paying out monthly installments. I was almost done when...something else came up."

"What came up? What was it that made you take another loan on them?" the boy asked, leaning back against the island. Erica sighed, bowing her head, her black hair shielding her eyes.

"It was your father...when we divorced, he agreed to set an account aside to help Ayumi with her schooling. I lied to you, Takarou does know about Mitsuhide...that account was for her as well. It was to cover her expenses for her university. We weren't aware of how smart she was, so when we were told that she might be going to college at the age of fourteen, it just hit us hard. She wants to be a Philosophy teacher and a Psychologist...that's years of schooling, and a lot of money."

"Mom...I didn't..."

"That's not the only thing...the bastard shut down those accounts. He said that he was wasting money on people who didn't deserve it. Just because I was his ex-wife didn't mean he had to sustain us. He contacted some lawyers and somehow got out of paying Alimony until Mitsuhide turned eighteen, how it was legally supposed to be. I couldn't...just stand by and let her dreams be shattered. So instead of paying off the loan, I took out another one...and set it aside for her college fund." she said. Takumi sighed, slamming his fist against the counter, the utensils on it rattling a bit.

"If I didn't hate the bastard before...I definitely hate him now. How could he do that to his daughter? She doesn't deserve it...it's like he's snubbing her for being a genius. He and that goddamn company of his, his pride is clouding his eyes...I swear to god."

"Big brother...um, that pan is sizzling."

"My salmon!" a voice cried out, causing Takumi to look around. He shrugged and turned back to the man, pulling out the salmon fillet onto a plate, seeing that it had burned entirely. He frowned, shaking his head.

"Well...guess I won't be having salmon tonight. Sorry Morgana, I should have been paying attention. I'll grill you up the other one." he said, pulling the other salmon from his bag, tearing the wrapper off of it.

"I could have sworn I heard someone scream _my salmon_ just a second ago. Whatever...momma...why didn't you tell us about this? Does Mitsuhide know?"

"I've never told her directly...but I'm certain she is aware of it. She's a brilliant child, and I'm so proud of her...and of you. Both of you are my precious children, and I would walk through hell to give you the life that I didn't have. But now, I'm in deep with these guys...they need 30 million yen by July 12th, or they'll retaliate. I gave them three million the last time they were here. But I don't know where I'm going to get the last 29 million." Erica said, hugging her daughter tightly.

"Do you know his name?"

"Hmm? Who's name?"

"The leader of this crime syndicate. It's clear he's the one extorting you...so what's his name?" Takumi asked, glancing over his shoulder.

"I don't know his name...I'm sorry. The only people I've ever met are his workers, I've never met him before." she said, earning a sigh from him.  
"Damn, and I was looking forward to seeing the Phantom Thieves take care of him."

"Huh? What about the Phantom Thieves?" Ayumi asked.

"You don't...seriously believe in them do you Takumi?"

"I didn't...but after what Madarame confessed, and seeing the reports on Kamoshida, the calling cards, the forums thanking them, I believe their real. They exist, but not in our world...they're but humble humans here. But I'm sure in another world, they exist, and they steal the hearts of the wicked, and that's what I'm gonna convince them to do. I'm gonna scour every lead I can, and get that name by any means necessary. Because I have to protect the only thing I have left in my life, my family." he said, placing the freshly grilled salmon onto a place. Once it had cooled a bit, he placed it on the floor, watching Morgana hungrily tearing into it.

"I will not allow it. Takumi, this is dangerous...don't you remember last time? I'm sure that man had a gun on him. You could get hurt, and I would die if something happened to you, or your sisters. I love you son."

"I know...but you've been dealing with this for so long...you're strong mom...you truly are. But it's time to rely on someone else." he said, reaching into his bag for his checkbook. He pulled the pen from his pencil case and started writing a check, signing it at the bottom. He tore it from the book and handed it to her.

"I have fifty million yen saved up in an account, from my acting and what I was able to with draw from my inheritance before my dad closed my accounts. Take that thirty and pay those fuckers off, we aren't going to let them extort you anymore."

"I can't...I can't take this from you Takumi. There's another way."

"There is...and that's taking this bastard down...trust me, we'll get him back. Once we have that name, the Phantom Thieves will do something about it...I just know it." he said, giving her a wink. Morgana looked up from his plate, seeing the smirk on the young man's face.

" _If I didn't know any better, I think he intends on taking care of business himself. He definitely does do a good job at hiding his emotions, but this is real. He cares for his family and is willing to risk his life for them...he isn't the black mask...he's just another victim of this world. If he truly does have the Meta-Nav on his phone, then I'll do my best to teach him the ropes. This power I sense within him...it reminds me of Joker. Man, this salmon is good!"_

"Wow...he really ate that fillet all by himself. That's some pampered cat." Erica said softly, having placed the check inside her bra. Takumi chuckled, scratching Morgana's ears.

"Yeah, he is. And he's super cute too, I can tell Ren takes really good care of him. Anyway, I'm gonna get started on dinner since I'm in the cooking mood. Who's up for Lasagna? I brought stuff in case I fucked up the salmon." he said, pulling all of the things he had bought from the fridge.

"Oh oh, let me help! I like to make my lasagna super saucy!" Ayumi cried, running toward the sink, opening the tap. Erica smiled warmly, holding back her tears.

" _What did I do to deserve such beautiful children? Even though Takumi isn't my son...I feel as if he were my own. He's such a kind generous boy, why did you ruin his life like this Takarou? Do you truly not care about them? Do you only see them as nothing more than a successor to your empire?"_


	8. Gathering Information III

**A/N:**

 **Well, here I leave you with chapter 8 everyone. We're starting to see how Takumi starts to use the Metaverse App, while also starting to believe in the Phantom Thieves. In only a couple chapters, you will get to see his Persona and see his first infiltration, into Kaneshiro's palace. Afterwards, we will start moving forward, handling some of the more intimate moments between palace infiltrations. This will also lead to Takumi's next target, someone that's rather personal, and will be happening at the same time as Futaba's Palace infiltration. It will test the bonds that he has started forming with the others. During the next few chapters, Takumi will begin to receive his confidants, I've decided to make it a bit easier on myself. Every time he hangs out with one of his confidants, they will gain a rank, as opposed to him hanging out with them and not ranking up. It will also serve to do some story events, some of the stuff between confidants will be similar if not the same as stuff that happens with Ren. I will try to make new events and stuff, and if not I'll have Takumi join Ren for certain things, during those moments, he will recieve two rank ups instead of one, since Ren is also one of his confidants. My goal is to try to get all of them to level ten before the final heist, something I myself didn't do in the game, because I never found the Tower or Sun confidants.**

 **It's been a bit challenging coming up with confidants for Takumi, since he's gonna have ones that are different from Ren, and I will give them unique stories as well as something they will offer. I guess you'll just have to wait and see. I do hope you are liking the story so far, I apologize if you aren't...I'll try to make it better. This is my first true venture into Persona after all, since my planned Persona 4 story never took off. Have yourselves an awesome Friday. Remember, only you can prevent forest fires.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 8

Gathering Information III

 _ **Date: Friday June 10**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on the Swindlers**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"We got a few minutes before we're set to go to the television. What did you find Mona?" Ren asked, glancing at the cat that was sitting on top of a desk. Ryuji and Ann were also there, the four of them having snuck into the roof with the aid of a spare lock pick.

"Well...I have quite a lot of information, but I spend most of the night condensing it for convenience. Let's start with the biggest chunk of it, Erica told Takumi about the Loan shark."

"Okay what else?"

"Hold your horses Ryuji, I'm getting to it. The reason why she did it, was because her store was going bankrupt. She used their money to get her store back into the green and was about to pay them off. But Takumi's scumbag father closed the account that was given to her by law after their divorce. That money had been for Mitsuhide's college fund. Since she cared about her daughter's scolding, she asked for another loan to set aside for her daughter. She's been trying to pay them off, but it looks like they added interest to the loan."

"What bastards. How can they do that to someone like her? A single mother struggling to raise her children. And that asshole ex husband of hers isn't innocent either." Ann snapped, a feeling of anger coursing through her.

"It makes sense...Takumi didn't say much about his father, but he did say that he valued money a lot. He probably saw them as a waste of money and paid someone to legally find him a loop hole. A pretty scummy thing to do." Ren said.

"I agree. Let's focus on this for now, she's been paying them since March, but it seems they've been stepping up their game recently. Takumi ended up writing her a check for 30 million yen so she could pay them off."

"Thirty million...damn, that kid is loaded. And he used all of it to help his mom pay those bastards off...ugh that just pisses me off. I can't believe he has to give his money to some goddamn criminals!" he shouted, slamming his fist onto the desk top.

"It pisses me off too, but don't start yelling. We're not supposed to be up here after all...what else did you manage to find Mona?"

"Well Lady Ann, it seems this next part ties in with the phishing games going on in Shibuya. Takumi's little sister was swindled out of her money, she bought two lottery tickets and they turned out to be fake. It sounded just like that guy Ryuji was talking about, the one who bought the chocolates. More and more people are starting to fall victim to these things...it all seems to be connected to this crime ring."

"Hmm...if only we had a name. For now, all we can do is keep gathering information. If we find it, we might just have our next target." Ren said, earning nods from his friends.

"Before we conclude our meeting, there is something else that I wanted to discuss. Takumi himself, I wasn't able to get to his phone, he kept it under his pillow the entire night. But I was able to prove that both he and his sister Ayumi can understand me. They've been to Mementos before, but he isn't the black mask wearer Madarame spoke of. I can sense something in him, something that reminds me of Ren."

"You think he might be a Persona user huh? We won't know that until we see it for ourselves. But if that is indeed true, then we'd have to take him with us to the Metaverse...that would be rather dangerous." the frizzy haired boy said.

"Yeah, but we don't have any options. Yusuke can't help us right now because he's in another school, and this information gathering is massive. We're underhanded, so this might prove beneficial...I'll take responsibility and train him. After all, you guys aren't rookies anymore because of my awesome teaching skills."

"Yeah, keep boasting about it you damn cat. Phantom Thieves are humble, not full of pride and vanity." Ryuji said, earning a hiss from the cat.

"We should get out of here, the trip will start soon and we wouldn't want to be late." Ann said, glancing at her phone screen.

"We will continue discussing this later on when we are all together. Let's just get through today and face the boring crap that is this social studies trip." Ren said.  
"I couldn't have said it better myself." Ryuji added, already feeling bored at the thought of heading back to the TV station.

"Hmm...we took care of that TV news douche bag last night, think he had a change of heart yet?" Ann asked.

"Who knows...hopefully he has one on live television. That should prove our existence to everyone. It wasn't flashy, but at least it'll help the world see what a scumbag he was." the frizzy haired boy said, the sunlight glinting off his glasses.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi honestly wanted to go home. After what had happened the day before, there was nothing he wanted to do more than skip the social studies trip. But he knew that he had to attend school because he didn't want to seem like he was skipping class. Even though he wanted to stay home, he had his reasons, he was going to Shibuya straight after the trip was over to resume his investigation. He wanted to find more leads on this crime ring, and get some info from potential victims. The ultimate goal for him was to score a name, the name of the leader who was currently extorting people out of their money, his mother included. Just thinking of this man swindling teenagers and threatening innocents really pissed him off.

"Are you alright big brother? You've been really quiet."

"I'm fine sis...I want you to be careful alright? What happened yesterday should serve as a warning. You can't trust anyone but yourself on the street, if someone comes up to you, just walk away. You'll be with your class so you'll be safe, but when you get to Shibuya, stick close to the guards until I get you. Okay?"

"Alright big brother...I'm gonna go to my classroom, see you later." she said, giving him a brief hug before heading down stairs. He sighed, glancing at his cracked phone screen for the time. There were still ten minutes until the trip so he didn't have anything to occupy his time with. All he could do was recite all of the information he had gathered in his mind.

" _Did you see the news last night? Mashita-san was on it."_

" _Yeah I did, that news reporter was totally rude. Mashita-san asked some valid questions, and it was totally wrong to bring his deceased grandmother into the mix."  
_

 _"Someone should change his heart, maybe the Phantom Thieves will take care of it...do you think if I asked he'd give me his autograph?"_

" _Maybe, but that would be embarrassing in public. Just ask him after school, maybe if your lucky he'll give you his number, he's pretty cute."_

"Well...at least the rumors today aren't so bad." Takumi muttered, chuckling to himself as he started walking back toward Classroom 2-D. As he walked past, he caught notice of a familiar looking girl, who had her face buried in a book. He noticed Ren, Ryuji and Ann were chatting nearby, just out of earshot. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the girl was actually the Student Council President, who he had met the Friday before. Finding it a little odd that she was listening to his friends, he decided to speak with her, to settle his own curiosity.

"You know, I've never seen someone with their nose literally stuffed in a book. I would figure you'd like to read it, not smell it." he said, startling the girl who backed away from him.

"Oh...Takumi-kun, what are you doing here?" she asked nervously. The boy rose a brow in confusion.

"Uh...this is where the second years hang out. I could ask you the same question, what are you doing down here Nijima-Senpai? Shouldn't you be getting ready for your own social studies trip?"

"Oh uh...the Student Council members already went on their trip. We actually stay in school handling some stuff for the school year." she replied.

"That sounds boring."

"It isn't...I actually enjoy it." she said. Takumi crossed his arms, giving her a firm look.

"You can't lie to me. I know you aren't handling student council business, that post on the bulletin board downstairs is enough proof. Tell me, is Kobayakawa making you do stuff for him? Is he pressuring you into finding those Phantom Thieves?"

"No...how did you arrive at that answer?"

"Intuition, plus you look stressed, like someone is putting so much on your shoulders and you can't handle it. I know the feeling, especially when people force you to do what they want, but you gotta remember. You are in control of your life, it doesn't matter what people say, you don't have to do anything you aren't comfortable with." he said.

"Petty sentiments I'm afraid. Principle Kobayakawa is relying on the student council to help the student body. People are being threatened and extorted, and even some of our own have fallen to the phishing games in Shibuya. They depend on us to help them out."

"I'm aware of that, my sister fell victim to one of those bums yesterday." Takumi replied, earning a gasp from the girl who seemed shocked at the news.

"Ayumi got swindled? This isn't good...it seems more and more people fall for those claims. I've heard rumors of people getting questionable jobs as well...I hope she doesn't fall victim to anyone else."

"Trust me, that's not gonna happen any time soon. Well, I'll leave you be, we're gonna be heading to the TV station for our trip. Try not to get overworked alright? People can't rely on you if you aren't mentally prepared for it. See you around Senpai." he said, walking toward Classroom 2-D. She watched him go for a few moments before walking off, noticing the boy approach the three students she had been keeping tabs on.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Heart)xxx**_

"Ugh...if being on television is boring, watching it get filmed is even worse." Takumi muttered, leaning back in his folding chair. Beside him sat Ren Amamiya, one of his new friends, who had been messing around on his phone for the last few minutes. To his right was Ann, who was trying her hardest not to fall asleep, and next to her was Ryuji who also had a bored look on his face.

"Tell me about it man...but at least we get to be on television. We'll be famous!"

"Just remember Ryuji, any appearance that we might have will be for like two seconds. Besides, I doubt Takumi wants to be on TV a day after that mishap." Ann replied.

"It's fine...just as long as that asshole news caster isn't here."

"Don't worry about him, he'll realize soon enough that messing with people isn't right. Who knows? Maybe _they_ took your request." the frizzy haired boy replied, a knowing smirk on his face. Takumi shrugged, glancing back at his screen, opening the chat he had with his sister Ayumi.

"Aketchi-kun is coming, get ready to continue the show." a camera man cried out. The crowd instantly started cheering as a young man came from the back, sitting down on the same couch Takumi had occupied the day before.

He was rather handsome, in Takumi's honest opinion. He had poofy looking brown hair, and was wearing a tan colored suit, with matching slacks and shoes. He was also holding a metal briefcase in his gloved hands. The young actor was familiar with this young man, Goro Aketchi, a teenager who had been solving crimes and had earned himself the moniker of Ace Detective. People were saying that he was the next iteration of the Detective Prince, a clear farce since he had met the Detective Prince the last time he had gone to Inaba with Rise. He had a charming smile on his face as he waved to the crowd, earning the loudest cheers from the females in the crowd.

"Ooh, he's so cute...give me a break." Ann muttered, earning a chuckle from Ryuji.

"No idea why the hell he's so popular...so he's solved a few cases, big whoop. They're nothing more than Scooby Doo mysteries to me, I could have solved one of his cases with less information, a blind fold and a half eaten burrito."

"Why half eaten?"

"Well Ren, ideally I would have eaten the first half. You know, the the brain juices flowing, but then I continue to feast on the uneaten half as I scrutinize and scour every lead I have." the brunette replied, shoving his phone in his blazer pocket. He knew that he wasn't supposed to wear his blazer, but he didn't really care. He actually quite liked it, despite the heat.

"And we're back, yesterday was our celebrity panel, which didn't exactly go as planned. Today is our meet and greet after his last appearance was so well received, we decided to bring this young man back, he's the Ace Detective himself, Goro Aketchi!"

"Thank you for having me, it's quite an honor being here today." Aketchi said, giving the two announcers a smile.

"You've been the talk of the town for quite awhile. It must be wonderful to be so famous for your age, right?"

"It's nothing special. I am but a humble detective, solving crimes is what I do best. I wouldn't be where I am without my keen intuition and without all of the opportunities some amazing people have given me." the boy replied.

"You're popularity is stunning, you are on every media outlet in the country."

"Yes, I found it to be quite a surprised. It is a bit embarrassing though."

"Hehe, moving on. We were told that there's a case on your mind now. Care to share it with us detective?" the female announcer said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Ah yes, the case involving the Madarame scandal."

"There it is, all of this phantom thief excitement caught your attention too Aketchi-kun! Allow me to be blunt for just a second, what do you think of the these justice oriented Phantom Thieves?"

"If they truly are heroes of Justice, I sincerely hope they exist." Aketchi replied, earning a stunned look from the reporter. Takumi yawned from how bored he was, and decided to listen to music instead, putting his earbuds into his ears. He selected a random song, continuing his texting with his sister, who was sending him pictures of all of the fish she was seeing.

"Oh? So you don't deny they don't exist?"

"I may not seem like it, but sometimes I wish Santa Claus actually existed. Although if he did, I'd have to arrest him for breaking and entering!" he replied. Ryuji sighed, groaning at the horrible pun.

"But, hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real, I believe they should be tried in a court of law." the detective said, earning gasps from the crowd. Ren, Ann and Ryuji stiffened a bit at this, which went unnoticed by Takumi who wasn't even listening to the conversation.

"That's quite the statement, are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways."

"What the artist Madarame did truly was an unforgivable crime. However they're taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice. More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person's heart."

"You have a point, these people are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves after all. Amazing as always, Aketchi-kun! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma!" the announcer said, earning a chuckle from the young lad.

"I have to say though, I would be embarrassed if it turns out these Phantom Thieves don't exist. If that's the case, I would summarize it into a report as a school project."

"Now then, let's change the topic. We have a large crowd with us today, so let's ask them what they think. They are the same age as you Aketchi-kun, so let's see what their opinion is on the Phantom Thieves. First press your button now if you think the Phantom Thieves exist!" the cute announcer said, a charismatic smile on her face as she faced the camera. Takumi noticed everyone around him was grabbing the remotes they had been given. He quickly grabbed his and pressed the green button, just like Ren and Ann had done, not really knowing what the question was.

"The results are in, they're about thirty percent or so. What are your thoughts Aketchi-kun?" the male announcer asked, taking noticed of the boy's stunned expression.

"I'm a bit surprised. That's higher than I was expecting. I'd love to hear more about what people think of the Phantom Thieves." he said. The cute announcer stood up, grabbing the microphone from beside her.

"Let's ask our in-studio audience for their opinion." she said, walking toward the audience. Takumi glanced up, half wondering what was going on, but when he saw the announcer with the microphone, he figured out what was going. He pulled one of his earbuds from his ear, pausing his music.

"Okay, let's ask this young man here. Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on the Phantom Thieves?" she asked, holding the microphone to Ren. He blinked a few times, a small smirk on his face as he pushed his glasses up his nose.

"They do more than the cops."

"Hahahaha." Aketchi shook his head, he just couldn't take that answer seriously.

"This goes completely against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Aketchi-kun."

"Indeed, it is rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgment. In that case, if someone close to you, for example your friend there...if his heart suddenly changed. Wouldn't you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?" Aketchi asked. The announcer handed the microphone to Ren so he could answer the question.

"Not at all...they only target criminals."

"I see, but how can you be so sure? Whether the Thieves actions are good or not. I feel there is a more important issue at hand."

"What do you mean?" the male announcer asked curiously.

"The matter of how they change people's hearts. If they honestly possess that ability...it could be used for more than extracting a confession. It could be that what seem to be ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods." Aketchi replied, earning a nod from the announcer beside him.

"You are absolutely right, Aketchi-kun."

"Oh...please don't misunderstand. This is all purely hypothetical, it is only if people who can use such power truly exist. Either way though, this cannot be ignored. The existence of the Phantom Thieves would only be a threat to our daily lives. To be honest, I am already working with the police on this matter." the brown haired detective replied, leaning forward in his seat.

"May I say something?" Takumi called out, holding his hand up. Aketchi looked to the crowd in surprise, not having expecting anyone to call out to him. One of the camera men handed him a microphone so everyone could hear him.

"Yes, what would you like to say, Takumi Mashita-san?" the announcer asked.

"You say the Phantom Thieves aren't just, that they could be a threat to our every day lives. Yet people sit idly by and do nothing to help the ones that truly need it. What is the police doing to combat these crimes? I mean, the school I go to had a horrible teacher for a long time. The students were scared and abused, people knew about it, yet nothing was done. Are you telling me that, the people who stopped Kamoshida, the one who was responsible for child abuse, sexual assault, blackmail, cruel and unusual punishment, was just in his actions?"

"Hmm...I can see where you are coming from. I do agree, what Kamoshida was doing was unjust, and it is a shame that so many people remained silent. But they could have easily gone to the authorities and we could have dealt with it." Aketchi replied.

"Right...because when someone is threatening you in school, sexually assaulting you, threatening you with expulsion and all this other stuff. You would actually feel comfortable going to the authorities. What about Madarame? Years of psychological abuse and plagiarism was hidden behind a mask, a mask that nobody but the Phantom Thieves were able to see through. If they hadn't exposed him...would you be sitting there still believing that he was an honest man?"

"Again, his pupil could have come to the authorities and reported his plagiarism. It could have been easily handled with a bit of investigating." Aketchi replied.

"Hmm...alright then, one last question. Say, you were a Phantom Thief...if you found out that your friend was getting hurt at school, or being exploited, and you knew about the one doing it. Wouldn't you want to expose their crimes? Wouldn't it feel great knowing that person would admit it with their own mouth? Wouldn't you feel a sense of accomplishment, knowing that you not only saved your friend, but also saved the world from someone with a shriveled heart?" Takumi asked curiously. Aketchi sat back, as if pondering the question, before finally replying.

"If it meant saving my friend's life, rather than force a change of heart, I would seek help for them. In the long run, I would get to save them, but also wouldn't sully my hands. I cannot take justice into my hands. I hope I have answered your questions."

"Thank you...you've given me a new perspective. Let's just hope the cops actually solve crimes, especially the ones in Shibuya. I want my mom's taxes to go into helping to stop criminals, not into coffee and donuts." he said, handing the cameraman the microphone. As he sat down, he bumped fists with Ryuji who was chuckling under his breath.

"I'd like to thank Aketchi-kun for being here with us today, as well as our in studio audience for being here with us. We will now go to commercial break."

"Wait, I have something to say!" a voice called out. Everyone looked to the right side of the set, seeing the news anchor from the day before, looking quite shameful. The male announcer stood up, a look of confusion on his face.

"Miyamoto-san...what are you doing here? I thought you had called in sick?"

"It was a lie...sorry. I would like to take this time to apologize to everyone for what I did on live television yesterday. It was very unprofessional of me. I would also like to apologize to all of the people that I have slandered during my time as an anchor. Finally, I would like to apologize to Takumi Mashita, not only for slandering him, but for insulting him on television. I shouldn't have brought up your deceased grandmother, or said such horrible things. In fact, I never once believed those rumors, but my own arrogance clouded my eyes. I have resigned from my position as news anchor. I hope you can forgive me." the man said, giving the crowd a bow before leaving. Takumi just sat there, stunned at what had happened.

"Um...we will now cut to commercial break." the announcer said.

"Holy shit...they really do exist." the brown haired boy muttered. The young actor proceeded to remain in place, while the people beside him just smirked, enjoying his and the crowds reactions.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday June 15**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Square**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on the Swindlers**_

 _ **xxx**_

It had been a rather boring week for Takumi. After the TV station trip was over, he had decided to come to Shibuya to do some investigating. But since it was a Friday, there weren't many young people walking around, mostly because they'd have to go to school the following day. He had staked out the station on Saturday, the Underground Mall on Sunday, and had gone to the Underground Walkway on Monday. Erica had asked him to manage the store for her on Tuesday, having taught him everything he needed to know to run the store. She was meeting with one of the loan sharks to deliver her payment. He was worried that she wouldn't come back, but she had taken her gun with her just in case, telling him that he would try to get some information for her. She was worried about what her son was doing, but after seeing the report on Friday, and that news anchor apologizing, she realized that the Phantom Thieves truly did exist, and she'd need to do her best to get that name for them.

Today however, Takumi had seen a bit more action. For one, he had run into his friends in the station square, even the student body president was there. Ren had told him that they were all investigating the Phishing Games, but he didn't specify why. He just said that he was going to gather information, and if he knew something that he should let him know via text. He just nodded and watched him go, worrying slightly about what he was doing. There was something fishy about how he was acting, but he couldn't exactly put a finger on it. He just wanted everything to end, so that his sisters and his mother would be safe. He knew that even by paying them, those loan sharks would be back, especially because she procured that money, literally from thin air. He knew he was a sitting duck and a potential target, which was why he needed to take care of this as soon as he could. He had been walking around with his backpack, and had his skateboard in his hand. In a pinch, he could use it as both a weapon and as a means of escape. He would just have to stick to back alleys and public spaces.

He was doing his rounds throughout Central Street, when he found a man dressed as bum walking around, a small cardboard sign in his hands. He started walking in his direction, a single earbud in his ear as he pretended to be listening to music. The man sat down beside a brick wall, holding his sign out for people to read. He stopped walking a few feet in front of him, sifting to his play list. After a few seconds, he started walking again, taking notice of a young man who had walked up to the bum, kneeling down to throw some coins into his cup.

"You uh...got any broccoli for me?" he asked.

"Not yet, the broccoli hasn't been delivered. But I got some cabbage if you are interested, all you have to do is take it to the farm. You game?" the bum asked. He was about to ask something when he took notice of Takumi. He straightened up, glaring at him.

"Oi kid, what are you standing around here for? Ain't you got something better to do?" he asked. The boy smirked slyly, turning around to face the man.

"I'm sorry...I visit Japan, no idea where am. I tourist from Russia." he replied, with the thickest Russian accent he could muster. The two men shared a look, deciding to ignore him.

"Damn tourist, he probably can't understand shit anyway. Yeah, I'm available to take that cabbage to the farm. Where do I pick it up?"

"Talk to my associate in the Underground Walkway, he should give you what you are looking for...thanks for your patronage sir. I appreciate that you would help a humble man like me." the bum said, just as the police walked by. Takumi jumped onto his skateboard, skating on down the alley, putting on his other earbud until he cleared the corner. He pressed himself against the wall, searching for Ren's contact.

 **Takumi:** Yo, found some information.

 **Takumi:** I just heard an exchange, a bum told this guy about a cabbage.

 **Takumi:** I'm pretty sure that's slang for coke.

 **Ren:** Where did you hear this?

 **Takumi:** Central Street, the guy came up to this bum. He told him to meet his associate in the Underground Walkway.

 **Ren:** Alright, thanks for the info, I'll go check it out.

 **Ren:** Be careful.

 **Takumi:** Always, you be careful too.

Putting his phone away, Takumi peeked around the corner, making sure the bum hadn't found him. He would just jump over the bikes and skate back the other way, heading toward the shops nearest his home. He was sure someone around there was doing something shady. He glanced up, seeing a neon green sign glowing brightly, lighting up the dreary looking alleyway. It was a store called Untouchable, and it had a green target as a logo. Curiosity got the best of him and he walked inside, the bell jingling as he did. He looked around, seeing nothing but military stuff all over the place. Shelves upon shelves of parts, models and magazines. He even spotted some knives hanging on a rack, though those were clearly fakes. He walked toward the counter, eyes widening a bit when he saw the guns that were on display.

"Whoa...I didn't know there was a gun store here."

"They ain't real kid...just fancy models. You looking for somethin?" the gruff looking owner asked.

"Not really but...I guess you can never be to careful. You've been hearing the rumors around Shibuya right? About the mob robbing people?"

"Been all over the news, what of it? Thinking of going all John Rambo on the mob? Before you ask, I'm not selling real guns to ya kid. I'm not even gonna bother selling you a model gun, if that's your intention." the man said.

"I'm not gonna go after them...I love my life and I wanna keep it. But, It would be good for me to have one, just to scare them...these guys come to my mom's shop and terrorize them. I just wanna have something to scare'em away. So I can give my little sisters peace of mind...you gotta have something laying around. Money is no object." he said firmly. The man looked up from his magazine, seeing the sad and worried look on his face. He narrowed his eyes a bit.

"Have we met before? I feel like I've seen you before."

"Hmm? Oh no, this is my first time here."

"Huh...whatever, it ain't none of my business what you wanna do. What are you looking for? An automatic? A revolver? Assault rifle, shotgun?"

"Do you happen to have any .45 caliber models? Preferably the Colt M1911, Government Model." he said. The man's eyes widened a bit, a small smirk on his face.

"You got two hundred thousand yen? If so I'll give you one that will look so real, people will run at the sight of it." he said. Takumi reached into his backpack, placing four stacks of 50,000 yen bills on the counter. He put four more beside them, a smirk on his face.

"I'll take two."

"Sit tight kid...I'll bring them out." he said, heading to the back room. Takumi felt his phone start vibrating, reaching for his pocket, he pulled out his phone, seeing he had gotten a text from Ren. He opened the chat, seeing what the young man had sent him.

 **Ren:** I followed that lead...you were right.

 **Ren:** The guy was telling him to head to the lockers and grab a yellow envelope, and take it to the farm.

 **Takumi:** I'm pretty sure the farm is slang for a customer, or the dealer's house.

 **Takumi:** So, they're convincing young people to do deliveries.

 **Takumi:** On top of that, they're swindling people...interesting. Have you got a name yet?

 **Ren:** Not yet...I'll keep looking. Me and the others are gonna call it a night.

 **Ren:** Me and the Council Prez had a run in with a guy...it's getting too dangerous.

 **Takumi:** I know what you mean...well we did good. I'll keep sniffing around this area...I've got a good idea of where to look. Good luck Ren.

 **Ren:** You too Takumi, stay out of trouble.

Takumi shoved his phone back in his pocket as the shop owner came out, placing to black cases on the counter. He opened them up, showing the firearm that was laying inside. Takumi grabbed a hold of it, feeling its weight. It was a sleek chrome colored gun, with oak colored handles. He could see the etching of a horse on the side of the barrel, around with the words, Colt M1911 written in fancy lettering. He pressed the eject button on the side of it, pulling out the fake magazine. Slipping it back in, he pulled the slide back and pull the trigger, hearing a soft click.

"Pretty realistic eh? Now I'm not saying this because you dished out 400,000 or anything. But with the right parts, this model can be converted to shoot real bullets. You didn't hear this shit from me though, and I do not sell those parts. You'll have to go somewhere else for them."

"Fair enough. These will do just fine, they look so realistic that these fucks will definitely head for the hills." he said.

"Sure...just be careful. Don't go pointing them at people, especially the mob, they carry the real deal. Last thing you want is to take one between the eyes because of your arrogance. These should be used to make a get away, if anything. Trust me, real guns feel different." he said.

"I know...I've held a real gun before, and even fired one. That's why I asked for this model, my uncle has one of these back in America. Anyway, if I ever need anything, is it alright to come here?" Takumi asked, placing both black cases inside his backpack, along with the firearms.

"Yeah, whatever. Make sure you do maintenance on those guns, or else they'll stop working. Make sure you press the button on the bottom of the handle for them to make a real pop. If you want blanks, I can sell you some of those too."

"Hmm...I'll take two boxes of those then...and some real magazines. Can't load blanks into them with the fakes after all."

"You're a weird kid...names Iwai, come round here if you need anything."

"Okay...you can call me Takumi. It's nice to meet you Iwai-san."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday June 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Late Night/Early Morning**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **xxx**_

It was close to 1AM when Takumi woke up. He hadn't been able to sleep, thinking about those criminals. Not just that, what had happened at the television station kept replaying in his mind. The Phantom Thieves existed, he had posted that request and they had changed Miyamoto's heart. He still couldn't believe it, and the fact that Aketchi immediately shut up afterward was definitely rewarding. He hadn't heard much about the young detective, but the fact that he was saying the Phantom Thieves were unjust really annoyed him. The cops weren't doing jack, especially when so many people and students were being extorted, his mother included. He was lucky that she came back unscathed from the meeting with those bastards, but he knew it wouldn't always be like that. They would come back sooner or later. He sighed, reaching under his pillow for his phone, which had been fixed by Miyamoto, as an apology for what he did. He stared at the Meta-Nav, as he had been calling it, eyes narrowed.

"Maybe I can't find any information here. Mom wasn't able to get a name, the people I've talked too didn't give me details on their boss. That bum was telling a teenager to traffic drugs for him...something has to be at play here. Without a name, they can't do anything." he muttered.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds...he didn't understand why. He felt this immense drive to just go out there and do something. He knew it was dangerous, and that he could die...but he couldn't just lay there and do nothing. If he had the ability to do something, he would, especially because Erica, Ayumi and Mitsuhide's lives were at stake. He quickly shot out of bed, walking over to his dresser, pulling out a pair of black skinny jeans, which he only wore when he was skating. He slipped them on, surprised that they still fit him without being too tight. He grabbed one of his jackets and slipped it on over his tee shirt, zipping it up to almost his neck. He grabbed his combat boots and slipped them onto his feet, lacing them as fast as he could.

"Big brother...are you awake?" the soft voice of Ayumi called out, making him stiffen. He turned toward the door, just as it opened and the girl walked in. She looked him over, seeing he was dressed in all black.

"Um...what are you doing?"

"Nothing, go back to bed alright?"

"You're going out...are you crazy? Don't you know what those people can do? Shibuya may never sleep, but neither do the gangsters. You might get killed!" she said softly. He pinched his eyes, grabbing a hold of his glasses from his nightstand, placing them on his face, despite them not helping with his vision.

"I'm not going outside. You remember last week, when we were at that weird world?"

"Huh? You mean that crazy dream we had...big brother you need to stop being delusional."

"I'm not being delusional. I'm pretty sure that's another world, a world that exists beside this one. I've been scouring all over the place for clues about this guy. He's gonna come back at some point to hurt mom, or worse. I have to take care of it, and going to that other world is the only thing I can do. You know as well as I do that world is real, stop pretending it isn't." he said firmly. Ayumi closed the door behind herself, turning towards her brother.

"Are you serious? Do you know how messed up that shit is? I'm trying not to remember that world, because it doesn't exist to me. I refuse to believe something so...supernatural exists. We cannot go back there, alright? Whatever those things were, they were...I dunno...magic."

"Yeah...I know that...which is why we aren't going far. We're actually staying inside the house. It's not like we'll be going out into that other Shibuya. I wanna see if I can talk to that other version of mom there. She might know something we don't." he said. Ayumi sighed, shaking her head.

"I'll get my sneakers on, but I'm not changing out of my nightie." she said, leaving his room. He sighed, brushing the hair out of his eyes as he grabbed a hold of his backpack. He pulled out the two black cases from inside, pulling the guns from within, along with the blanks he had bought.

He sat on his bed, grabbing the magazines he had bought, loading them with the blanks. He was honestly happy his uncle taught him to actually use handguns while in America. If he hadn't he probably wouldn't be able to do this. Even if they were blanks, maybe those creatures would be deterred at the sight of a realistic looking gun. He finished loading the two magazines, slipping them into the gun. Iwai had taught him how each one worked. All he did was take out the popping mechanism and replaced it with a striker which would work like a hammer. Ayumi walked back into the room, having put a jacket over her bare shoulders, and her sneakers. He also noticed she was holding a crowbar in her hands, rather tightly too.

"Takumi...are those real guns?" she asked softly.

"No...they're fakes. They shoot blanks, but it should be enough to scare them. I bought holsters for them too, come here." he said. The girl walked over to him, and he grabbed one of the holsters, wrapping it around her leg, making sure it was snug.

"Okay, listen close. This button here, is the magazine release, you press it to pull out the magazine. If your empty, you replace it with this other one and push it until it clicks. Pull the slide back to load a blank into the chamber. When your out of ammo, it'll lock back, so hit this little switch here once the magazine is in." he said. She nodded, taking a hold of the gun. She looked it over for a few seconds, practicing with the magazine release before slipping it into her holster.

"I can't believe we're actually doing this. This is dangerous big brother, what if we get hurt?"

"We're gonna pull out of there fast. I've been messing around with this app, and I think I got a handle on it. So far, all I need is a name, and a location and I'll be able to get us there." he explained, showing her the red screen with the two bars on it.

"What's the third one for?" she asked curiously.

"No idea, but right now all we need is the first two. Are you ready for the jump?" Takumi asked. She took a deep breath, giving him a nod.

"I'm ready, we better not take too long. Remember last time, we spent an hour there even though it was only a few minutes." Ayumi said. The boy stood up, slipping his spare gun in his holster, phone in hand.

"Alright, Akihiko Shouji, Mementos." he said. The loading icon appeared on the application, which turned green a second later.

" _Candidate found, beginning navigation."_


	9. Gathering Information IV

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys, welcome to Chapter 9 of Codename Songbird, I would like to thank each and every person who has been keeping with this story so far, I know it's probably been uninteresting as of late, but this chapter will set up for chapter 10 where the action finally kicks in. This is also the chapter where Takumi starts to understand the MetaNav a little more, while gathering some information as well. Sorry if this beginning arc has been slow or boring, I meant to do it this way, so I could characterize Takumi, as well as his family, Ayumi, Erica and Mitsuhide who will be side characters in this story. I also wanted to begin setting up relationships as well, after Takumi get's his persona, he will start getting confidant ranks with those closer to him. Sometimes he'll get two in one chapter, and this is mostly because he gets a good initial impression on them. But it will take more to actually rank them up. The others who aren't friends or family will take a little longer to develop. I am gonna have him meet a few people earlier than Ren would have met them in the game, so he could be familiar with them, and maybe have a confidant out of them. I dunno...I have also been trying to work the idea of giving Ren a sister into all this...but after much thought, I have decided to omit this, because I wasn't able to get a good idea for it. I will be listing the confidants Takumi will get at the end of each chapter along with their ranks so you are all aware of them. Like I said, every single hang out with a person will result in a rank up, but they won't be able to hang out all the time.**

 **As for who Takumi will date, I have already decided that, but I will have alternate pairings for him in the future. I wanted to make him a pimp like Ren, but I decided against it, because Takumi wouldn't be that guy. And I wouldn't want to piss off Haru, I feel like she would stab him in the side if he cheated on her, and Takumi doesn't want any of that shit...so I'll let you all try to guess who his girlfriend is, though after Kaneshiro's change of heart in a few chapters, you'll all see who it is. But after that you'll get to see how he got in said relationship, so I guess it will be up to good old fashioned Meta writing to tell you the deets. I'll leave you all with this, have a good Saturday...I shall now wait for my pizza to arrive, for alas I am starving, and they had a deal on stuffed crust today! Hi Ho Silver, AWAY!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 9

Gathering Information IV

 _ **Date: Friday June 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Early Morning**_

 _ **Location: Unknown**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on the Swindlers**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Just like that, the entire world around them distorted. It was all in the blink of an eye, the dark world looked more crimson than anything. Takumi looked around his room, seeing it looked exactly the same as it did before, only it was slightly distorted at the corners. He shoved his phone in his hand, walking toward the window, staring out into Shibuya. It looked exactly the same, however he saw that there were no cars on the streets and no people walking around either. The city that never slept was quiet. He knew that he had been transported to that other world, the Metaverse, as he had come to find it was called. He turned to Ayumi who was holding her crowbar tightly in her grasp, frightened of her surroundings. He took the initiative, opening his room door and stepping out into the hallway. It was dark, the lights above him flickering on and off, adding to the crimson hue of the entire world. He reached for his handgun as he walked, he knew it was fake but he was comforted knowing he at least had something to scare whoever dared attack him.

The kitchen and living room were empty, as were the bedrooms. It was clear that no one was inside the house. He gestured for Ayumi to stick close as he started walking downstairs to the store. As he opened the door leading to the showroom, he heard the sounds of crying. He started moving toward the recording booth, finding it completely empty. The opposite room, lead to the store's office, and there was a stairwell that lead to the basement, where Erica's pride and a joy, a beautiful Pipe Organ had been installed. He remembered the woman had told him she had to hire people to extend the basement and add another section to the building just for her to have the organ. It wasn't as big as the ones in a church, but it sounded just the same as one, which made it rather important to her.

"Is that mom?" Ayumi said softly, pointing to the showroom floor, where their mother was, kneeling in front of something. He started walking forward, hearing the woman's cries a lot clearer than before. She stiffened a bit and turned around, her golden eyes soaked in tears as she looked at them.

"Takumi, Ayumi...what are you two doing here? Didn't I send you both with your grandfather?"

"What are you talking about?" Takumi asked.

"I see...you don't remember...no...I just never told you. It just happened and I'm still getting over it. It was your sister Mitsuhide...that bastard came back...and he killed her."

"What?" Ayumi cried, dropping her crowbar to the ground, a loud clattering noise filling the empty room. The woman, stood up, making Takumi grow a bit weary of her. He noticed the large splotch of blood on the floor, eyes widening a bit.

"That's right...my beautiful baby girl was taken away from me...by that bastard mobster...that goddamn pig!" she shouted.

"What's his name? We need to know his name so we can stop him!" Takumi cried. The woman started laughing, pulling at her hair, sickly red wisps of darkness swirling around her.

"It doesn't matter! Even if you go after him, my little girl isn't coming back! She isn't going to be brought back, there's nothing you can do!" she shouted.

Her body burst into smoke, causing the two teenagers to back away. In her place was a tall winged woman, who was scantily clad in what could only be described as leather garments. It had long copper colored hair reaching down past her shoulders, her breasts barely being covered by the tight fitting outfit. Her legs were adorned with long heeled boots, her hands bearing sharp looking claws. Takumi backed away from the creature, holding his gun to it.

"Big brother, what happened to mom?" Ayumi cried, having scrambled for her crowbar during the exchange.

"It's not her...simply put, this is just a creature that inhabits this world. Is I recall, this is a demon named Succubus. These hell-spawn like to seduce men in order to satiate their endless sexual desire." Takumi explained.

"Mom turned into a demon?"

"This guy probably drove her into thinking bad thoughts. She probably had thoughts about selling herself in order to pay him back. Just thinking of that pisses me off. I don't know what you are trying to do, but you have to tell us the name of that man, the one who sent those two here last time! Tell me!" he cried.

"I'm not telling you anything boy! But I am going to end your life here!" she cried, flying toward him, claws extended. Takumi jumped out of the way, taking aim at her wing.

"I'm telling you now, I'll shoot!" he cried, hoping his bluff would work. The Succubus giggled, extending her wings outward to stop herself.

"Go for it, you don't have the balls to pull that trigger." she replied, her voice sounding distorted. Takumi pulled the trigger hard, hoping the pop from the blank would scare her. She howled in pain, clutching her shoulder, crimson blood seeping from it.

"Ah...you shot me! I'm going to kill you!" she cried, swooping down at the bow.

"Big brother!" Ayumi cried, her voice was enough to pull him out of his stunned state. He jumped over the counter, just as the Succubus aimed her claws at him. She turned around, grinning at Ayumi.

"Marin Karin." she chanted, flinging a wave of violet light at the girl, striking her right in the face. She let out a scream of fear, her eyes going blank.

"Ayumi!" Takumi cried, running toward the girl. He jumped back as she swung her crowbar at him, a small glint in her eye. She pulled it above her head, bringing it down hard over the glass showcase, shattering it completely. She took another swing at Takumi, almost hitting him in the head.

"What did you do to her?" Takumi cried, dodging another hit.

"I put her against you...just like I'll do to you. Then I'll let you tear each other apart while I go mourn my dead daughter. You know, I always resented you Takumi, being able to use your father's money when you wanted, when I struggled to keep a roof over my girls."

"That's not true Erica! You don't resent me at all...this is all brought upon by that bastard!" he cried, dodging another hit from his sister. He tripped, slamming into a rack. Ayumi took a swing at him, the bar barely missing his arm. He cried in pain as it graced his skin, a bit of blood gushing out from the cut. He tackled his sister to the ground, knocking the bar from her grasp.

"Snap out of it Ayumi! You have to fight against it!"

"Perfect, now I can end you in one fell swoop! Agi!" the Succubus cried, throwing a small fireball at the two. Takumi grabbed a hold of Ayumi's jacket and pulled her back, just as the fire engulfed the area where they once were. The girl pulled her fist back, slamming it hard against his nose, then again at his chest.

"What the hell is this...why can't she respond to me?"

"Because she's brain washed. She'll keep attacking until I deem it safe for her to stop, or until it looses it's effect. Of course, I can just keep casting it." the Succubus replied, smirking at the boy. He growled, reaching for his gun, only to notice it had fallen out of his grasp. Ayumi threw another hard hit at his stomach, kneeing him in the face, sending him flying to the ground.

" _Ah damn it...I'm getting my ass kicked by my sister...I guess her cheer practices made her strong."_ he thought, trying to suck some air into his lungs.

Ayumi grabbed a hold of a nearby guitar, raising it above her head, bringing it down on the boy, who moved his head in time for it to break on the hard floor next to his face. He tucked his legs in, pressing his feet against Ayumi's chest, pushing her back into the wall, making her fall to the ground. He scrambled toward her, pulling the gun out of her holster, rolling toward where his other one had landed. He stood up, taking aim at the Succubus, pulling the triggers as hard as he could. Her screams filled his ears as he fired every single blank he had, the kickback of each gun putting a strain on his hands, the dull sound of shell casings hitting the ground. They clicked empty and he grabbed his sister's discarded crow bar, running to the woman as fast as he could.

"No wait...please! Don't kill me, I'm your mother!" the Succubus cried.

"My mom is kind and loving, not a sick creature like you. _You_ aren't my mom!" he cried, swinging the iron bar as hard as he could, cracking the creature on the forehead with it. A sickly crunch filled his ears as it fell back to the ground, unmoving as it succumbed to all of its injuries. He fell back to the ground, clutching his injured side, staring at the unmoving demon. It suddenly burst into smoke, revealing the body of his mother, who groaned as she sat up, clutching her head.

"Erica?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Takumi...they killed my daughter and said it was my fault. I know this was all because of a nightmare...but I couldn't tell you. The real me didn't want you to worry."

"I understand that, but we're family aren't we? I know you can be a hard ass when you want. You always scolded me when I was little, but you turned around and gave me a tight hug, just like she used too. I miss those times, and I want to have more moments like that with you and Ayumi, and Mitsuhide. So please...tell me who's doing this."

"I don't know his first name...but his last name is Kaneshiro. He thinks of the people here as his own personal bank. In fact, I think he has a bank, around here somewhere. Maybe you can find him and take care of him...I'm gonna go back. The other me will be at peace, I'm sure her nightmare will become a beautiful dream." she said, her body disappearing entirely. As she disappeared, something fell to the ground where she had been. Takumi grabbed a hold of it, seeing that it was a picture frame.

It was a picture of herself, and Ayumi, holding baby Mitsuhide in her arms. She looked so happy in the picture, that it brought an actual tear to his eye. He couldn't believe that she had been driven to the point where she would consider selling herself, just so she could give Mitsuhide the best education she could. He growled at the thought of his father being the cause of it, and he could feel his anger flaring within, wanting to burst out of him like a damn rocket. He cleared his mind after awhile, slowly rising to his feet, placing the picture inside his jacket pocket. Ayumi stood up a second later, clutching her head in pain.

"Ow...what happened? Why do my arms hurt?"

"That demon put a curse on you...ended up brainwashing you into attacking me. You got me pretty good...but we ended up getting a name...something Kaneshiro. That other Erica said that he thought of the people here as a personal bank."

"Really? What a greedy bastard...are you okay though? You don't look too good." Ayumi said. The boy clutched his sides, gritting his teeth in pain, his arm was still bleeding from where the crowbar made contact, but he was otherwise fine.

"Just a couple of bruises...you can punch really hard you know."

"Of course! I'm a cheerleader, do you think I actually used my flexibility and stamina just to throw others into the air? Fuck that...the only reason why I joined cheer club was because Aikido club was full. But Makoto-chan has been teaching me Aikido whenever we have free time. She's super nice!" Ayumi said, praising their Council President. The boy grabbed a hold of his empty guns, placing one in his holster, keeping a hold of the other one.

"Let's go back...I'm sure we've been gone for awhile. We gotta take care of these cuts and bruises. Don't tell mom about this, or Mitsu, got it?" he asked.

"Okay...I wanna go to sleep." she said, rubbing her eyes as she grabbed her crowbar.

"Come on, I'll let you sleep in my room with me tonight. I'll tell you a bed time story so you can fall asleep faster." he said, earning a nod from the girl.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday June 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Time: Late Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Such a morose month. June is the only month of the year in which there are no holidays, and it constantly rains. It is by far the most unexciting month of the year." Mr. Hiruta said, frowning as he glanced at his class.

"But, even this weather provides a chance for learning. I have a burning question, and I wish for an answer. How about you Mr. Mashita, you seem to be more interested in the rain than in my teachings." he continued, causing Takumi to sit up, his eyes looking at the teacher.

"S-sorry sir."

"It's not a problem, just as long as you are listening. Now then, as you know, metals oxidize in the water. There are in fact various metals that we ingest in our water on a daily basis, and even wash ourselves with. Sometimes, even acidic rain falls from the heavens onto the earth below. My question of course is this...what would happen if you keep washing your hair with water that is contaminated with metal? Do you know the answer Mr. Mashita?"

"Huh? Oh that's easy. Depending on what metal it is, if you keep repeatedly washing your hair with it, it'll change color. Like say you want to give your hair a bit of a golden look. You'd have to put a lot of bronze into it and let it oxidize a bit. If you want it to turn red, then rusted metal is your choice, same with copper, it'll turn your hair green."

"Fascinating, you have answered my question quite admirably." the teacher said, giving the boy a hand. He chuckled, rubbing his neck.

"It was nothing, I read a lot of stuff when I was in between sets. In fact, as soon as you asked the question, I knew the answer. It was all because of my studies of the Statue of Liberty. One of my co-workers was wondering why it was green, and I told her that the French made it out of copper, and as it oxidized in the rain, it slowly started turning green, thus giving us the green clad torch bearer we see today." he said.

"My...you are quite the brilliant student...or could this be an act of yours perhaps? Masking your boredom with genuine gumption to learn?"

"I'll let you figure that one out for yourself Mr. Hiruta." Takumi said, giving the man a grin. The people around him started chattering as the man continued on speaking.

"What Mashita-san has said is indeed true. Continue washing your hair with metal laced water and it will change. Even with acidic conditions, it will change color. However, even a light spray of acid rain is dangerous, there was once a time where England was hit with acid rain, on the same level as stomach acid. An estimated 8,000 perished because of this. If there happens to be acid rain in the forecast, stay inside, your trusty umbrella isn't enough to save you." the man said.

"That was pretty cool, didn't know you liked studying so much." Ryuji said, earning a chuckle from the young actor.

"I had to keep my mind occupied somehow. Hey listen, I need to speak with you guys. Ren and Ann need to be there too...I think I got a lead, but it's pretty crazy how I got it."

"Hmm...okay. But we can't meet here, uh...we'll decide a place to go after school, I'll text you the deets later." he said, earning a nod from Takumi.

As the rest of the day droned on, Takumi kept on doing his best with the school work. It was all pretty straight forward, even some kids were struggling with the Pop Quiz that Ms. Kawakami had prepared for everyone, but he found it quite easy to handle. Before he knew it, school was over and everyone had packed up. Ryuji had shot out of the room almost as soon as the bell rung, pretty much eliminating any chance Takumi had of speaking with him. He figured he would go straight to Ren, and his hunch was proven correct when he felt his phone vibrate. He pulled it from his pocket, glancing at the text message that had been displayed on the screen.

 **Ren:** Ryuji said you wanted to speak with us. We're all actually heading to the Karaoke bar in Shibuya. You down to tagging along?

 **Takumi:** Sure thing, you aren't gonna serenade me or anything are you?

 **Ren:** Maybe...my mother did say I have a beautiful singing voice. But my only crowd are the rubber duckies on the side of the tub.

 **Takumi:** Rofl!

 **Takumi:** Anyway, I'll meet you there. I gotta see if my sister has cheer practice today.

 **Ren:** We'll be waiting.

With that, Takumi closed his chat and started walking toward the classroom door, strapping his bag onto his shoulders. He walked up the stairs to the third floor, looking for classroom 1-C where his sister took her classes. Sliding the door open, he saw a few students lingering around the back, including his sister who seemed to be talking with a brown haired girl, who had a big red polka dot bow holding up her curled side ponytail. A few students wondered why he was there, but he paid them no mind as he walked towards the back of the room.

"Hey Ayumi, sorry to bother you. I was wondering if you had cheer practice today, since it's raining and all."

"Huh? Oh hey big brother...we still have practice, it'll be in the gym. The volleyball team is on break after what happened so they aren't using it anymore. I'll be out at 4 like normal."

"So...this is your big brother, the famous actor. He's pretty cute, name's Kotone, you can call me Toni if you want."

"Uh...hi. It's nice meeting one of my sister's friends...well I gotta take off, me and my friends are going to karaoke to hang out. Text me when you get to Shibuya Station alright? The karaoke bar is in the Underground Mall anyway.

"Okay...see you later big brother."

"Hey wait, I'll go with you to karaoke...you wouldn't turn me down would you? I've been looking for someone like you for awhile. Maybe we can grab some sushi on the way?" Kotone asked, fluttering her eyes at him. Takumi glanced at Ayumi, who just shrugged, grabbing a hold of her friend's hand.

"Sorry Toni, my brother has very important plans...maybe next week he'll be free."

"Aw...okay, I'll text you later, don't worry, your little sister will give me your number. See you later." the brown haired girl said, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek as she and Ayumi walked out of the room. The boy sighed, frowning with discomfort.

" _Can't I just have a normal life for once? Filled with less fake people like that girl?"_ he thought to himself. After getting a few glares from Ayumi's classmates, the young actor thought it best to leave the room before he was maimed. He already had one black eye hidden under copious amounts of foundation, he didn't need another one.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Thursday June 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Karaoke Oke(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on the Swindlers**_

 _ **xxx**_

The sound of nails scratching a chalkboard would definitely be more appealing than the shrill cries of the singers currently on stage. It was the most awful singing Takumi had heard in quite awhile. When your older sister and her best friend were famous idols, you tended to hear a lot of singing, and you started developing a certain taste for them. But when you heard a horrible singer, which didn't happen often, you were left in awe. You were left in awe of how much they sucked, and this was what Takumi was currently experiencing. He just wanted to get out of there as fast as he could, but he knew he had business there. His friends had told him they only had fifteen minutes left on their hour, so he decided to step it up. After going to Central Street for some medicine for the pain he was currently feeling, and some healing gauze he put around his bruised ribs. He found the booth his friends were sitting at, and walked over to them, giving them a wave as he sat down in a free seat.

"So...wonderful singing isn't it?"

"You actually like this?" Ryuji asked curiously, eyes widened in shock

"I believe he was being sarcastic Ryuji. My mistake...we have never met, my name is Yusuke Kitagawa...you must be Takumi Mashita-kun...the young actor Ren has told me about." the blue haired young man asked. Takumi nodded, shaking his outstretched hand.

"That's right, just Takumi is fine. Is it alright if I call you by name too?"

"Yes, it is indeed fine." he replied politely. Takumi could tell that aside from Ren, this Yusuke guy was very mature, but there was something about him that he couldn't quite place. He shook it off, glancing at Ren.

"Well...you're waiting for that information I was able to dig up. Sorry for waiting until now, I had to go the pharmacy in town for some pain meds." he said.

"Why...what happened? You didn't hurt yourself did you?" Ann asked curiously. The boy reached into his backpack for some baby wipes, rubbing them around his left eye for a few seconds, until all of his foundation was gone. They all gasped at his black eye, with Ryuji cringing.

"Damn, did you get slugged?"

"Something like that...this has to do with the information I have. It's gonna sound weird, but bare with me. I think I know how these Phantom Thieves change hearts. Ever since I arrived in Japan, I've been feeling really weird, and have been seeing a lot of stuff. Me and my sister ended up going to this...distorted version of Shibuya. It was there that we ran into a weird demon version of our mother, and the two shakers that came to the store." he said. The four teenagers shared a look, choosing not to say anything.

"Are you certain? This all sounds like a fever dream to me...it cannot be real." Yusuke said.

"But it is...this is where it gets weirder...I have this feeling, like we've all met before, but I dunno where or when. I know it's only been a few days since we've met, and for Yusuke, literally just now. But I truly feel like you are the only ones at school I can trust. Which is why I'm going to show you this." he said, handing Ren his phone, showing him the Meta-Nav. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the app.

"What uh...what's this app for?" he asked, pretending not to know anything. Takumi smirked as he leaned forward.

"I dunno... but of there's something I do know, it's that I don't like liars. They pretend to be your friends, but they are just as fake as everyone else around you. I pay attention to everything after all...I need to, so I can perfect my masks...so I can go on, day by day, acting like I'm fine when in fact I am not. At the television station, I was listening to music, but I could faintly hear the broadcast. I felt all three of you stiffen when Aketchi said the Thieves needed to be tried in court." he said.

"Huh? Well that's just a genuine reaction. I mean everyone was taken aback by that...hehe." Ryuji said.

"Then why did Nijima-Senpai spend all of yesterday following you around? We all know Kobayakawa put her up to something, she told me she was looking into the phishing games going on in Shibuya. She also seemed quite interested in you three. Which is why I swiped her phone when she wasn't looking." he said, holding a smart phone in his hand.

"Dude...no way, you seriously swiped her phone? When the hell did you do that?" Ryuji asked, impressed with the boy's skills.

"I bumped into her when I was heading home. I had just picked Ayumi up from the train station, and she had finished a conversation with someone. While my sister was chatting her up, I managed to slip my hand into her pocket and take it. And I found quite the interesting recording on it." he said.

"Alright...I think it's gone on for long enough. So...you figured it out huh?" Ren asked.

"What?" Yusuke said, reacting a bit to what the frizzy haired teen had said.

"I did...you told me your house was being fumigated so that Morgana could stay with me. You know it was rather odd, hearing a cat screaming meow and it not sounding genuine. Then came his scream of despair when I burned his salmon. But what really clinched it for me, was what happened at the TV station. You said that they might take the request, and they did. Those little smirks you all so deviously tried to hide, the reactions...it all was way too obvious. Seriously, your acting skills are lacking." he said, earning a genuine laugh from Ren.

"Well then...I guess you aren't the only one this week who figured us out. Turns out, the student body president figured us out as well...she gave us this task, to take down this mafia boss before Monday. If not, all of us get ratted to the police. Our hour is almost up, we need to go to another place...would you mind accompanying us to our hideout?"

"Ren...are you sure?" Ann asked.

"I trust him, he figured us out and he stole Nijima's phone. If that isn't enough for us to trust him, then what is?"

"You do understand how phones work correct? That one could be getting tracked right now." Yusuke said.

"Only if it pings off the nearby cellphone tower. I took the battery out, that way it wouldn't get an incoming signal. I'm just gonna give it back to her at school, and tell her that she dropped it when we bumped into each other and I forgot to give it to her." Takumi said with a shrug.

"Alright then, let's move out. Spare us all from this horrible singing." Morgana said. Takumi glanced at the bag, seeing the blue eyed cat sticking his head out of it.

"So, you never told me...was the salmon really that good?" he asked, glancing at the cat.

"It was amazing, five star quality. Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"Well...when you live mostly alone in a trailer for weeks on end, you tend to pick up a thing or two. You haven't even tried my chocolate yet, wait until you do, you'll probably get a sugar high. Though I'm not sure if I can give chocolate to cats." he said, following the others out of the karaoke bar.

It didn't take them long to reach the hideout, which was in fact the Underground Walkway inside Shibuya station. Takumi was honestly impressed to see they just spoke out in the open like nothing. He didn't think it was wise, seeing as there were so many people walking around, but they were all engrossed in their own conversations, looking at their phones, or just not paying attention. They all leaned back against the railing, phones in hands, and in Ryuji's case, he sat down on the floor, his orange smart phone in his hand.

"This is...very public. Is it wise for you to speak out in the open?"

"It's fine...we've been doing this for awhile. No one pays attention to us, and the noise is so loud that our whispers are usually blocked out." Morgana replied, earning a nod from the boy.

"Regardless...it is surprising that you got the Meta-Nav on your phone. I only just got it recently, when we were exploring Madarame's Palace." Yusuke said.

"Palace? You mean that Mementos place?" Takumi asked, leaning back against the railing.

"No, actually there is a distinction. You see, when people have distorted desires, like Madarame and Kamoshida, their shadow which is that world's equivalent of them, gets what's called a Palace. They rule over it and pretty much do whatever they want, they live their desires. In order to give them a change of heart, you have to steal those desires, their treasure." Ann explained, earning a nod from the boy.

"Confused yet?"

"Not really...I knew there was something weird about that place. This is all about cognition isn't it? My little sister Mitsuhide said something about Mental Shutdown cases being the direct result in a person's change of cognition. She didn't know how it happened, but she said that they were closely related. So if that world is what the populace sees the world as, then that's where desires take shape. A palace is just another extension of that desire."

"Wow...and here I was expecting another moron like Ryuji. I even had the dumbed down version for him." Morgana said.

"I am not a moron you damn cat!" the spiky haired blond cried, shaking his fist at the feline in Ren's bag.

"A-anyway...we can explain the details later. You aren't gonna rat us out are you?" Ann asked.

"Really? You actually ask me that Ann? I'm hurt...I thought what you and I had was special!" the boy said.

"Huh...what?"

"See, that's how your supposed to act. Let's strike a deal yeah? I have access to this Meta-Verse thing. I got the name of the bastard behind this from my mom's...shadow...last night. That's the reason for my black eye, my sister beat the shit out of me under some brainwashing spell. I'll give you that name, in exchange for one thing."

"Okay...name it." Ren said, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"You let me come with you. This bastard has one out for my mom...that shadow was mourning my dead little sister. He ended up killing her, I'm scared that it's gonna happen in reality. I got some model guns from this store yesterday, and found out they shoot actual bullets in there. I'll be fine...so please. Let me tag along."

"We can't...it's very dangerous in that other world. Without your own special powers, you might fall to victim to those distortions. We can't afford to take you there." Morgana said firmly.

"Whelp, I guess I tried. I'm gonna go home now, see ya." the boy said, almost jokingly.

"Wait...that name?"

"Aha! You bought my act, and that's something that comes with this deal. You guys have been keeping it together for awhile, but this secret is bursting at the seams. You all need lessons in acting, to act like normal students while moonlighting as Phantom Thieves. Come on, you can't stiffen when someone says something about the Thieves on television. You have to be calm, cool and collected. When a cop asks you whats wrong, you tell them you're fine with an honest face and walk off."

"He is right...we've been having trouble keeping in character sometimes. Ann sucks at acting, we barely got any information from that Iida kid."

"Shut up Ryuji! You have angry outbursts all the damn time, so you're to blame too. You're the damn reason Nijima recorded us on her phone."

"Guys...keep calm...I think we can all figure something out here. Morgana believes you might have the potential...so we will take you with us when we infiltrate this palace. But you have to do everything we tell you. If we tell you to run, you run. If we tell you to hide, you hide. If you do have what it takes...then there may be another offer in the future." Ren said firmly.

"That's all I ask. I have no plans to join your group, but I will hold your secret until the day I die." he said, holding his hand out. Ren thought about something for a few seconds, before shaking it with his own.

"Alright...that means you are an honorary member. It's gonna be fun teaching you about that other world rookie." Ryuji said.

"Shut up Ryuji, you're pretty much still a rookie yourself. Now then, Takumi it's important that you give us that name. In order to find the palace, we need a name, a location and a distortion. Do you have any of those things?" Morgana said, earning a glare from Ryuji.

"I have a partial name...I tried asking my mother's shadow in the Meta-Verse but she doesn't know it. His last name is Kaneshiro, and going by what my little sister said, I'm pretty sure the distortion is a bank. I don't have a location I'm afraid...sorry."

"Don't be, this information is leaps and bounds better than what any of us had." Yusuke said.

"That's right, and we did email that reporter chick, now that you have a last name, getting a first name should be easy. All we need then is to find the location and then it's palace time." Ryuji said, an excited look on his face.

"We're just gonna have to wait...well, we've got the information we need, if only partially. And we've also found a potential member, so we at least did good. I gotta go to a new shoot, if you find out anything, let me know alright?" Ann said, grabbing her bag from the ground.

"See you later Ann, don't forget your umbrella." Takumi said, causing the girl to stop. She giggled sheepishly, catching the umbrella the boy had tossed her.

"So...about this acting thing...how exactly will we go about it?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"However you like, in groups or one on one. I'm gonna start with the basics, emoting. In order to perfect your acting, you have to have the right expressions, we'll move onto talking after that. So, what's this about a reporter?"

"Ah yes, Ren contacted a reporter who was working the Madarame case. We are waiting for her response, to see if we can get any information on this man. But now that we have his last name, we are one step closer to our goal. Hehe...I believe we will get along just fine, Takumi." Yusuke said, grabbing a hold of his own back.

"I sure hope so, Yusuke."

"Well...I promised my guardian I'd help him with the late night rush at the cafe. So we'll have to talk later, don't worry...we have a group chat, so we'll add you to that later." Ren said.

"Alright...my sister is almost done with practice so I'll stick around here. I might get some extra information...I'd...like to thank you guys. You must understand, I stayed up most of the night, wondering if I could trust any of you. But when I thought back to it, how willingly you were to helping me find information when my mom was threatened...how my request was fulfilled. I knew that I could trust you...it's weird. You ever get that feeling, like we might have met somewhere else, even though we haven't known each other for long?" Takumi asked, earning curious looks from the three teenagers.

"Not...really."

"I would assume it's something like nostalgia...losing yourself in memories of your childhood. Perhaps we may have met when we were younger, Tokyo is quite the large hub of activity." Yusuke said.

"Yeah...maybe in grade school or something. You went until fifth grade right?" Ryuji asked.

"I did...but even if I potentially met you two, I can't explain why I feel so comfortable around Ren. We've only just met, and he's pretty much from the boonies." Takumi said.

"Well...maybe it's because he just generates that aura. It's because of him that we're doing this after all...because his rebel heart broke the chains of captivity and helped set the school free from Kamoshida." Morgana said, causing the boy to tilt his head.

"Break the chains of captivity...I feel like I've heard that before somewhere. Hmm...anyway, you all look like you got shit to do. I'll just take my leave...and don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Besides, do you actually think an actor could actually let it slip? I could have the entire police station eating out of the palm of my hand if I had the time to convince them." he said, earning a chuckle from the others.

"I wouldn't doubt it. May we meet again soon Takumi, take care of yourself." Yusuke said, bowing politely before taking his leave.

"I'll text you later tonight, there's a lot we still gotta talk about." Ren said.

"Imma hang around here. Wanna grab a beef bowl while we're here? It isn't as good as the ones in Ogikubo, but they'll do just fine for now."

"Sure thing, I haven't had one of those for awhile actually." Takumi said, following his friend toward the nearby restaurant.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday June 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Erica's Music Emporium(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Cloudy**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Come on big brother, can't you join us?" Ayumi cried.

"Yes, it is the only time during the week when we shall be able to go out as a family. Mother has selected a very nice restaurant in Asakusa for us to visit. Wouldn't you like this chance to see the Sky Tower up close?" Mitsuhide asked, earning chuckle from the boy.

"Sorry, I made plans with my friends. I didn't know mom was gonna go out, if not I would have told them I couldn't make it. I don't like breaking plans, especially with people close to me."

"It's alright son, just be careful. You know those evil people are still out there, and I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you...alright?" Erica said. He nodded, giving the woman a hug, which she quickly returned.

"I know that better than anyone else mom...you just take the girls out and have fun. I think a day away from Shibuya is just what you need to forget some of the stress this place brings. I'm sure those scumbags will be caught soon enough." he said, grabbing his backpack, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Yup, I'm sure...anyway, be careful out there. We should be back by ten, but if you get here earlier than that. Make sure you lock up, we wouldn't want anyone to break into the store right?" she asked.

"Right, I've got my keys so I'll be able to get in. See you girls later!" he said, dashing out of the store, in the direction of Shibuya Square. As soon as he made it, he headed down to the Underground Walkway, where Ryuji and Ren had been waiting, in front of the JL ticket gates.

"Hey, it was a bit sudden that you said you were going to Shinjuku, but I couldn't sit by and do nothing. You sure this reporter has what we need?"

"I'm pretty sure, she looked like an honest person...but meeting at a bar...it might be weird." Ren said.

"Yeah, especially because someone didn't change out of their uniform." Morgana said, glancing at Ryuji.

"Hey, like I said I hadn't gone home to change yet. Don't give me shit...anyway, let's catch the train to Shinjuku before it leaves." the blond said, slipping his money into the gate, which printed out his ticket. Ren did the same, with Takumi swiping a light green pass.

"You have a commuter pass? What the hell do you do in Shinjuku?"

"Nothing, but an actor must be prepared for anything. Including a gig at the local theater, don't think that just because I have a pass to the Red Light District means that I gallivant with prostitutes."

"I never said that bro. That was all you." the spiky haired blond said, following Ren down toward the train.

" _ **JL, non stop from Shibuya to Shinjuku has just arrived."**_ an announcer called out, making them all quicken their pace. Once the train stopped, the three teenagers walked in, noticing the train car was mostly empty.

"Guess no one wants to go up there...even then, it's a pretty popular place. The Movie Theater is way bigger than the one on Central Street." Ryuji said.

"Maybe people just don't like going to bars and shit. That's all you can find there, among other things. My first trip to Shinjuku was with my older sister and her friend. She was nineteen, and I was fifteen, and for some reason we thought going to Shinjuku was a good idea. We got pretty twisted." Takumi said.

"You managed to score booze? Underaged?" Ren asked curiously.

"Trust me, when you are as famous as Kanami, you can get whatever you want. They gave her a VIP room, and we were just there enjoying the music, but then the owner gave her a wine bottle, because her birthday was literally at midnight and we all got drunk. Thankfully, Rise was sober enough to at least guide us back to Akihabara."

"Rise? As in Rise Kujikawa? The famous idol Risette? You know her too?"

"Yes Ryuji, I know Risette. She's my sister's best friend, and rival idol...they share an apartment in Akihabara. No I am not giving you the address or their numbers. I doubt Kanami would want to date someone like you...maybe Ren if he managed to charm her."

"I'll try my best." he replied, making the others burst into laughter.

After half an hour on the train, they arrived in Shinjuku station. After they came out, they looked around at the bright lights in the city. All around them, they could see the bright lights and alluring signs of the local bars. There were people as far as they eye could see, some stumbling around in their drunken stupor. There were some young women walking around as well, wearing some rather questionable outfits. Takumi decided to take the lead, since he was familiar with the area a bit.

"What was the name of the bar?"

"It was called Crossroads...know where it is?" Ryuji asked, earning a nod from the brunette.

"Just up ahead, stick close and act like adults. Just...follow my lead." he said firmly.

"You hear that Ryuji, stop acting like a sissy child and grow up."

"Fuck off Morgana." the boy muttered under his breath.

"Hey you guys...are you interested in coming to our bar. We got the finest drinks around, and we've got some pumping music...what do you say? He wait...aren't you kids?" the suited man asked, earning a frown from Takumi.

"Sir, we are college students. We are trying to enjoy our only night out due to our exams. Sorry but we are not interested in your bar, perhaps next time."

"Tch...alright then. Hope you don't get laid tonight asshole."

"And I hope you get bird flu...bye." Takumi said, brushing past the man. Ren and Ryuji were giggling at his reply, not at all having expecting him to say that. As they walked, another man stopped them, a smirk on his face.

"Hey...you guys look like strong young men. How would you like to have a go at one of our girls? They're ready to fulfill any fantasy you want, we've got maid outfits too, since that seems to be popular right now. What do you say?"

"Hmm...how much money does it cost?"

"Did you seriously just ask that man?" Ryuji muttered dryly. Takumi slapped the back of Ren's head, pushing him along. The frizzy haired boy couldn't help but snicker. As they kept walking however, the were stopped by a cop, who had been on his rounds.

"What are you three doing here tonight?"

"Just trying to have a night on the town officer. We're but humble college students, sometimes we get confused for kids by our looks. But we assure you, we are indeed adults." Takumi said.

"Hmm...alright, it's just that...a lot of teenagers have been trying to mooch alcohol from the bars. So I have to make sure." the man said.

"It happens a lot, don't worry. We won't be a bother, we're just talking a walk." Ryuji said. The officer looked at him, glancing at his pants.

"Hmm...that pattern looks familiar...I've seen that same pattern in the news recently. You're from Shujin, all three of your are teenagers." he exclaimed, grabbing a hold of his whistle.

"Run for it!" Morgana cried, urging the three teenagers, who split up in different directions.

The officer blew his whistle loudly, running behind Takumi. He quickly ducked into a small alleyway, continuing through it until he appeared back at the train station. He took off his backpack, pulling off the flannel shirt he had worn over his tee shirt. He stuffed it into his backpack, pulling out a light jacket, placing it on over his tee shirt. He pulled out his fake glasses, placing them on his face as he started walking back in the direction of the Crossroads Bar. He cut through another alleyway, rounding around a building into another open street, which was a bit closer than to the bar. He sighed, shaking his head with disdain.

" _Honestly, how the heck are those two Phantom Thieves? I feel like they're just winging it. Ryuji should always carry an extra pair of clothes on him just in case. At least Ren looks structurally sound."_

"Excuse me...would you mind coming here for a second?" a voice called out, causing Takumi to stop. He glanced to his left, seeing a young woman sitting behind a folding table, with a small stool in front of the table. She had long hair, held back by a headband, and was wearing a dress with clock faces on it. He shrugged, deciding to see what was wrong.

"May I help you miss? You look a bit distressed."

"Do I? I'm afraid I might be...but that is nothing you should concern yourself with. I couldn't help but notice your aura...you have something that sticks out to me. It's rather worrying." she said.

"Worrying?" he asked, glancing at the table, seeing a deck of cards off to the side. He blinked a few times, realizing what she meant.

"Ah...I get it, you're a fortune teller. Is your instinct telling you that my life is filled with failure and catastrophe?"

"How did you...are you psychic?" she asked curiously. He shook his head.

"Not at all...I just happen to know a lot about this stuff. Like, if I pick the first card from your deck, it's gonna be the Tower Arcana in the Upright position." he said. The woman selected the card, eyes widening when she placed it on the table.

"Amazing...I've never had that happen before. Would you like a full reading? Since you've impressed me, I'll make it free of charge."

"Sure...why not?" he asked, sitting down in front of the woman. She shuffled the deck in front of her, placing various cards down, in an odd looking formation. He spotted a few cards he didn't like, but also spotted several cards he recognized as well.

"This is rather odd. It seems something is going to happen to you soon, a failure is going to lead to a grand opportunity. You will be surrounded by people who are also failures, failures in the eyes of society. A big change is coming to your life soon as well, as if your life is going to enter a major shift...I've never seen so many major arcana revolving around one before." she said.

"The Fool, the Magician, the Priestess, the Emperor, the Empress, the Lovers, The Hermit, the Justice, the Chariot, the Strength, the Star and the Temperance...all surrounding the Tower."

"Close friends and family...someone important to you bares or will bare these arcana. It seems that even though you yourself are bound to failure and catastrophe, these people will save you from yourself. From the catastrophe that was caused by someone else. It's amazing actually...your life will change for the better, when you finally rip that mask off your face." she said, giving him a smile.

"Jeez, there you are...we were hiding from the cops, and here you are getting your damn fortune read?" Ryuji snapped, glaring at his friend.

"You...I sense a lot of failure in your future love life. There is a wave of uncertainty for your friend there...what rare oddities I'm seeing tonight."

"We don't have time for this, come on Takumi...we gotta head to that bar." the blond boy said, causing the brunette to stand up.

"Thank you for the fortune miss..."

"Chihaya, if you'd like another fortune, I can be found here at night. Feel free to come by if you feel uncertain about the future, or your fate." she said.

"Okay...by the way, the next card on that deck is the Wheel of Fortune, and it would have been the next card to make contact with the Tower. See you later." He said, giving her a wink as he walked off. The young woman grabbed a hold of the next card, seeing that the Wheel of Fortune was in fact the next card on the deck. She hummed to herself, pondering why the boy had such an interesting aura around him.

"Sorry about before man, if I had stopped at home to change, we wouldn't been chased off."

"No worries bro, but you should make an effort to carry a pair clothes with you. If you gotta run, then you can change your clothes on the fly. That way the cops won't be able to easily find you, anyway...what did you think of that fortune teller? She looked pretty cute." Takumi said.

"Are you into older women, Takumi?" Ren asked curiously.

"Hell yeah. Only six years older than me though, it would be weird to be dating someone Kawakami's age, that would just be fuckin weird." he replied, shuddering a bit.

"Well here we are, the Crossroads Bar. It'll be weird for all of us to go inside, so we'll leave it to you Ren. Bring us good news okay?" Takumi said, earning a nod from the frizzy haired boy.

"Keep him sober Morgana."

"You got it." the cat replied just as the doors closed behind Ren.

"Hmm...I saw a Go-Go Club when I was running away, wanna try and sneak in?"

"Takumi you heathen...I'm in." Ryuji replied, chuckling evilly as they both started walking toward the adult club.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"I got the name." Ren said, as he left the bar, walking with his friends back toward the train station.

"You serious?"

"Mhmm...all I had to do was get her the contact of a person Kamoshida abused. So I sent her Mishima's number."

"Dude, that's so messed up." Ryuji said, holding back his chuckles.

"No idea who this Mishima dude is...but I sort of feel bad for him, especially if she likes hanging out at bars."

"Ugh...tell me about it, she smelled like booze." Morgana said, disdain clear in his voice.

"Anyway, what's his full name?" Ryuji asked.

"Well...I told her I needed to know who controlled Shibuya...that I knew his last name was Kaneshiro. She told me that I was jumping into a world I truly didn't want to be a part of. But she gave me the name anyway, his full name is Junya Kaneshiro."

"Junya Kaneshiro...I finally have a name...now if I could only put a face to it. I'm gonna show him what it means to fuck with my family." Takumi muttered under his breath, clenching his hand. He heard his ringtone go off, causing him to stop in his tracks. He pulled his phone from inside his pocket, seeing Ayumi's picture on the caller ID.

"It's my sister, hang on...I won't be long." he said, taking the call.

"We'll wait over there." Ren said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Hey sis, how's the restaurant treating you?"

" _Big brother...something bad happened. Where are you? We need you to come back home."_

"What? Are you alright? Is mom fine? What about Mitsu? Ayumi tell me what happened?"

" _They came back...we're all fine but...the store is...you have to come back here...please where are you? I'll wait for you at the station."_

"I'm in Shinjuku, I'll be by as soon as I can. You stay with mom, don't leave her side...I'll see you soon." he said, ending the call. He broke into a sprint, racing toward the train station, where his friends were waiting for him.

"Whoa, what's the rush?"

"Something happened back at my place. My sister told me they came back, I'm pretty sure I know what that means." he said.

"Then let's go, the JL to Shibuya is about to leave." Ren said, urging him along. Takumi started running, keeping an eye out for the guards, jumping over the turnstile, continuing his sprint toward the train. He ducked inside with his friends, just in time for the doors to close. They felt the train start moving seconds after.

The ride back to Shibuya was agonizing. Takumi couldn't stop walking in circles, pacing the empty train car and muttering swears under his breath. All he knew was that something had happened and he was needed back home. His nerves were going through the roof, and he was shivering a bit from how anxious he was. As soon as the doors opened in Shibuya station, he shot out, heading toward the Station Square. He didn't know if Ren or Ryuji were following him, but he knew they would catch up. It wasn't long before he started seeing red and blue lights in the distance, right around the area where the music store was. He quickened his pace, hoping something bad hadn't happened to his family. He reached the end of the street, running across the road, avoiding several cars as he ran, slowly coming to a stop in front of the police line.

"Halt, you aren't allowed to pass."

"I live here, where's my mom?" he said.

"Takumi Mashita? Miss Isoshima said you'd be coming, she's inside the store. It seems someone broke in and stole all of the money in the home, along with nearly everything that was worth any value. The house wasn't touched, but the store was left nearly empty." the officer said, pulling the strip up to let him through.

He walked into the store, eyes widening when he saw what was left of the instruments. Everything was gone, the guitars, the drums, the woodwind and brass instruments. The glass showcase was destroyed, all of the electric violins and flutes that had been kept inside were also gone. The broken remains of the cash register was on the floor, along with a discarded safe, which had the lock drilled straight through. He found his mother sitting at a piano bench near the back of the store, with Ayumi and Mitsuhide by her side. As soon as the black haired girl noticed him, she sprung to her feet, tackling the boy into a hug.

"Big brother, you're home...look at what they did...they stole everything." she cried, hugging him tightly.

"They came in from the back, and didn't trip any alarms. They took everything without making any noise. The security cameras were disabled, so they didn't record anything. Before I called the police, there was a note on the door leading upstairs." Erica said, hugging Ayumi tightly.

"What...what did it say?"

"They know you have money big brother...their boss wants every thing you have. They know it was you who gave mom the thirty million she used to pay off her debt. They want fifty million yen, or else they'll kill mom...they want it by July 9th." Ayumi said softly, sniffling as she hugged her mother tightly. Takumi growled under his breath, feeling anger coursing through his body. He clenched his hands to tightly his knuckles popped, startling Mitsuhide, who backed away from him.

"Big brother...?"

"They've royally pissed me off...you can fuck with me...but don't you dare fuck with my family. The cops aren't doing anything...fine, I'll just take care of it myself." he said.

"What? Takumi that's dangerous...don't say stuff like that, especially with the police here." Erica said firmly. Takumi reached for his cellphone, dialing his older sister's number. He held it to his ear, hearing a yawn on the other side.

" _Taku...mi? It's late, what are you calling me at this time for?"_

"Mom's store was broken into, everything was stolen. It's unsafe for her and the girls to stay here, can they stay with you?"

" _Are you for real?"_

"Yeah...I'm being serious sis."

" _Sure yeah, they can stay here. Rise just got back from Inaba, she has a car so I'll just come and pick you all up."_

"No...just them, I'll be staying with a friend tonight...see you later." he said.

"Who was that just now?"

"It was Kanami, she's gonna come pick you guys up. You'll stay at her apartment in Akihabara until I can withdraw some money. Don't worry, this debt will be payed. He isn't going to rob anyone of anything anymore...we got a name."

"What...you got a name?" Ayumi asked, earning a nod from the boy, who gave her a grin.

"That's right...the Phantom Thieves will take care of it. They did it with Madarame, and they'll do it with Kaneshiro too. Stay safe alright?" he asked, turning around.

"Where are you going?"

"Don't worry mom, I'm staying with a friend tonight. Everything will be fine, I promise." he said, giving her a wave as he walked out of the store, avoiding the broken glass. He gave a nod to the police officer, who allowed him under the police line, where Ren and Ryuji, along with a few curious on lookers were at. He lead his friends away from the police, coming to a stop across the street.

"You know how I said I would let you guys be the vanguard when we nabbed this guy's name?" he asked.

"Yeah...I take it that changed huh?"

"Yes...that bastard...he had his goons steal almost all of the instruments. Along with anything of value, probably to pawn it for quick cash. On top of that, he left me a threat. 50 million yen, by July 9th or they'll kill my mother. I know you guys don't kill, but you're gonna have to let me beat the shit out of his shadow...I need a sword."

"I know where we can go...he should still be open." Ren said.

"Hey, is it alright if I stay with one of you guys? My big sis has no room for all of us at her place, and Rise just got back home. I don't care where I sleep, I'll crash on the floor if I have too."

"I don't have much room at my place...maybe Boss will let you stay with Ren tonight...if not, he can always wait until closing time and sneak you in." Ryuji said.

"Spoken like true Phantom Thieves, but I'm sure the Boss will understand, especially once Ren explains his situation." Morgana said.

"Thanks you guys...I'm gonna show this Kaneshiro bastard not to mess with me. He's going to regret taking every last yen my mother worked so goddamn hard for, and then some." he said firmly.

At that moment, he couldn't help but think back to what Chihaya had told him in Shinjuku...that he would change once he ripped that mask off his face. He was close, he could feel it...whatever metaphorical chains Lavenza had spoken about, and whatever power Igor had alluded too, he could feel it flowing within, ready to break free. He was going to show Kaneshiro not to fuck with him, even if it meant giving up his life. But that of course was never an option.


	10. Persona

**A/N:**

 **Well, here it is guys, chapter ten. The chapter where Takumi finally gets his own Persona. I've been wanting to post this for awhile, but I wanted to build up to it. It took me awhile to figure out what Persona to give him, something that would benefit him since he is the Tower Arcana. I looked up some fallen heroes, and did make some choices, but ultimately the original persona that I wanted to give him, will be his ultimate persona, so this will be his current one. As I said before, this Persona will use the Almighty Element, which I'm sure only applies to gods, but since Joker can fuse personas with Almighty attacks, I guess it isn't. He will be using various spells from time to time, since the story won't have a leveling mechanism, I have to change up the ability roster every once in awhile. Whenever he infiltrates a new palace, he'll get a new spell or something. I am also working on some extra Thief tools for him to provide for the group. Joker already makes Stealthium or whatever you call it, but I wanted Takumi to provide actual Smoke grenades for them to use, color coded to each member of the Thieves. He will be getting some assistance on this fronts by one of his future confidants.**

 **As for the Personas that Joker will use, I am giving him the ones that I myself am using in my current playthrough. The ones that he will use he actually won't get until much later in the game. But I have given him these because it's much more convenient for me. I will be giving him Arsene as well, since I want him to be kinda like Yu in the anime who kept Inanagi throughout the anime. I just have to figure out what spells and attacks to give him. But for the most part, Joker will use the persona that I am using in the game. I will try to get him new Personas as I am still fusing and experimenting, not Sataniel because that would be too damn powerful.**

 **Also, for all of those who might be interested, Takumi's battle theme will be Light Up the Fire in the Night from Persona Q, I really wish this song was in Persona 5 as a dlc because it would have been freaking awesome. In the future, I might have some Persona 4 characters making a cameo, I already have Kanami as a side character and Rise is going to be in it. But I might add Chie and Naoto or maybe even Yukiko to the story, I haven't decided yet. Maybe Takumi will get a role in a movie that has him going to Inaba to film...I dunno. It all depends on the mood and general feel for the story.**

 **Well...I'll leave you with this chapter, I hope you all like it. Be sure to check out my buddy BloodyDemon666's Persona 5/Suicide Squad crossover story, he just posted it today, show him some love and support. I do hope you have an awesome Sunday, and remember...stay frosty!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 10

Persona

 _ **Date: Monday June 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Since Ren had snuck him into his home after his guardian had left, he had to leave rather early. He hadn't gotten the most restful sleep, but he was at least well rested for whatever the day was going to bring him. He had left the boy a note, placing it under Morgana before leaving, making sure the front door was closed as he left. Yongen-Jaya had been rather silent as he walked through the close streets. He made it to the station and took the subway back to Shibuya, taking the back streets to get home. The Police had closed the store off while they were still investigating, but there had been no proof of who had done it. Only he knew it had been Kaneshiro, giving Erica a threat of sorts. He went into the house through the back door, careful not to disturb the police tape that had been closing off the path to the store.

He closed his door, barring it with a chair just to be safe. Heading to his room, he grabbed his school uniform and a change of street clothes, before heading into the bathroom for a shower. Once he was dressed for school, he went back into his room. Laying on top his bed was the prop sword that he had bought from Iwai the night before, in a very stylish scabbard. He had told the teen to be careful with it, but since the sword didn't have an edge to it, it was legal to carry it around as a prop. He also said that with the right tools, that sword could be used as weapon, as it was made from Carbon Fiber. Takumi of course wasn't going to give it an edge, because then he wouldn't be able to legally carry it. Next to it, were the pistols he had bought as well, along with some magazines filled with blanks. He had left them all on his bed, but quickly placed them back into their cases and hide them under a loose floor board under his bed. He couldn't have the police finding them and asking questions. Once he was done, he grabbed his backpack and placed it on around his shoulders.

"I swear to you Kaneshiro...you will pay for this." he muttered under his breath. He turned to leave his room, closing his bedroom door as he did. He paused in the kitchen, making himself a quick breakfast before heading back downstairs and out the back.

As he walked however, he felt like he was being watched by someone. He stopped in the middle of the alley, a firm yet calm look on his face. He had already been expecting something like that, once the mob had their eyes set on you, they would be keeping their eyes on you to make sure you payed up front. He wouldn't doubt that his house was bugged by them, but it would have been a little obvious if it had. He noticed out of the corner of his eye, two people dressed like hip young adults, another ploy that they used to attract the attention of teenagers. He turned around to meet their gazes, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Let me guess...the big man sent you here to stake out my house. Keep an eye on the boy, make sure he's making me money...that about it?" he asked.

"Tch...you know, you are pretty calm about this...didn't you get the note the big man left here? You got three weeks, or else your mom is dead. You know what happens then right? Those cute daughters of hers, become our property...the middle one is a bit young, but I'm sure she'd make the perfect little house maid." one of them said, a grin on his face. Takumi spat on the ground, a glare on his face.

"What the fuck do you want?"

"Oh? Big man is being all macho...you don't scare me kid. We came here to give you a warning, but now you'll have to give us something else. And if you don't have anything to give then we're gonna have to do something about that." the taller of the two said, walking forward. One of them flicked their wrist, extending a baton to it's full length. Takumi smirked, reaching behind his back for one of his pistols, taking aim at the baton toting man.

"Holy shit...he's got a gun."

"See dumb ass, this is why I told you we should have come with our pieces." the second said.

"This is so interesting...I wasn't expecting to face off two of Kaneshiro's shakers this early in the morning. You know what goes well with coffee in the morning? A good helping of bullets, and unless you want to start spitting up lead, you'll tell your boss to back the fuck off. I'll give him his money, in fact." the boy reached into his backpack, reaching for three rolled up bundles of bills, tossing them to the ground.

"There, that's one million yen, the only money I have on me. Take it as a payment of good faith. So unless you want a bullet in your head early in the morning, you'll take that money, and you'll leave my house alone. He'll get his 49 million by July 9th, no later than that and no earlier either." Takumi said firmly. The baton carrying man grabbed the money from the ground, unrolling one of the packets of bills, counting them quickly.

"Alright, we'll take this to him, and we'll keep our word too. No one messes with your house, as long as you bring us that 49 million. The boss will keep in touch. For future reference kid, watch who you point that at next time, not everyone is like us. Got it?"

"Yeah...I'll make sure to shoot first next time. Go on, I'm not turning my back to you." Takumi said, a smirk on his face as the two quickly ran off. One he was sure the two had left, he turned around, putting his gun in his backpack as he ran to the train station. As soon as he made it to the Shibuya/Aoyama transfer line, he stopped, legs shaking as he slid down the wall to the ground.

" _Holy shit, I can't believe I just did that."_

"Takumi? Are you alright? You look like you just saw a ghost." the voice of Ann said, snapping him out of his thoughts. The boy shot up to his feet, hugging the girl tightly, much to her surprise.

"I just got held up, two of Kaneshiro's goons tried shaking me as I left my house." he said softly.

"Oh my god, are you serious? Are you okay?" she asked, looking him over for injury. Aside from his healing black eye, he didn't have anything else. Though his bruises were easily hidden with make up.

"I'm fine...I had one of my model guns with me and I held the dudes up. But it just hit me, they could have easily been armed and I could have been shot and killed. It was stupid, but I didn't want to pay them either." he said, leaning back against the wall, shyly looking at the floor.

"Just hearing that pisses me off...that's it. We were waiting to get a bit more information on this guy, but after Ren told me they stole your mom's inventory, and hearing this...I can't wait anymore. We're going to his palace this afternoon."

"We are?" he asked.

"Definitely...we can't have these guys continuously scaring the shit out of people. We have to handle this now."

"We have to handle what now?" Ren asked, as he joined the two teenagers. Ann turned to face him, a firm look on her face.

"Takumi was just held up outside his house. He held them up with his model gun but he's panicking because of what could have happened."

"Seriously? Why didn't you wait for me to wake up?"

"Because, I didn't want you to get in trouble with the owner of Leblanc. You already let me stay there for the night man, besides I didn't know those fuckers were staking out my house. I gave them a million and they backed off, but I'm running out of money to dish out."

"I already told him we're going to his palace this afternoon. I think it would be best to meet up in the Station Square, next to Central Street. It's the biggest part of Shibuya and where most of the crimes have been happening. What do you say?" Ann asked, earning a firm look from Ren.

"She has a point, we have to end this Ren. Especially because our friend and his family are being threatened now. The faster we find Kaneshiro's palace, the better." Morgana said, adding his two cents.

"Okay...I'll send a chain message so that everyone knows. But just because we'll go to the palace today, doesn't mean we'll actually get in. Be ready for a fight, you'll be in charge of looking over him, alright Ann?"

"That's fine by me. If he can act his way out of a hold up, he'll do just fine in the Metaverse." the girl said, a smirk on her face.

" _ **JR, Shibuya to Aoyama has just arrived. The doors will open on the right."**_ the announcer called out. The three students turned to face the train that had just arrived, watching a stream of people pouring out from inside.

"Don't worry Takumi, we're gonna steal his heart, so we can give you and everyone peace of mind." Morgana said, earning a smile from the boy.

"Thanks Morgana, I'll be under your tutelage from here on out. Direct me however you like. Just as long as you let me get one on Kaneshiro."

"That can be arranged." his frizzy haired friend said, earning a smirk.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Well since you all seem to be very alert in class today, I'm going to test your knowledge of the English language. This question should be rather easy, but let's see if you actually have what it takes to answer it...hmm...how about you Mr. Mashita. You spent two years in America after all." Ms. Chuno said, causing the boy to sit up in his chair.

"What was the question?"

"I haven't asked it yet. In English, what does the term cats and dogs refer too?" she asked, earning a frown from the boy.

"I was expecting a harder question but, alright. It's a phrase normally used to refer to heavy rain. When someone says, "It's raining cat's and dogs outside" it means it's raining heavily. I like to add, "With a swarm of Bees" when it's raining sideways. Cause you know...pinpricks on you face and stuff." he replied.

"Well, I was expecting you to get it wrong, but you have surprised me. Extra points for the swarm of bees thing, often times that's how I feel with sideways rain." Ms. Chuno replied. She turned back to the board, continuing her lesson as she wrote another phrase on the board.

"Dude, how is it that you can always answer this shit with a straight face?" Ryuji asked softly, earning a smirk from the boy.

"The questions are easy, but just because I'm bored doesn't mean I don't pay attention. You can do whatever you want in class, as long as you listen and do the work." he said, giving him a smirk.

"Now then, let's begin our next assignment. I've written a phrase on the board and you have to repeat it, we'll start with Sakamoto, since he enjoys chatting with his friends." the teacher said, earning a groan from the spiky haired boy. Takumi couldn't help but chuckle at his friend's misfortune.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday June 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Time: Lunch**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

"You serious? You got jumped this morning?" Ryuji asked, earning a nod from Takumi. He, Ren, Ann and Ryuji were hanging out in the school walkway, near the vending machines that were beside the Practice Building.

"Yeah, I may be a good actor but I was scared shitless the entire time. They've backed off for now, but this puts us at odds. I was given the date of July 9th to pay them. I dunno what'll happen if I exceed that limit, for now, they've promised not to bother me." Takumi said, showing Ryuji his cellphone, which displayed a text message from a blocked number.

"How the hell did they get your number?"

"School records maybe...this guy probably has intelligence agents all over the place." Ann replied. She was the only one sitting down, mostly because she was busy eating several bags of chips.

"Um...Ann, you're a model right? How is it that you eat junk food knowing that you have to appear in pictures?" the brown haired boy asked curiously.

"I dunno...I eat what I want and stay the same. Guess it's all of that running around in Mementos." she replied with a shrug.

"Wish I had that carefree attitude." Ryuji muttered.

"Anyway, I've spoken with Yusuke, and he's agreed to meet up with us in Shibuya. Thankfully, the weapon we found for Takumi can legally be carried since it's just a prop. I got a good supply of medicine as well in case we need it, but make sure to keep an eye on Takumi during our initial investigation. Afterwards, he'll have to stay out during the Infiltration." Ren said firmly.

"Huh? Wait, didn't we agree that I was gonna fight Kaneshiro's shadow? Why do I have to stay out?"

"Infiltrating a palace is dangerous. In order to reach the treasure, we have to find a secure route to it. Without your own spirit armor, you'll fall to the distortions and desires within that palace. We'll have to fight shadows too, and we wouldn't want you to get hurt. You've already experienced that, and look how beat up you came out. Once we secure a direct route, we'll bring you with us." Morgana said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I guess when you put it like that, I got no other choice." he muttered.

"Hey cheer up, we'll at least be able to get back at him. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you and whip everyone who dares attack you. You got my word." Ann said, giving him a wink.

"Whip?"

"Oh yeah, wait until you see her in action. She may seem like an airhead in reality, but piss her off in that world, and your in for nothing but pain." Ryuji replied.

"I'll take your word for it." he said.

"I wasn't expecting to find you gathered up here. It's quite interesting to see you all together like this in school." the voice of Makoto Nijima said. Instantly, Ren, Ryuji and Ann were put on edge, glaring right at the brown haired young woman. Takumi could sense the tension in the air, knowing that they didn't get along at all.

"Hey guys...stay calm alright?" he said softly.

"Takumi Mashita...you're here with them as well? Did they drag you into their little game?"

"No...I've got my own reasons. Don't know if you've heard from my sister, but my mom's got a hit, and I asked them for help. I also found out that you were the one who blackmailed them with video and photos of them hanging out. I don't really like that." Takumi said, earning a confused look from the girl.

"How did you find that out?" she asked. He placed her phone on the table, and slid it to her, making her gasp in surprise.

"I got my ways. You see, there's this little talent that I have with acting, often times you have to play different roles. If I play thief, and believe that I'm a thief with all of my being...then I become a thief. Picking your pocket while my sister spoke with you was easy. It also helped that you left a perfectly good finger print on your screen." he said, a smirk on his face.

"Finger print? What do you mean by that?" Ann asked.

"If you take some baby powder and a make up duster, you can use it to dust things for prints. She left one on the back, and I was able to lift that with some tape and use it to unlock her phone. Found some pretty interesting things on it, but I only stuck to incriminating chats and videos, nothing personal. So, is blackmail really how you get things done?" he asked curiously.

"How dare you do something so callous? I thought you were a nice person!"

"So did I, but when you use dirty methods to get shit done, then my opinion changes. I know Kobayakawa is blackmailing you into finding who the Thieves are. But going about it this way, it's not the right way to do it. We've both got our reasons for what we're doing alright? Just...don't do anything so rash." Takumi said firmly.

"I'm afraid it's too late. If they don't find and stop this man by the time limit I gave them, then I'm turning this information to the police. And I'll have them get you for being an accomplice. I would recommend you distance yourself from them Takumi. I would hate for Ayumi's older brother to be caught up in this." Makoto said, taking her leave right after.

"God, she pisses me off."

"It's alright Ryuji...she's just being pressured into doing this. That gremlin we have as our principle is blackmailing her with a letter of rec for collage. She's got her reasons, same as me. But she'll at least rest easy when we tell her we found that bastard." Takumi said, a smirk on his face.

"Still...you might be a little more intelligent than I gave you credit for. Lifting finger prints to get access to something like that? Where did you learn that?" Morgana asked.

"My little sister Mitsuhide. I was totally lying to her about the acting thing...no matter how much you act like a thief, you aren't gonna be one without experience. Like I said, she wants to major in Philosophy and Psychology. But there are sprinkles of practical things in her brain from time to time." he replied.

"Still, the fact that you pulled it off his amazing. What other tricks do you have up your sleeve?" Ren asked.

"Who knows? I'm just a riddle, wrapped in an enigma and surrounded by mystery." the boy replied. The bell rung a second later, causing them all to grab their bags, and in Ann's case, all of her empty chip bags.

"Well...our plan is set. We'll all go home and change before meeting up in Shibuya Square. I've brought a change of clothes with me, so I'll be heading home with you Takumi, just to be safe." Ren said.

"Fair enough, let's nab this guy...I'm counting on you...it's the only thing I can provide for now." the brown haired actor said, a thankful smile on his face.

"Before we go, I found a picture of this guy on the Police's most wanted list...this is what he looks like. We need to keep an eye out for him." Ryuji said, holding his phone out to the others.

On screen was the picture of a man with light hazel colored hair, brushed back. He had a smug look on his face, and looked like a heavy set man, with fair colored skin and small eyes. He was wearing a white suit, which he left open to reveal a navy blue shirt and tie. Around his neck was a gold chain, which looked rather expensive. The smug look on his face just made Takumi's hatred for him grow even more intense.

"Thanks Ryuji...now I have a face to go with the name. I'm gonna tear this gnat a fuckin new one."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday June 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Station(Central Street)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

It didn't take long for Takumi to get ready. After changing out of his school uniform, he placed his handguns inside his backpack, along with their cases and holsters. The sword he had gotten was shorter than most regular swords, and had a felt scabbard, almost like a hunting knife. Since it was a proper, he was able to strap it to his leg and carry it around with no issue. He of course wanted something longer and more intimidating, but Ren had told him that any sword would do. As long as the person who ruled the palace thought of it as real, it would become real. It also explained why his gun, which normally shot blanks, shot real bullets. The whole talk about cognition really gave him a new perspective on how this Metaverse worked. At first, he thought it was all mambo jumbo, stuff that only a crazy person would say. But when he actually started thinking about it, it all made sense. Morgana told him that there wasn't a real reason for the Metaverse to exist, that it didn't until only a few short years ago. All he did know was that it was a dangerous place, especially with people's distorted desires.

After making some final preparations, and grabbing some medicine from the stuff that Takumi himself had bought. He and Ren started walking back toward Shibuya Square. They remained mostly silent, both thinking about everything up until that point. Takumi was trying not to psyche himself out. After all, his life wasn't in danger in the real world, it was in danger in the Metaverse as well. So he couldn't afford to make a mistake. He didn't have any power there, at least not the type of power that Ren had told him about. Persona...fighting with one's other self. It was odd for him to even think about, but he would know what they meant when he saw it.

It didn't take them long to make it back to the Square. Ann and Yusuke were already waiting, close by the Buchiko statue. Each of them had a bag with them, most likely holding their model guns, since those couldn't be carried around like he could carry around his sword. He had to admit, Ann looked rather cute in her outfit. He could see other people looking at her as well, though she didn't seem to mind the odd and sometimes pervy looks she was getting. Her focus was mostly on her cellphone. She had told him via text that she often times talked to her friend Shiho, the girl who had jumped from Shujin's roof after she had been sexually abused by Kamoshida. Yusuke was also looking around, holding a sketch pad in his hands, along with a black pencil. He knew that he was once a pupil to Madarame, so he must have been distracting himself by drawing people, a good distraction, if he cared to admit.

"Hey guys, did everything go well?" Ann asked, earning nods from Ren and Takumi.

"It was pretty quiet, there were some investigators at his house. They did ask questions about his sword, but they said that as long as it wasn't concealed, he wouldn't get in trouble. Takumi did some weird larping thing to convince them."

"You are just lucky I play MMO's on my off time. I was also lucky that one guy caught my World of Warcraft reference and pretty much smoothed things out with the entire department. That dude is cool...so are we waiting for Ryuji?"

"Yeah, he said he was doing some quick chores for his mom. He's actually on the train here." Ann replied, her attention back on her phone.

"Oh yeah...Ryuji lives with his mom...you know, he reminds me a lot of myself."

"How so? You don't have many similarities with him." Yusuke said, closing his sketch pad.

"I think he's talking about his father. Ryuji's father left when he was young, and was a pretty bad alcoholic. Takumi's dad pretty much ignored him and basically doesn't care about him, unless he decides to inherit his company. So both of them live with their moms." Morgana said.

"Oh...I see what you mean." Ann said.

"Yeah, honestly...my father was more bearable when my mother was still around. But in more recent years it's been a bit rough...my acting was what got me through, but he got rid of that too. I love Erica with all my heart, she's been trying so hard to give me a normal life, which is why I want to fight for her so hard. But I do miss my mom too."

"Wait...I thought Erica was your mother? Is she not?" Yusuke asked.

"No...my birth mother was Naotaro Nishida, or well Naotaro Mashita. She was the best mom I could ever ask for, she didn't treat me like a tool for personal gain. When the police came to my house that day, and told my father that she had been in a fatal car crash...I just shut down. I mean, hearing from a cop that your mommy isn't coming back...fuck, I think that's the day I died."

"You aren't dead...you're right here. I think it's fucked up that your father did this to you...condition you to be something you don't want. That's why you wanted to become an actor right? Because you wanted to be someone else, instead of your father's son. He saw rebellion and did his best to stomp it out. You were basically forced to conform, just like the rest of us." Ren said.

"Wow...that's pretty on point."

"I agree with you Ann...and I also agree with my own personal observation. Takumi isn't the only one who lost his mother young, I lost my mother as well. The only difference is that you remember her clearly, when I cannot. Cherish those moments Takumi, they are the most important ones in your life." Yusuke said.

"I...will...I'm sorry, about your mom."

"Thank you, I'm sorry that you lost yours. You needn't worry, I will fight in your stead, and ensure that Erica's life isn't in danger any longer." the blue haired artist said, earning a grateful smile from the young actor.

"Sup guys, sorry for the wait. Mom had me fetch some stuff for dinner, we all set?"

"About time you got here, we're all set to go." Ann said, standing up from the bench she had been sharing with Ren. The five teenagers stood in a circle, mostly to avoid the surrounding people. Shibuya Square was filled with lots of people, and since it was nice and sunny, a lot more people were outdoors, preparing for the summer.

"Well, I took it upon myself to start the search. I entered Kaneshiro's name into the nav and just as I expected, I got a hit. But all we need now, is what he thinks his palace is, and a location."

"Hmm...that's gonna be a bit of a challenge. There are hundreds of places in Shibuya." Ryuji said.

"Well...it could be a place that he controls. What about a garden?" Takumi said.

" _No candidate found."_

"Guess it isn't a garden...what else would work?"

"Oh...rich people like money baths right? Maybe it's one of those." Ann said.

"Okay...money bath." Yusuke said, into his phone speaker.

" _No candidate found."_

"Ugh...this is pointless. We can't just keep saying random stuff...we'll never get far this way." Ryuji said, stomping his foot on the ground.

"We can't give up this easily, we didn't the last two times. I'm starting to remember something Mitsuhide said when we first met her. She said, Kaneshiro thinks of Erica as his personal bank. So try that." Ren said.

"Alright, bank."

" _Candidate found."_

"It's a hit...so where ever Kaneshiro is, he thinks of that place as his personal bank. It makes sense considering what has happened." Yusuke said.

"Yeah, but that also makes it harder to find. There are a million places where that bank could be." Morgana added, a disappointed tone in his voice.

"Let me try, Erica's Music Emporium." Takumi said, watching the loading icon on Yusuke's phone, only for it to turn red a second later.

" _No candidate found."_

"Why did you try your mom's store?" Ann asked curiously.

"He thinks of my mom, the store owner as his bank. Figured I would try that as a location, since she's one of his victims." he replied, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I wouldn't have thought of that, quite ingenious, wouldn't you say?" Ren added, earning nods from the others.

"That's one store though...do you know how many stores are in Shibuya? We'd be here all day, let alone all week. We won't be able to do anything at this rate...the circle is too wide, we gotta narrow it somehow." Ryuji said. Takumi hummed, placing a finger under his chin.

"We're thinking too in the box. A single store isn't his bank, think about it. He has more victims he's getting money out of...the students in our school, my mom, me. Who knows how many...we can't possibly try all of his victims because they're too spread out. He see's the city as an ATM, so let's try this. All of Shibuya." the brunette said. The area around them distorted for a few seconds.

" _Candidate Found."_

"Whoa...did you seriously just guess that?"

"I did...just a little process of elimination. We can't name the places of victims, because he victimizes the city. We've met the requirements right? Does that mean we can go now?"

"Yeah, but is it safe to jump in from a crowded area?" Ann asked, earning a shrug from Ryuji, who scratched his nose.

"No one notices a piece of trash go missing from a trashcan. This is pretty much the same."

"I suppose that's true, alright then...go for it Yusuke." Ren said.

"Alright then, Junya Kaneshiro, Bank, All of Shibuya."

" _Beginning Navigation."_

Takumi watched curiously as the world around him started to fade, his vision going entirely black for a few seconds. When he was finally able to see, he was brought back to Shibuya. But unlike the Mementos version of Shibuya, this one was entirely distorted to match Kaneshiro's desires. All around him, he could see bills flying, straight up to the sky. All of them were different connotation and value, and were seemingly coming from thin air. He felt a little odd, that same pressure in his chest had returned, but was a bit stronger than in Mementos. His heart skipped a beat when someone poked his shoulder and his turned around. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked at the people in front of them.

"What the hell? What are you all wearing?"

"This is what we meant by spirit armor, Takumi. These outfits represents what our rebel hearts see us as. As a direct result from getting our persona, we get outfits to match the will of our rebellion." Morgana said, causing the boy to look down.

"Wow...you look like one of those plushies you get a street fair. Though I gotta admit, if the others have spirit armor, then you running around with a Zorro mask and a scarf if quite daring."

"Ugh...first off, I'm not a plushy, and second I'm covered in fur, don't be weird about it!" the cat exclaimed, sounding rather annoyed.

"What do you think of my outfit? Looks pretty cool right?" Ryuji asked, flexing his muscles a bit.

"You look like a thug, it fits your nature though. Yusuke reminds me of a kitsune, or one of those really cool ninjas from those old anime. Ren...you look totally bad ass in yours, really digging the coat, and the red gloves suit you...and Ann..."

"What...why did you stop?" the blonde asked. Takumi flushed a bit, glancing away from the girl.

"I'm scared you'll hit me if I speak my mind."

"No...go for it, you said your opinions on everyone else's stuff. Just say it, I've heard most of what men think of my outfits. From both shadows and these three idiots, my mistake...four. The cat says some pervy stuff too."

"I'm not a cat Lady Ann, sheesh!" Morgana cried, jumping up in down in anger. Takumi sighed, putting his hands in front of his junk, just to protect it from being kicked.

"Well, in my full honest opinion...you look like a dominatrix. The skin tight suit accents every curve you've got. The keyhole opening doesn't really help your case, and the fact that this suit accents everything is a little too...well...it's hard to explain. The whip just adds to the over all dominator vibe, and the mask just makes me think you are one of those, every cat has it's claws type."

"Hmm...that was mature response. I was half expecting you to say, daaamn, I got a hard on, just like Ryuji did the first time he saw it."

"Hey, what did you want me to say? You can't expect me not to say anything when I see a girl in spandex. Anyway, enough with our outfits, check out this place." Ryuji said. Everyone turned towards Central Street, eyes widening when they saw the people walking around, or rather, the ATM's walking around.

"What the hell...are those ATM's?" Takumi cried.

"Sickening...Kaneshiro really does see all of Shibuya as his personal bank."

"This really pisses me off."

"Trust me, I'm there with you Ryuji." Takumi said, reaching into his backpack for his holsters, strapping his left one to his hip, while his right was on his leg, under his sword scabbard.

"There's a lot more of them over by Central Street, shall we go take a look?" Ren asked curiously.

"Let's go. Remember Takumi, stick close to us, and if there's a fight you can't handle, you back out. Got it?"

"Yes, I'll leave all fights to you, unless we get surrounded, I'll try not to fight." the boy replied. Ren took the lead, heading toward Central Street.

Cutting across the crowd was a bit awkward, especially when you were the only humans around. There were nothing but ATMs all over the place. It really saddened Takumi, knowing that Kaneshiro's twisted desires made innocent people look like ATMs. To him. It just made him want to settle things with him even more. He could feel that power within him wanting to break free...but it was like he was still holding himself back. He was a bit scared of what it was, but he could also feel that it was welcoming. He decided to remain silently, his hand on his gun as he continued walking. Finally arriving in Central Street, they saw that the scene was still the same. The familiar stores were distorted, and there were ATMs everywhere. A few of them were sparking, laying on the ground almost as if someone had broken them. He walked past Ren and Ann, kneeling down next to one, tilting his head a bit.

"It looks broken...like someone took a baseball bat to it...I think this is a victim...an ATM with zero money. In other words, a victim that didn't pay up his dues." he said, glancing at the Phantom Thieves.

"Holy shit...so he really beats up those people that don't pay up?" Ryuji asked, looking a bit frightened.

"It would seem so. Ah yes, before we traverse further, we neglected to tell Takumi our code names. It would be bad if our real names were said outloud."

"Code names? You have those? I guess you truly did dive into the whole thief motif. It's pretty cool." Takumi said, rising to his feet, facing his friends.

"Yes, it was all for our safety after all. You can call me Mona in this world."

"My name is Skull, that's Panther and Fox. Then our leader is Joker." Ryuji said, finishing the names for the others.

"Joker, Skull, Panther, Mona, Fox...alright, I've committed those to memory. I guess since I don't have any power here, and I'm a rookie, you can call me Rook. Just for now, I doubt I'll ever return to this place after beating Kaneshiro." he said.

"Rook it is. Let's search around this area...we need to know where Kaneshiro's palace is." Joker said, earning a nod from the others. They all started walking forward, looking around the nearby shops. The soft whimpers and cries from the broken and damaged ATM's, added to the suction sound that seemed to envelop the city. It was quite startling in Takumi's opinion. He jumped a bit when a hand wrapped around his ankle, making him bump into Panther who almost fell to the ground.

"Help...please."

"Jesus Christ, you wanna not do that buddy?" he cried, brushing his jacket. He let out a sigh as Panther knelt down beside him.

"What can we help you with? Where's Kaneshiro?"

"I need...money...my family...please." the man wheezed, only to fizzle out a second later.

"Guess that's all we're getting from him. Sorry about that Panther, wasn't expecting him to grab me."

"It's alright, just be more careful." she said, leading him onward.

After a few minutes of searching, Joker decided to stop. He turned to face his fellow thieves, a frown on his face. That was enough to tell Takumi that he hadn't found any information, nor the whereabouts of Kaneshiro's palace. He shoved his hands in his pockets, glancing at the sky briefly before speaking.

"It seems the people here are all scared of Kaneshiro. More importantly, his goons, it's obvious their the ones that did this."

"Yeah, I noticed that too...one of them said he was at his bank, but no one told me where it was." Skull said.

"It's quite peculiar, wouldn't you say? These ATMs look heavily damaged, more than any weapon or blunt instrument would do." Fox added, stroking his chin in thought.

"Wait...you mean to tell me they weren't beaten up? Could they have fallen from a high place then?" Panther said.

"Oh, a sky scraper maybe?"

"Rook is onto something, they might have gotten tossed out of the bank itself. Once your out of money, you have no reason to go to a bank right? So they were tossed out." Skull said.

"Yes...but we're is that bank?" Mona added. Takumi looked up at the sky, the suction sound having gotten a lot louder than before. His eyes widened, jaw dropping when he saw the large floating building in the air. He rose his hand, pointing upward at it.

"Look at that...it looks like a fucking UFO." he said.

"Of course! It makes sense for it to be in the sky, Kaneshiro is a mob boss. If the police have trouble finding him, that's because he's never been located. Tch...it had to be an airship." Mona said.

"Well, how do we get up there? Can you turn into a chopper Mona?" Panther asked curiously.

"Sorry, just a car."

"Whoa what? You can turn into a car?"

"Save that for later. We gotta figure out a way to get up there, if not we won't be able to infiltrate his palace." Joker said.

"Hmm...well, that building there looks tall enough. Any of you have a grappling gun?" Rook asked, glancing at the others who just gave him a blank look. He blinked a few times, face dropping.

"Seriously? You guys are Phantom Thieves, yet you don't have a grappling gun? Do you have smoke bombs? Laser spray? Fuck do you have lock picks?" he asked.

"We got you covered on the lock picks." Mona said, holding one up to the boy.

"Well...I had an idea, that maybe if we climb to building that rests below the bank, we could shoot a line to it. But that just got sucked out the window, along with all this money." he said, crossing his arms.

"It isn't our fault, we never planned for this." Panther snapped.

"You have to be prepared for things like this. This is also a part of acting, if you want to be a Phantom Thief, act line one. You can't just walk around with no direction, though the fact that you did this twice is impressive. Well...I guess we'll just have to go to a toy store and buy one of those toy ones. If guns fire real bullets here, then that means toy grapple guns will work here as well."

"I agree with Rook, I believe it's time for us all to think about our tools. We should start coming better prepared for infiltrations. You never know what might happen." Mona said. Just as he finished saying that, the sound of screeching tires filled the area, causing them all to stop in their tracks, just as they reached Central Street. A black car pulled to a stop at the side of the street, and several men jumped out, or rather several shadows dressed in suits jumped out, all of them aiming rifles and shotguns at the Phantom Thieves.

"Holy shit!" Skull cried.

"It's an Ambush, Joker now!" Mona cried. Joker reached into his pocket dropping three gray balls to the ground, which burst a second later, filling the area with smoke. They all broke into a sprint, running back the way they came.

They kept running for a few minutes, ducking into an empty alleyway to catch their breaths. They were all still shaken by the sudden attack, not having expected it. As Joker was about to ask if they were alright, he noticed they were one member short. He looked around frantically, walking back the way they came, seeing Takumi who had been grabbed by some guards, struggling to get free as they tried shoving him inside the car.

"They got Rook, come on!" Joker cried, reaching for his pistol, which was tucked behind his back.

"Let me go you fuckers!" Takumi shouted, only for him to get cracked on the back of the head. His body fell limp as he was tossed inside the car, along with a few shadows, who slammed the door closed. The car peeled off, racing away from the scene.

"Quick Mona after them!" Joker cried. The cat nodded, jumping into the air, morphing into his car form. The Phantom Thieves piled inside, and Joker floored it, shooting up the street after the car that had taken their friend.

"What the hell is going on? Why are they taking him?" Panther cried, worry clear in her voice.

"Perhaps it's because he hasn't payed his dues in the real world. Perhaps Kaneshiro asked for him to show up at the bank, and his goons grabbed the real Rook instead of the ATM version." Yusuke said.

"Makes sense to me...dammit! We should have been paying more attention! Now he's gonna get hurt!" Skull cried, slamming his fist against the seat.

"Ah, don't do that! It tickles!" Mona cried.

"Sorry...I'm just...so goddamn mad!"

"Let's just hope we can stop them before they do anything to him!" Joker said, speeding up when they noticed the car taking a sharp turn.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Waking up by getting splashed with water wasn't the best for Takumi. Noticing that he was in some empty warehouse was alarming, but not the worse thing that he had experienced. As an actor, he had practiced at many sets, and in Fleeting Angel 2, there was a scene where his character had been kidnapped in order to force Rise's character out of an important contest. So he knew how to deal with what he was currently facing. He found himself sitting in a folding chair, his arms tied behind his back to an iron pipe. The warehouse was completely empty, with large cat walks high above him, and some heavy machinery off to the side. He noticed there were guards posted on every single entrance and exit, all of them being armed to the teeth. He glanced down at his waist, seeing his guns and sword had been taken from him, along with his backpack. He spotted it on a table not far from where he was, being guarded by a heavy set man who was puffing on a cigar.

"So good that you are awake." a voice said, bringing his vision forward. He saw a another goon standing before him, with an iron bucket in his hand, still dripping a bit of water. Takumi smirked, licking his lips.

"Just poking my face would have been fine. You just wasted a bucket of perfectly drinkable water...you know, there are a lot of kids who could have drank that water." he said.

"Tch...smug little shit. You won't be acting that way once the big man gets through with you." the goon replied, stepping aside.

A portly violet skinned man in a white suit walked forward, with slicked black hair and a smug look on his face. Takumi couldn't help but grow frightened by his presence. He had been expecting a normal looking person, but the fact that he was seeing a disgusting shadow was even more surprising. The golden irises reminded him of the ones Erica's shadow had when he faced her. He came to a stop a few feet in front of him, giving him a smirk.

"I'd like to welcome you to one of my warehouses. I don't usually invite guests here, but those that fail to pay me need to be taught a lesson. Two of my men returned this morning with a million yen, asking me to tide over with it. Do you think that's gonna hold me back?"

"I was kinda hoping you'd choke on it. But I guess my intentions were misinterpreted." Takumi replied. The man beside him threw a punch at his face, causing him to scream in both shock and pain. He coughed slightly, spitting on the ground, eyes widening when he saw some red mixed with his saliva. He turned to the shadow guard, giving him a smirk.

"You hit like a pussy." he replied, earning himself another punch to the face.

"I would advise you to stop. I don't want my good friend here to break you before you can pay me." Kaneshiro said, earning a growl from the boy.

"Is that all you care about? You fuckin Charlie Chaplin wannabe looking chode? All you care about is money, not about the lives you are ruining?" Takumi spat, earning punch to the gut from the goon. He gasps of air, tears running down his cheeks.

"Hmm...honestly, money isn't all I think about. But it is mostly on my mind...you don't understand the pleasures of money. It makes the world go round, but earning it is a bit of a pain. So what's wrong about helping people out and asking for a bit of profit from them?"

"You don't invade a person's life and force them to give you money asshole! And you definitely don't put a hit on innocent people, you don't steal their shit just to send a message. If you want money than earn it like an honest person you piece of shit!" Takumi shouted angrily. The goon was about to strike him, only for Kaneshiro to hold his hand up.

"It seems you don't understand yet son...that woman was the one that came to me. She asked me for a loan, and when you borrow money from me, I have to collect. Did she fail to mention all of the loans she took from me? That thirty million wasn't her only debt."

"What are you talking about?"

"Ah...so she didn't tell you? She took out three separate loans, all for her children's education. She set that aside in two separate accounts, the third being for her store, which was close to bankruptcy. When she payed off one of those debts, I knew she had more money. So I decided to collect the sixty million that she still owed me." Kaneshiro replied, turning away from him.

"Mother fucker." he muttered. He sighed, bowing his head sadly, he wasn't aware of just how far his mother had fallen to ensure his sisters futures.

"I see you've realized...it isn't my fault that she owes me money. If anything, she should blame those little girls. The smaller one in particular, she's the one who wants to major in philosophy and in psychology. She's a genius for her age, but geniuses are expensive, a luxury that can't be afforded. She has garnered my interest, I suppose I can take her with me as well. Someone that smart could teach me about the stock market, I could make millions by abusing her brain."

"Fuck you! If you dare touch a hair on her head, I will fucking kill you!" Takumi shouted. The goon slammed his fist into his stomach again, causing him to scream in pain. As soon as he took a breath of air, the man punched him across the face, blood and spit erupting from his mouth.

"You are in no position to be making threats. So here's my proposition, if you don't give my other self all of the money you own, we will destroy your life. I know who you are, Takumi Mashita...and I know you are the heir of Mashita Industries. You can easily get money from daddy dearest. July 9th is your deadline. If not, then I will kill your mother. For every day you are late, I will add ten percent interest. Your little sister Ayumi will take twice as many customers, and little Mitsuhide will help me break into ATMs for money."

"If you think I'd give you my money, you got another thing coming."

"You don't have a choice...unless you want the alternate option. Which is me killing everyone you have ever known and loved. Maybe I can start with your older sister Kanami. She's quite the sexy thing, after she's served her purpose as my personal play thing, I'll sell her off to the highest bidder." he said, a smirk on his face.

"Goddamn dickhead...you think your so smart. You do know my friends are out there right, and they'll find me."

"I doubt it, they aren't smart enough to follow me, nor fast enough. No one can catch up to a car on foot." Kaneshiro said with a smirk.

"Who said they were on foot?" Takumi asked, giving the man a grin. As if on cue, the sound of screeching tires echoed through the warehouse. A large bus slammed through one of the garage doors, drifting to a stop, as the side door opened. Panther held her SMG up, unloading an entire magazine into the guards, her bullets whizzing all over the place.

Skull jumped out a second later, slamming a large bat into the nearest shadow's face. Joker and Fox followed suit, slashing at the nearest ones with a dagger and katana respectively. Kaneshiro backed away in shock, tugging on his suit after a second.

"You thought you were so smart eh, you piece of shit? You didn't even notice us following you!" Skull cried, aiming his shotgun at the man. Mona morphed back into his cat form, holding a scimitar in his paw, ready to spring forward if needed.

"We're gonna say this once...let go of our friend...or else we won't hold back." Joker said, in this most intimidating tone he could muster.

"I must apologize...but I'm not done with him yet. He has yet to understand our deal. You see, unless he pays me the money he owes, all of his friends and family will die. I suppose you all count as friends...you'll be the first to go. Unless that sexy dame in red wants to pay his debt for him."

"God you make me sick. You disgusting bastard, it's one thing to want money, but threatening people's families. So I'm giving you an option, let my friend go and I don't fucking shoot you, deal?" Panther snapped, her aim trained on Kaneshiro's forehead.

"Careful Panther, you know what happens if you kill a persons shadow." Mona said.

"At this point, I don't care...he's a mob boss, good riddance." Skull said.

"No! You can't kill him, I want this fucker to admit his crimes himself. To face the people he's hurt and own up to the lives he's taken. I'm so sick, of people doing this shit to the innocent. To ruin the lives of people who have nothing, who want to make a future for themselves. That fight tooth and nail to secure a future in this twisted world!" Takumi shouted angrily. He growled, pulling on his bindings so hard that they ended up snapping. He stood up from his chair, tossing the zip ties they had used to the ground, clenching his fists angrily.

"What the hell? I thought I told you to tie him up good." Kaneshiro cried.

"We did, he just snapped through the bindings. We shouldn't have used zip ties!" one of the goons cried. Kaneshiro regained his composure, turning to face Takumi, who was glaring at the man, the anger clear in his face.

"It doesn't matter if you are free. You can run, and you can hide...but you will not be able to escape your debt. You will pay me every Yen I am asking for, or else you know what will happen." Kaneshiro said smugly. Takumi started laughing, feeling genuine mirth at the man's threat. Kaneshiro took a step back, not having expected that reaction from the teenager.

"You think your threats scare me? That isn't the case here you fucker. Let me say this in a language you can understand. Fuck you! I will never pay you back, because I don't owe you shit! You think, you can do whatever you want, ruin the lives of whoever you want! The world isn't your fucking bank, and the people in it aren't your ATMs. You can't do as you please without consequence!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the entire warehouse.

" _ **You've kept me waiting. It was about time you remembered how messed up this world can truly be. You had an idea, but now you truly know what it's like. It is standing before you as we speak. You wish to rid the world of people like this gnat before you, if that is what you wish...I shall give you that power."**_

"Yes...that is exactly what I want." Takumi muttered angrily.

" _ **I don't believe you, there is still a bit of hesitation in your voice. You held me back for so long, are you truly ready for this? Do you desire to wipe this man's desires from this world? Are you ready to break the chains that hold you back?"**_

"I understand that you don't believe me. But trust me, I am ready...I have been used my entire life. My father ruined my career and sees me as only his heir, and this guy views me as an ATM. I am sick of the world seeing me as a tool. I'm not an ATM, I'm not a drug addict, I'm not a crackhead drug dealer, and I'm not a fucking tool! I am me, nobody else!" Takumi shouted. He let out a scream, clutching his head in pain, feeling as if someone had driven a spike through his frontal lobe. It was the most excruciating pain he had ever felt, it was like his mind was about to explode.

" _ **I believe you, the first step to acceptance is to believe in yourself. It is time for you to remove the blemish that has been holding you back. Your grand rebirth has finally come, so let's teach the world that we are not it's tool. We are done hiding behind a mask, so let us break thy chains of captivity and extend our wings of rebellion. Society sees you as a blemish, so it's time for us to remove the blemishes that society hides."**_

"I accept it, please lend me your power!" Takumi cried, his screams intensifying as the pain in his head increased. He heard a firm voice chuckle in his mind.

" _ **Very well, I shall lend you my assistance. I am thou, thou art I, ye who has been blemished by society, shall prove thy worth. Go forth and remove thy mask that ye has developed. Show the world thy strength and power!"**_

Takumi's eyes snapping open, irises glowing a brilliant gold. He felt something hard on his face, reaching his hands to it. He felt the smooth, almost metallic mask that had appeared on his face. He felt it at the source of his pain, he needed to remove it. He started clawing at it, feeling it start to rip apart the skin around his face, the warm crimson blood flowed from it. He finally heard the name of the one who had called out to him, his other self. And with a violet scream of rage and pain, he ripped the mask on his face. Moth the metaphorical one and the one that had appeared on his face.

"I summon thee, Phantom of the Opera!" he shouted, an explosion of blue flames swirling around the boy, like a plume of smoke erupting from a volcano. Kaneshiro watched in awe, bullets of sweat rolling down the sides of his face. There was genuine fear as he watched the large creature that had appeared behind the teenager.

It was a tall shadowy man, with darkened skin, hidden by a white mask. He wore a long top hat atop his head, holding the neat black hair down. He was wearing a shredded looking suit, making it look disheveled, as if he hadn't seen the light of day in years. He wore tattered slacks and knee high leather boots. The most noticeable feature was the black wings that came from his back, looking almost angelic as the area was swarmed with floating black feathers, all of them slowly falling to the ground. Takumi held his hand out, his weapons coming toward him, almost as if they were attracted by a magnet. He flapped his cape as he held his mask in his right hand, drawing his blade with his left.

"I can finally breathe easy. I felt that pressure in my chest earlier, and it was something that I wasn't sure was a part of me. But I finally accepted it, just as I accepted this fucked up world. We are done being society's play things. If we don't fit within the norms of society, then we're just gonna have to change it to benefit us. And that starts by getting rid of fuckers like you!"

"Men, cover my escape. Kill them all and let none of them go to the bank!" Kaneshiro shouted, turning tail and running.

"You don't get to run! Not after all of this bullshit! Phantom, let's go!" Takumi shouted, breaking into a sprint racing after the man. His Persona flew behind him, hands glowing a dark violet black as he charged his power into it.

Takumi took a swing at Kaneshiro, only for a large broadsword to block the attack, pushing him back with ease. He landed on his feet, glaring at the shadow that had blocked his path, a tall orc looking creature, with crimson skin and overgrown fangs. He let out a growl, spinning his sword around in his hands.

"I will not let you hurt President Kaneshiro!"

"Fine, if you wanna die then I'll grand you that wish. Phantom of the Opera, Megido!" he chanted. The Phantom let out a ghastly chuckle, throwing the glowing balls of magic at the orc, which exploded on contact. His vicious screams of pain echoed through the warehouse.

"Allow me to get a hit in." Joker said, placing a hand over his mask.

"Go for it Joker. Let's take him down together." Takumi replied, a grin on his face.

"Kikuri-Hime! Mafrei!" Joker chanted, summoning his persona, that of a red skinned female. She held her hand out, sending out several large blue pulses of magic, which exploded on contact, a loud fizzling sound filling the air.

"Captain Kidd! Headbutt!" Skull cried, urging his Persona forward. The large pirate rammed his ship into the orc, sending him flying back. Fox raced forward, slashing at the creature with his katana, chaining each strike to hit all of its weak spots. He jumped back, just as Panther stepped up, placing her hand over her mask.

"Carmen, Maragi!"

The giant twin tailed dancer swung her arm forward, sending a wave of flames at the creature, who let out a shout of pain. He grabbed a hold of its sword and started running forward, aiming a slash at Takumi, who easily dodged the hit. He jumped forward, throwing several speedy slashes of his own, jumping back as he drew his gun, firing it three times in the creatures face.

"Nice job Rook!" Morgana cried, racing forward throwing his own speedy slashes at the creature.

"Thanks, this shit just comes natural to me."

After another round of spells, sword strikes and gunshots, the creature was finally knocked down. Joker gave Takumi a nod, clapping hands with him in a Baton Pass, allowing him to lead the charge. All of them teamed up, taking several slashes at the creature, with Takumi getting the last one. He slammed his knee into the creature's chin, kicking off his chest, rolling on the ground. He let out a scream as he brought his sword down on the creature's skull, cracking it open with ease, blood shooting into the air. He pulled it free and spun his heel, delivering a final slash. He held his hand up, snapping his fingers as a wave of shadowy energy exploded from inside the creature, a smirk on the teenager's face as he finished it off.

"Sing for me, my angel." he said, feeling immense happiness at the death of the shadow. It disappeared into a shadowy wisp of energy. Takumi looked around, trying to find Kaneshiro, seeing the open garage doors. He broke into a run, heading outside of the warehouse, his friends calling his after him. He made it out into the street, watching the black car speed off.

"Come back here, you son of a bitch! We're not through yet...gah!" the boy fell to his knee, his energy being completely spent. He growled with anger, forcing himself to his feet, taking a shaky step forward.

"Hey, what are you doing!? You're completely spent!" Panther cried, grabbing a hold of his arm.

"Let me go Panther...I gotta get him! I gotta fucking destroy him!"

"That's enough Takumi! You wasted all of your energy when you summoned your Persona. You can't keep fighting or you'll get hurt worse than you already are. Calm down, we will get him next time." Joker commanded, causing the boy to stop, falling to his knees right after. He slammed his gloved fist into the pavement, cracking it with ease.

"He said...so many disgusting things...he sees all of society as a fucking bank. There's nothing left to even call human...it's all distorted and sick. It makes me want to puke!"

"That's why we're here dude! We're here to change people like that, so that they learn not to fuck with those who they use. And now, you have the power to help us out." Skull said, giving the boy a grin. Joker stood before the young man, holding his hand out to him. Takumi grabbed a hold of it, and forced himself to stand up, looking at his spirit armor. His eyes widened in shock when he noticed what it was. He saw a store across the street, and started moving toward it, looking at his reflection on the glass.

"No way...this is my spirit armor?" he asked, looking himself over.

"That's right...you look rather dashing in it. If I do say so myself." Fox said, giving the boy a smile.

"This is weird...I saw this outfit in a daydream. Was Phantom of the Opera asking for release this entire time? I feel stupid for forcing the mask back for so long." he said, facing his friends.

"Hey, we all had a hard time ripping our masks off. The important thing is that we did it, and now you have as well...we should get out of here. You're too tired to do anything else...and we still haven't found a way to get into that floating bank." Panther said, earning a nod from the boy.

Just like that, the Metaverse disappeared from around him, a huge relief was finally lifted from his shoulders. He never once thought that he would release something that powerful from within himself. But now that he had, he was going to use it to remove blemishes from society. He would use that power in order to save people from sick bastards like Kaneshiro. And he wouldn't stop until every villain in the world was taken care of, even if he had to act like a thief from now on.


	11. Return of the Songbird

**A/N:**

 **Hello people of Earth, welcome to Chapter 11 of Codename Songbird! I would like to thank everyone for keeping up with the story, I promise from here on out, the story is going to pick up. Now that Takumi has his Persona, we will get to see everything that lead up to him becoming a true Phantom Thief. Like Ren, he will return to the current time, after remembering key points of his journey through The Metaverse as well as taking down each and every target. As I said before, I am going to add in an original Palace and Target, that will be taking place concurrently with Futaba's palace exploration. Takumi is going to handle that one mostly on his own...there is going to be another Persona user among the Phantom Thieves, but they had been left behind during Sae's palace infiltration for reasons that will be explained through the story. But once it's time to tackle Shido's palace, they will be back. You'll be pleasantly surprised at who it is, they will be revealed in the next palace infiltration. We will also get to see Takumi make his own Infiltration tools, on a different level to Joker's but still to the same effect, including honest to goodness smoke grenades and not Stealthinol like Joker makes, because that only reduces the security level of a palace, not aid in escaping.**

 **After Kaneshiro's palace is taken care of, there will be a few chapters of filler. These will be used to increase the bonds between Takumi and his confidants. As I said before, sometimes he will get one or two confidants a day, but that's because I want him to find them as fast as he can so he can start increasing his bond with them. I spent at least three in game hours just trying to get all of my confidants up a few ranks, while also collecting some that I had missed the last time. Still haven't been able to get the Sun and Tower confidants because you get those after August I think...I don't exactly remember. But yeah, Takumi will be getting his confidants soon in fact he gets one in this chapter. I want you all to start paying attention to see if you can figure out the hidden truths of this story as well as what happened in the past. It will slowly start being revealed throughout the story, and by the end of the main story, you will all know what happened.**

 **So for now, I will leave you with this. I hope you all like it, I got a lot of positive feedback on the last chapter, which is great. I thank you all once again, and I'll be seeing you tomorrow!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 11

The Return of the Songbird

 _ **Date: Monday June 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Maaan, I'm beat." Takumi said, dropping into his couch after the walk from the station. The rest of his friends had come along, and thankfully the police had finished their investigation, giving them all some much needed peace of mind.

"Tell me about it, I wasn't expecting you to be a persona user. But damn that was awesome, you got some sort of angel." Ryuji said, sitting on the love seat, while Ren claimed the floor with Morgana. Ann was sitting by the window, using the sill as a seat, while Yusuke was looking around at some of the paintings Erica had hanging from the walls, his eyes narrowed as he gazed at them.

"Bruh...it isn't an angel. He's a fallen hero, at least in my eyes, have you ever read Phantom of the Opera? It's the story of a man with a disfigured face, who uses a mask to hide his blemish from the world. He hides underneath a theater in Paris for years, until a young woman steals his heart with her voice. His name is Eric...and he was always rejected by society, that was the reason for his mask. But in the end, it was love that saved him, and also destroyed him."

"Wow...I wasn't aware of any of that...I mean I had heard the name before, from that American movie." the blond replied.

"All of our Personas have meaning, Captain Kidd was a famous pirate. A legendary one who pilfered and pillaged, he started out as a good man, but ended up turning to piracy in order to secure his own welfare. Zorro was a Mexican Gentlemen, who fought crime and tyrannous villains to save Spanish California."

"Hmm...I never knew that. That gives my persona more purpose, since I want to fight the evils of society, beginning with the ones who raise to power, begetting the lives of the innocent." Morgana said, earning a nod from Takumi.

"Yes, I know quite a lot about my persona, Goemon...a gentlemen thief, who stole money from the rich, and gave it to the poor. He was the rival of an Emperor at the time, and was hunted down for his crimes." Yusuke said, turning to face his friends.

"What about Carmen? Do you know anything about her?" Ann asked curiously. Takumi tilted his head in thought, eyes narrowing slightly.

"If memory serves, Carmen was a beautiful dancer...one who managed to steal the hearts of two men. Both of them fought for her, but she ended up cheating on them both with another man. She was the very first Femme Fatal in literature. At least from my own perspective...she fits you Ann. Behind a beautiful woman, lies a powerful yet sexy person who is able to defend herself with every ounce of her power. She fits you to a T." he said, earning a flush from the girl, who bowed her head in embarrassment.

"What about this guy? What do you know about Arsene?" Morgana asked curiously.

"That one is easy. Arsene Lupin is one of the most well recognized Gentlemen thieves in written history. He stole things, just because he could, and even went toe to toe with Sherlock Holmes. That man is a bonafied badass, and the fact that Ren was able to get help from him...it means something. All of our personas fit us in one way or another, the repressed pirate, the abused gentlemen samurai, the dancer viewed only as a sex object, the phantom who hides his blemishes from society with a mask. The vigilante who keeps the people safe, and the gentlemen thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor. I think this was all more than just fate."

"I think so too, the more I think about it, the more a realize that there's something else at play here. But regardless, we must put all of that aside now and focus on our current dilemma." Ren said, steering the conversation back toward their current objective.

"That's right, Kaneshiro proved to be quite the thorn. I wasn't expecting him to actually kidnap one of us...that means his network is vast. He could have shadow guards stationed all over that alternate Shibuya. There's no doubt we should be on high alert." Morgana said.

"Not only that, we don't have a surefire way of getting into that bank. Takumi's suggestion of getting a grapple gun is good. But having to use one whenever we want to access it, it would be a pain."

"Ann is right, we should find another way into the bank. Keneshiro's cognition could change at any time, but the fact of the matter remains. The only reason he is inaccessible, is because we don't know where he is in reality." Yusuke said.

"So wait...if we track him down in the real world, his cognition will change?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"It happened back with Madarame. Remember? The door that Morgana unlocked, it was one that was proven to Madarame wasn't totally inaccessible. Those precious seconds were all we needed. It's the same principle with Kaneshiro...we find his hideout, and we have a clear cut entrance to the bank."

"Alright...so how do we find him?" Ann asked curiously.

"Hey Ryuji, wanna make a quick buck?" Takumi asked, causing the boy to flip him the bird.

"It isn't like we can just go looking for him. That's dangerous, we could be ambushed at any moment...for now we're gonna have to stay out in the real world and figure something out. If only Makoto wasn't riding our asses." Morgana said, frowning.

"I would say, we could prove our justice with another target, to satisfy her curiosity. But we're in to deep now, that fucker hurt our friend, so we gotta get him back. Besides, we've put too much work into this." the spiky haired blond said, glaring at the floor.

"I got an idea...it's a dangerous one...but one that we're gonna have to take. Bare with me...in order to go into the bank, we gotta find his lair in reality. I'll just ask one of his goons to take me to him."

"What? Are you insane?" Ann cried, shooting to her feet.

"She's right, we can't have you risk your life like that man. Let's try something else, something where none of us risk getting hurt." Ren added.

"There's no other way guys. If the cops haven't found him, do you think six teenagers and a cat will find him? Realistically, one of us going there in person is the only way to change his cognition." the boy replied, leaning back in his seat.

"I hate to admit it, but he is correct in that assumption. You yourself said it, Madarame's heart opened further when his hidden studio was revealed."

"It's still too dangerous, let's sleep on it. We'll meet at the hideout tomorrow to discuss further plans. Takumi is spent from what happened in the Metaverse, and we're all pretty tired from the day's events." Ren said, receiving a chorus of agreements from his friends.

"Well, guess it's time for me to go home. Last thing I want is for the trains to stop running before I get there. Don't do anything reckless Takumi, and before I forget, welcome to the fold." Ryuji said.

"Yeah, we'll have to throw you a welcome party sometime...maybe after we beat that disgusting gnat, Kaneshiro." Ann said.

"Yes, I believe it would be a wonderful opportunity to further increase our knowledge of each other. I would also like more time to examine the art your mother has placed on her walls. This cat painting is quite intriguing." Yusuke said, pointing to a painting which showed a Siamese cat, opened mouth behind a red and black backdrop, with lasers shooting out of its eyes.

"Hehe, yeah that one is a weird painting. Still have no idea where she got it, or why she bought it for that matter." he replied, rubbing his neck.

"You sure you're gonna be safe here all by yourself?" Ren asked curiously. Takumi nodded, walking over to one of the paintings that his mother had placed on either side of the big screen television. Hidden behind it was a safe, which he quickly opened. He reached inside, pulling out the gun that rested within, a 9mm Beretta M9.

"Mom left this behind, in case I needed it for something. She knows guns are highly illegal here, but as a store owner, she has a permit. If I use it for self defense, especially against the mob, I'll be cleared of all charges. Let's hope it doesn't come to that, yeah?"

"You know...I've seen a lot of model guns. But seeing a real one is...different. I really hope you know how to use that thing man."

"Trust me, I'm quite knowledgeable with firearms. However, I have an idea for my role in this little group of ours. I'll give you more details tomorrow at the hideout. Go on, don't keep your families waiting." Takumi said, gesturing for them to leave. As they left, Ann paused, glancing over her shoulder, giving him a firm look.

"Are you sure you'll be fine here by yourself? I wouldn't mind staying for the night."

"I'll be fine Ann, you take care of yourself, and Ryuji. That kid needs all the help he can get."

"Hey! I heard that you bastard!" the muffled voice of the blond haired young man came from down stairs. His anger clear in his tone. Takumi chuckled, shaking his head. Ann gave him one last wave as she left, making sure to lock the door behind her. Takumi sighed, dropping into one of the couches, his grip in the gun loosening a bit.

"What a day...it's been far too long since I've felt this tired."

" _You finally came to realize your power. You held back for quite awhile, I told you last time didn't I? I would return to you when the time was right."_

"Huh? Phantom? What are you talking about?"

" _Call me Eric, it is my name after all. Do you not recall our deal the last time I was summoned? Or did that retch erase your memories?"_

"I have no idea what you are talking about man...who erased my memories? Is that even possible? Well, if people can fight with their alternate selves, I guess mind wipes are possible."

" _So I was correct...I fear what could happen should I tell you anything. I regret this, but you'll have to uncover this information yourself. In order to save the world from ruin, to rescue Lavenza from the state she is currently in...you must awaken to your true power. For now, we shall aid the Wild Card, as best we can."_ Eric said, causing the boy to furrow his brows.

"Lavenza...who is she? Why is she always on my mind...every time I think of her name, I can hear her voice. It's filled with so much sorrow, it just pains my heart. Have we met her before Eric?" he asked curiously.

" _Indeed, Lavenza is a kind soul. But her fate was sealed in stone, just as was the fate of everyone and everything else. It will be up to you, to rescue her from what she has become. Trust no one but those close to you, and even then, trust none but yourself. At any given moment, one of them could pull the trigger and end your life."_

"You seriously think my friends would do that to me?" he replied.

" _I am only warning you...for now you must rest. After what transpired today, you will need to save your strength."_

"Fair enough...I guess I'll see you when I see you. Thanks for bailing me out back there, I'll be sure to rely on you from now on." Takumi said, walking toward the door, locking all of the locks on the door. He barred the doors with a chair, just in case.

After grabbing a quick shower, and making sure all of the doors in the house were closed, Takumi entered his own bedroom. He made sure he had everything he would need for the night, so he would minimize the times he would have to leave during the night. He made sure he had an escape rope tied to his bed frame in case he needed to jump out the window, and had his gun tucked under his pillow beside him, along with a knife should he need it. He smirked inwardly as he settled into his bed, covering himself lightly with the sky blue bed sheets.

"One day with the Phantom Thieves and I'm already thinking like one. Multiple escape routes, weapons, food and water...this is almost like a personal hideout. This story could write itself." he said with a chuckle. He felt the stress of the day finally overwhelm him, and his eyes fluttered close, and he fell into a deep slumber.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday June 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX  
**_

 _ **Time: Night**_

 _ **Location: Unknown**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi's eyes opened, as he found himself in a rather familiar looking cell. He slowly sat up, the rattling chains pulling him out of his revere. As he stood up, he started looking around, walking all the way forward until he was forced to stop by the iron bars in front of him. He peered through them, meeting the eyes of Igor, who was giving him a grin. The twins stood at either side of the bars, arms crossed as they looked up at him.

"You have returned, just as I expected. How does it feel, to finally be able to look at society without that mask on your face?" Igor asked, a smirk on his face.

"It feels great...liberating. I no longer have to hide behind that mask that I spent so long crafting. I can finally show the world the true me, and with this power I will change the world. I suppose I have you to thank, in some way shape or form."

"It is my duty to guide those who are our guests. Since you were a guest here previously, it is our supreme duty to ensure your rehabilitation flows smoothly." the man replied.

"Make sure you heed our master's words Inmate! They carry a lot of wisdom, so don't waste his time by not listening." Caroline snapped, giving the boy a glare.

"I wasn't going to ignore him. At this rate, his presence is sort of welcoming...it reminds me of her...whoever she was to me, in the past. Why am I here? Who am I to you? And what does this rehabilitation mean for me?" Takumi asked curiously, earning a chuckle from the long nosed man.

"Very interesting questions indeed. But I'm afraid the answers you seek aren't here, you will have to search for them on your own. Now that you have awoken to your Persona, you will be able to benefit those around you, your friends. More importantly, the Wild Card. Your bonds will in turn make him grow stronger."

"My bonds?"

"Correct, in the real world there are people who are like you. They hide behind masks, silently wishing they could help change society. It is these bonds that will in turn grant you power. Due to past transgressions, you will not be able to recover the power you once had. But these bonds shall be converted to aid the Wild Card." Justine said, earning a curious look from the boy.

"In other words, get out there and talk to people Inmate! The more friends you make, the more bonds you create. And in turn, the more power that other Inmate gets, get it?" Caroline cried.

"Hmm...alright. So I guess I just have to help them rip off their masks right?"

"If that is how you wish to see it, then so be it. And as you will understand, the bond that you and I share shall also be turned into power. Go forth and create as many bonds as you can, but they cannot be superficial friendships. They must be iron clad bonds, and those who hold them shall become your confidants."

"Confidants...I like it, since I'm a Phantom Thief, it would be good to have associates who would help me. Yes, I think this will do just fine...alright then, I'll make my bonds with people stronger." Takumi said, giving the man a nod.

"Wonderful, I'm sure our relationship will grow to be quite strong. I shall give you the ability to see everything around you in a new light. A sixth sense if you will, develop it well so that your heists can prove evermore fruitful." Igor said, earning a nod from the teenager.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Judgment Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Arcana Acquired: The Judgment)xxx**_

"I have no doubt that you will become a fine thief. With these bonds you shall create, you will indeed help the Wild Card prevent ruin. Aim toward completing your rehabilitation." Igor said firmly.

"We shall provide aid when possible, as well as give our knowledge when needed. With this key, you shall be able to return to the Velvet Room whenever you so desire. It would be wise to check in with us from time to time, Inmate." Justine said, holding her hand out to reveal a platinum colored key, the top being round and blue in color, with a golden V printed on it. He took the key into his own hand, watching it disappear into his body.

"Just because you have this key, doesn't mean you can show up whenever you want Inmate. Your presence here only serves to disturb us at best, so come only when you need to!" Caroline snapped, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"I will...hmm...there's something familiar about you two. Have we met before? I mean, before the last time?" he asked. The twins shared a look, with Justine stepping before her sister.

"We have not...these feelings you have must be nostalgia. At least, in this iteration we haven't met you. It is odd...we do not seem to remember anything at length of what happened. It comes to us in short vague episodes. You said a name last time that stuck out to us, would you mind saying it again?"

"Justine, don't speak so casually with him!" Caroline cried, only to be ignored by her sister.

"The name you want is Lavenza...if you find it's meaning, do let me know. I wish to find out what she means to me. This world is starting to fade, I suppose it's morning right?"

"Yes...please return to your world and enjoy your restful slumber. If you need help, we will always be here to guide you." Justine said, giving the boy a bow as he slowly disappeared, returning to the real world. As he faded, she couldn't help but ponder on the name she had gotten from him, and why it stuck out in her mind so much.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday June 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Early Morning**_

 _ **Location: Central Street(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

Normally, Takumi would be on his way to school like a diligent student. But after what had happened before, he wasn't taking any chances. He had been able to salvage one thing from the store that had been hidden in the Organ room two floors underneath the store. A beautiful acoustic guitar, one that his mother had been saving for a special occasion. Thankfully, the guitar would serve its purpose, despite it being an ugly one. He had worked carefully to remove the back of the guitar, and not damage it at all. The hollowed out instrument would serve as a storage device for the weapon he was planning to get. Of course it was just a model, but it would be necessary for his transgressions in the other world.

He was going to dive into his new role as a Phantom Thief wholeheartedly, and for that he needed to be prepared. He didn't know what awaited him in that bank, but he knew silence was the key to get into any place undetected. To have the upper hand during battle would also be great, and if he could eliminate strong shadows before they noticed, that would be a great boon for him and his teammates. So, he decided to do a bit of shopping before he went to school. He opened the door that lead inside Untouchable, surprised to see it was open this early in the day. Just as he expected, the store owner was at the counter, glancing at his magazine.

"Ain't it a bit too early to come waltzing in here kid?" he asked, having glanced up briefly at him.

"Maybe...but I've run into a bit of a dilemma. Those pieces you sold be before are excellent...but sadly they don't have the impact I need to defend myself. Let's just say...I'm in a bad way...a friend of mine said you were the right guy to talk too. And since you hooked me up with a good price last time, I was wondering if you could help me again."

"Depends on what kinda help you're looking for. As I said before, I ain't getting ya anything real. I doubt you're even ready for the big boy selection." he said with a smirk. Takumi stopped by the counter, resting the guitar case next to the glass showcase. He took out a wooden box, placing it in front of the man.

"I'm sure this is enough to cover anything and everything I might need." he said. Iwai pulled the box forward, flipping the top, eyes widening when he saw all of the stacks of Yen neatly placed inside. He nodded, pressing a button underneath the counter, causing the locks on the front door to click shut. He clicked a few things on his laptop, before giving the boy a firm look.

"Flip that sign for me. The cameras are off, so let's just say they "malfunctioned" and didn't record any of this." he said. Takumi gave him a smirk, walking toward the door, flipping the sign from Open to Closed.

"Whatever it is you want kid, I'll let you have it for this. Six million is a hefty amount, and that my friend will get you the very best of the best."

"Good to know...now, show me that big boy selection you were talking about. And leave nothing behind." Takumi said, a grin on his face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday June 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Underground Walkway(Shibuya, Hideout)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

"You've been carrying that guitar case around with you all day. I knew you lived in a music store, but do you truly have talent?" Ryuji asked.

"Trust me, I have talent. Music goes hand in hand with acting, and I am very much looking forward to teaching you all how. Once we have some time, I will teach you a bit of acting so you can perfect your masks. You'll need them for your daily lives, after all this is a pretty big secret." Takumi replied, jumping up to the railing, sitting down on top of it.

"Okay then, let's get this meeting underway. Yesterday, we were able to find Kaneshiro's palace, but entree still eludes us. I spoke with some of my fellow students at Kosei, but I was unable to find a proper location." Yusuke said, a frown on his face.

"Same here, I chatted up that Iida kid, but he clammed up. Never said anything about a location, all he said was that he picked up an envelope from a box and delivered it." Ryuji said.

"That jives with what I got. Sadly, I wasn't able to get anything, even when I was using my looks as a weapon." Ann said, brushing one of her twin tails over her shoulder.

"What about you two? Find anything useful?" Takumi asked, glancing at Ren and Morgana. The frizzy haired boy shook his head, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"We got zilch I'm afraid...all of the information we got is current. There is absolutely nothing we can do. Without gaining entree into his palace, we're at a stand still. If only there was a way to meet the real Kaneshiro." the black feline muttered.

"Guess we're back to square one...or would that be square three since we got far ahead?"

"I dunno Ann, why don't you roll the dice and take a chance?" Takumi said with a grin, earning a confused look from the girl. He sighed, shaking his head.

"After we're done here, I'm gonna have you listen to some of my favorite bands. What do you normally listen too? I bet you it's all crap."

"It is not! I like indie pop, is that a crime?"

"Sort of. Indie rock it's where its at, especially with the post hardcore. I'm gonna teach you the awesomeness of a guitar solo, when it's done right. Not when it's run through a goddamn computer program." he said, giving her a wink.

"As long as you don't make me listen to weird crap, I guess I'm down to finding new music."

"Heads up, here comes the Prez." Ryuji said, glancing up from his cellphone. The five teenagers straightened up at the sight of their Student Council President. Despite her efforts to appear calm, it was obvious to Takumi that she was dealing with a lot of personal issues. He was actually concerned, judging by her body language, something must have happened.

"Hello...it's nice to see you all gathered here like this. So, is this where you strategize?"

"Why did you come here? Did you get bored of looking from afar?" Ryuji snapped, rising to his feet. Makoto kept a calm face, keeping her hands behind her back.

"I just saw all of you here together. I figured I could ask how everything is coming along."

"We aren't doing well if that's what you want to know. Honestly, I would appreciate it if you let go of your little threat. I'm dealing with heavier shit than you could imagine. My entire family, has a gun to their head...and I don't need you ratting us out to the cops like a damn snitch." Takumi said, his voice laced with anger as he jumped down from the railing, standing tall and firm. The young woman looked rather intimidated, but still remained unopposed.

"I'm sorry, but I am just doing what's right, in order to help the student body. You don't even know what I am going through."

"It can't be any better than what Takumi is going through. He got threatened to pay money he doesn't have. His mother, is going to get killed, and his little sister is gonna get turned into a fucking hooker. So unless you got some important shit to share with us, take your damn leave." Ryuji said firmly, inches away from the brunette who backed away from him.

"I see you guys are quite busy. I'll just let you handle this yet, just remember, you got nine days left."

"Yeah, we know. As if we needed any more useless information from you. Honestly, if you wanna try and help us, then get us some new information. You are useless to us otherwise." Ann snapped. Makoto's eyes widened a bit, clenching her hand tightly.

"Useless? I am not useless." the girl hissed, holding back her anger. Takumi stood between the two girls, holding his hands out before them.

"Alright ladies, let's just stay calm. We're all stressed out alright, we don't need two time limits on our asses. I could care less if I get reported to the cops, so long as my family is safe, I don't care. But let's not throw fists in a crowded walkway, yeah?"

"I wasn't gonna hit her Takumi...that wouldn't solve anything." Ann muttered, glancing away from the brunette. She crossed her arms, a pout on her lips as she kept her gaze away from Makoto. The girl took a deep breath, grabbing a hold of her skirt, her knuckles turning white.

"So...you guys want to get in contact with Kaneshiro? Alright then...I'll get you a meeting with him." she said. With that she turned around, steadily walking away, heading toward Station Square.

"What the fuck is she thinking? Is she insane?" Ryuji cried, his face being one of surprise.

"I think she might have bigger balls than all of us."

"Like I said before, women don't hesitate! Let's go after her!" Morgana cried, ignoring Ren's comment. Takumi grabbed his guitar case, slinging it over his shoulder, making sure the strap was tight. He started walking in the direction Makoto had taken, hoping she hadn't gotten too far.

"I'm sorry...if I hadn't called her useless, she might have not done this."

"It wasn't your intention Ann...things just happen. You said what we were all feeling...so you needn't blame yourself." Yusuke said, causing her to sigh.

"Hey, it's alright okay? We'll just stop her before she does anything rash...that's all we can afford to do...at this point." Takumi said, giving her a reassuring smile.

It wasn't long before they made it to Central Street. It was less empty than normal, with a few officers calmly walking around. The six teenagers continued walking forward, acting as normal as possible. Takumi went as far as faking boredom, his face looking like that of a student that had just gotten out of a long exam. He started looking around, trying to find the brunette, but in a sea of similar styles and hair colors, it was hard to pick her out. Especially with the Shujin uniform she was wearing. They all heard a phone start ringing, stopping in their tracks as they looked at Ren, who reached for his phone, seeing an unknown number on it. He took the call, holding it to his ear.

"Hello?"

" _Amamiya...it's Makoto Nijima. Don't hang up, make sure this line stays on."_

"What's she planning?" Yusuke muttered, as he stared at his friend's phone. All he could hear were footsteps, along with the light pants of the young woman as she walked. She was most likely scared and nervous about what she was about to do, adding to her desperation. Finally, she spoke, rather loudly in fact.

" _Hey you two...I'd like to get in contact with Kaneshiro!"_

"Oh...that idiot! Come on, let's try to find her!" Ryuji said, sprinting off into the crowd. Takumi followed after, keeping his eyes open, peeking inside every alleyway they passed.

" _Where are you taking me?"_

" _You wanted to meet the boss, he said get in the car."_

" _I'm not getting in there, not until you tell me where Kaneshiro is!"_

" _The boss said get the fuck in the car!"_

It wasn't long after that they came to a stop in front of an alleyway, which lead to a nearby gym. At the end of the street was a familiar looking black car, along with two men dressed in rather fancy clothes. Ren held his hand up, pointing to the alleyway, phone still held in his grip. Ryuji and Yusuke ran ahead, hoping to catch up with the car before it peeled away.

"NO! Dammit! They got away!" the blond shouted.

"We gotta follow them, quick Ryuji...call a cab!" Ann cried out. The boy nodded, stepping to the curb, holding his hand out. A taxi shot past him at blazing speeds, making him stomp his foot in anger.

"Dammit, he didn't stop!" he shouted. Takumi looked around, seeing two men standing next to a motorcycle, both of them looking quite excited about something. He ran toward them, startling them out of their conversation.

"I need to borrow this bike, it's urgent."

"What? Get lost kid, I just got it. I spent a million yen on it, and I ain't letting some brat take it." the man said. Takumi reached into his guitar case, tossing the man four thick stacks of bills, much to his surprise.

"There's four million, give me the fuckin keys, right now!" he exclaimed, glaring at the man.

"Alright man, sheesh...if you want it that bad." the man said, handing him the keys. He got on the motorcycle, putting the helmet on his head and securing it on. He slipped the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life. He hit the throttle as hard as he could, placing his foot on the ground to aid in his turning. He came to a stop beside his friends, who had finally hailed a cab.

"Did you get the license plate?" he asked.

"I did, N-40363. It's a black car, and it looks like it got stuck in that traffic up ahead, we can still catch up to it." Yusuke said.

"There's no more space in here...Ann, you're gonna have to ride with him." Ryuji said.

"Ugh...fine, give me that helmet." the girl cried, taking the other helmet from Takumi. Once she had placed it on her head, she climbed onto the motorcycle, wrapping her arms around the boy's waist. He let go of the brakes

"Hang on tight, we're gonna nab these fuckers." he said, earning a nod from the girl. As soon as he was clear, the teenage sped off, ducking and weaving between cars, keeping his eyes trained on their license plates.

"Do you know how to drive one these?"

"My uncle lives in Hawaii, I got my driver's license there when I turned sixteen. Don't worry about it...look for the plate." he said.

"Oh, right!" she said, looking around frantically, glad that all of the lights were still green. She saw a black car turning into another street, matching the plate numbers that Yusuke had sketched.

"Right there, it just turned into this street!" she cried. Takumi hit the brakes, drifting to a stop. He shifted gears a second later, once again regaining his speed. He glanced at his rear view mirror, seeing the black cab following close behind.

"Jesus Christ, I still can't believe this shit...what an idiot!" Takumi muttered, turning in time to avoid slamming into another car. He was honestly glad there weren't any police officers around. He silently prayed for them to stay away.

"Tell me about it, this is gonna end up bad for all of us." Ann said, doing her best to hang on, having issues due to Takumi's guitar case. He saw the car turn into another street and quickly slammed his brakes, placing his foot on the ground so they wouldn't fall over. He let them get some distance before following them again, the last thing he wanted was for them to take notice.

A few minutes of reckless driving later, Takumi finally arrived, having shifted the motorcycle into neutral so it wouldn't make noise. He watched closely from between two buildings, seeing the two men dragging Makoto into what looked like a night club. Takumi flicked his wrist, turning the motorcycle's engine off, pulling his helmet off his head. Ann climbed off the biker, legs quivering for a few seconds.

"Wow...that was really fun...think we can go for another ride again?"

"Maybe some other time. I still don't have my motorcycle license here." he said. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small cylindrical tube from within, pulling on it to extend it. He peered through it, seeing the club's entrance with clarity.

"Is that...a telescope?"

"Yeah...figured it would come handy in a palace. We can't run around without scoping the area beforehand, especially securing a path to the treasure. Didn't think it would become this handy so fast. Take a look, seems Kaneshiro's got himself a night club." he said, handing her the scope.

She closed one of her eyes, peering through the scope, leaning down a bit. Takumi, who was kneeling down on his knee, glanced up at the alleyway, seeing his friends walking toward them. He also managed to get a good view of Ann's black bra, making the boy rapidly turn his head. His cheeks tinged red, and he started feeling a bit hot.

"What did you find?" Ren asked curiously.

"An operation, we found the fucker's hide out. Makoto was taken in there, take a look." Ann said, holding out the scope to him.

"Let's not waste time, I heard some movement on the other line. I'm sure they're already listening to us. Since we lost the element of surprise, we might as well go barging in, gun blazing." Morgana said.

"I would agree, we got nothing to lose in this case. Let us go." Yusuke said, taking the lead as he stalked toward the club. The others followed along, surprised to see the blue haired artist, throwing the doors open, both of them slamming open with a bang. The six teenagers walked in, glaring at the portly man sitting in a square shaped booth, the sounds of reggae being blasted through the speakers.

"How dare you just barge in here like that? You little shits!" one of the goons said firmly.

"What the fuck are you doing to her? Let her go, you asshole!" Ryuji shouted, glaring at the men that were holding Makoto to the ground, keeping her hands behind her back.

"You wanna know what really pisses me off...when little shits like you seven, think you can do whatever you want. You don't know what world you've stepped into, I'm afraid. Well...one of you already does...fancy seeing you here Mashita...have you come for your debt?" Kaneshiro said, earning a glare from the actor.

"What happened to the money I gave your men? Did you burn through it already? Or are you keeping it warm like some sick nest egg? Maybe it'll hatch into a golden goose if you sit on it long enough." he replied sarcastically. The man growled angrily, grabbing a hold of his briefcase, snapping the locks open.

"How much did you say that purse was? The crocodile one?"

"That one? Like three million yen." the woman beside him said. He grabbed several stacks of money, handing it to the girl, who squealed happily.

"Go on, buy yourself that purse. You deserve it." Kaneshiro said, watching the woman run out the door, whooping for joy. He leaned back, puffing on his cigar.

"What the hell was that? Are you proud of the money you've swindled from everyone?" Ryuji said.

"Don't you know? Spending money is a great stress reliever...so when I'm royally pissed, I spend money. And now, there's a three million yen gap in my briefcase. It's gonna have to get replaced somehow...and you are all fine looking teenagers."

"Man, you actually think I'd work to pay you back?" Takumi snapped, earning a grin from the boy.

"Not you in particular...I left that slut mother of yours a note didn't I? Fifty million yen, or else she dies. But you look like a young able man...we can call it square at thirty million, but you're gonna have to sell for me." he said.

"How dare you? How dare you say stuff like that!" Makoto cried, struggling to free herself.

"The world is a tough place honey...money makes it go around. Since you look like strong and capable young men and women, I'll give you some time. Normally, it would be three months but...since there are a lot of you, I think three weeks should suffice. Summer's right around the corner, and so are those bonuses. If you ask, maybe you can get it from your mommies and daddies." Kaneshiro said tauntingly, earning a growl from Ryuji.

"I'm not paying you for shit! We don't owe you anything Kaneshiro!" he cried. The man smirked, holding up Makoto's phone, snapping a picture of the six teenagers.

"Wow, what a nice picture...I think I'll send it to your school. Whoops, I got some booze in there...and some drugs. Is that a gun? That wouldn't look good on a school record. So, if you don't want me to leak these pictures to your school...then you'll pay me back every yen by July 9th. That date should be familiar for you, Mr. Mashita...the same goes for you...you sell for me, or you pay me fifty million yen. Or else you're mother is going to take one between the eyes, and I'll take your little sister as my slave."

"You leave them out of this you mother fucker. Whatever you got, you take it out on me. If you're gonna kill anyone, you kill me. You don't touch them, or I swear I'll..."

"You'll what? What will _you_ do? A social reject, viewed as nothing but a drug addict in this world. If I leak this picture, it'll prove all of those rumors right...you'll never be able to score another acting gig again...that sounds more tempting than killing your family. But I'm a man of my word...so you know what to do...and as for you Miss Nijima."

"Huh?" Makoto muttered, glancing up at the man, who bared his sickly yellowed teeth at her.

"You'll have to take some customers for me, if you want to be squared. You know, you have a beautiful older sister...it would be a shame if these pictures reached her office. She'd be so destroyed, she'd have to quit in shame, and then I'll bring her here. Once I'm done finding uses for her, I'll sell her off to the highest bidder...you've been warned. Three weeks, or your lives will cease to exist. Cut them loose." Kaneshiro said. Takumi smirked, taking a step toward Kaneshiro, causing the men around him to point their rifles at him. He had been thinking about doing something, remembering the entrance to the man's palace had still eluded them. He had a hunch, and he wanted to see if it would indeed help him out.

"How about we make a deal, I'm the heir of Mashita Incorporated, meaning I have quite a lot of money in my control. Call off the hit on my mother, and I'll add another fifty million to your pot. One hundred million yen, and as a sign of good faith. Here's the last five million I got on me." he said, tossing the man a box of money. He grabbed a hold of it, peering inside with greedy eyes. He counted all of it, a smirk on his face.

"You want to call off the hit...that's fine, but someone's gonna have to get pegged. You gonna take a bullet instead of your mom?"

"Nah...you best be saving that bullet...because you're gonna be needing it. Trust me." he said. The man smirked, leaning back in his seat.

"A hundred million yen in three weeks, your friends get off with just three." he said. Takumi held his hand out to the man, who gave it a firm shake, much to the surprise of his friends. The brunette turned around, walking out of the night club as if he had found his true calling in life. Once they made it back to the alleyway, Ryuji came to a stop, glaring at the young actor.

"Are you fucking insane? How could you make a deal with that dick head?"

"Yeah, I thought you wanted to get back at him, not pay him more money." Ann said firmly.

"I know...and I'm still getting back at him. I'll explain later, for now let's get as far away from here as possible." he said, walking over to his bike, kicking the stand on it, pushing it forward once he had shifted it into neutral. The others just shrugged, wanting to get away from the night club as fast as possible.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"I'm sorry guys...I acted a little rash back there." Makoto said, looking apologetic at the six teenagers.

"A little?" Ryuji asked, still shocked at the actions she had taken.

"It may have been a little rash, but she wanted to be useful to us. She managed to get us to Kaneshiro's location. So her actions weren't for naught, even though it was quite dangerous." Yusuke said, arms crossed as he faced the young woman.

"Hey...maybe she managed to change Keneshiro's cognition. Now we might be able to get into his palace." Morgana said, looking up at the teens.

"There's still what Takumi did too...I need an explanation for that...you were acting out of character." Ren said, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Tis but an act my friend...I just channeled my anger and let my acting take over. All of the stuff that you saw back there was just an act...I needed to extract information from him and he did. He wants us to bring him money...if we follow his logic, that would make us ATMs in his world." Takumi said, grinning at the five teenagers who had looks of realization on his face.

"That's right...and the ATMs in Keneshiro's palace are his customers. So that means he has to let us into his bank. Because we're his source of revenue...you're a genius Takumi!" Morgana said, causing Makoto too look down at him.

"Uh...is that a cat? Why are you talking to it?" she asked.

"Huh? Oh that's Morgana...he's a friend of ours. Don't worry, we'll explain everything once we get there. We're gonna make the jump, so be prepared." Ann said, pulling her phone from her bag.

"What?"

A few seconds later, the world disappeared, returning them to the distorted Shibuya from before. Just like the day before, Kaneshiro's palace was flying in the air, sucking up money from the ATMs that were walking around. Makoto gasped in shock, looking around her, taking in her surroundings. She turned to face the others, backing away from them.

"What...who are you?"

"Makoto, it's us."

"Takamaki? And your...Amamiya...what are you all wearing?" she asked curiously.

"This is our spirit armor, it protects us from the distortions here!"

"Gah...some kind of monster cat?!"

"I'm not a monster cat!" the black feline replied, sounding quite distressed.

"Makoto, this is a world within Kaneshiro's heart. This is how he views Shibuya...and all of us, as his personal ATMs. We're nothing but a bank to him, and his bank is floating right above us. Until now, we weren't able to enter it, but thanks to you. We were able to change his cognition...we should be able to get into the palace now." Takumi explained. She blinked a few times, seemingly understanding everything.

"Are you confused? We can explain it some more if you would like." Yusuke said, causing her to shake her head.

"No...I understand...this is the world where Kaneshiro's cognition forms desires. So finding Kaneshiro's real location, got us in debt with him, in turn making us customers here. So that means, we should be able to get into that bank up there." Makoto said, taking a few daring steps forward. Just as expected, a long metallic ramp came down from the bank, slamming down into the ground in front of them.

"Look at that, a ramp...Takumi was totally right about this."

"Excuse me...codenames?" Morgana said, glaring at Ryuji who gave him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry...it's Rook right?"

"Actually, it's something else...and now that we're here, I can show you what I got with me." he said, taking off his large guitar case, placing it on the ground. He flicked it open, pulling out the guitar that rested within.

"Seriously...a guitar? Why would you bring that here, are you gonna sing them to death?"

Takumi rolled his eyes, spinning the guitar around. He carefully slipped a small screw driver into a gap that he had left open. He pulled the back off, showing his friends what lied within.

"I got you all new weapons...free of charge of course...well, at least for you. Panther, you get yourself a this Mack 11, with three fifty round magazines.

"Whoa...this is insane. It feels real...it's a model right? This isn't real?"

"It's real only in our buddy Kaneshiro's cognition. Joker, .50 caliber, semi-automatic Desert Eagle. It fires seven rounds per magazine, I was able to get you four, and some blanks." he said, handing his new leader the chrome firearm. The boy tested its weight, a grin on his face.

"I like it...can't wait to fire it."

"Neither can I, if I'm being honest. Ryuji, my man...this one is yours. I had to take it apart, but it was rather easy to put it back together. Ithaca M37 Riot Shotgun. Holds six rounds in the tube, one in the chamber. Got you three boxes of blanks, don't waste them." he said, handing the teenager the items he had pulled out.

"Sick...it feels so fuckin real too." he said. Takumi closed up the guitar, since it had been emptied of its contents.

"What about me?" Morgana asked. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a sling shot, made entirely out of metal, along with some arm straps and a bag of lead balls.

"Here you are, you can strap this one to your arm so you can still swing your sword. It has clips so it holds the bands without them flying around, and you can fill one of your pouches with these balls." he said, earning a purr from the cat, who quickly strapped his new slingshot to his arm.

Takumi slipped his finger inside a hold at the bottom of the case, pulling the red felt bottom. Revealing a few more weapons, he was honestly glad that this case was rather big. It weighed quite a lot with everything inside, so being able to hide all of it had been a strain. Thankfully, he was able to mask his strain easily with his acting skills. He pulled out a small compact rifle, with a small scope attached to it, and four fifty around magazines.

"Yusuke, this one is yours. This is a model based on a small rifle, called the Honey Badge. With just a change of a magazine, you can go from firing subsonic ammunition, to supersonic ammunition. This gun has a built in suppressor, that muffles out the sounds. You can fire it in semi-automatic to conserve ammo, or hit the fun switch and light up. I got you four magazines, two subsonic, two super sonic, along with two cases of a hundred blanks. x5.56mm rounds." he said.

"Many thanks, I wasn't aware that you were so knowledgeable on firearms."

"Trust me, you work on enough movies, and you learn a thing or two about guns. Especially in America, I hate to admit it, but my uncle is a gun freak. He has his own bunker filled with shit like this...and now, I'm going to show you my gun...I ended up trading one of my pistols for this, having to leave it at home. I wanted to give the shadows a fighting chance after all."

"Pfft...this gun must be good if you went through the trouble." Makoto said. He pulled out several parts from within the fix, quickly assembling the firearm, until he had it entirely set up.

"Here it is, the Springfield M1A1 Super Mach. I selected these parts specifically for my role during this little infiltration. I got a standard suppressor, which will muffle my shots. I also attached a bipod to the front, so I could lie down and take my shots once I get a good vantage point, but that isn't entirely necessary. The scope attached to it is a Vortex Viper, zeroed in for mid to long range shooting. Thanks to the design of this scope, I don't even have to readjust it. I can fire it in the light, in the dark and everything in between. The extended forty round magazine ensures that I don't have to change mags often, so I can make use of every single bullet fired. I got five of these magazines just in case. It has a pistol grip lower, AR 10 upper and muzzle with a new gas block, ergonomic trigger and trigger guard. Magpul buttstock that's extendable so I can change it to my needs and...are you even listening?"

"Dude, you fucking lost us when you said Vortex Viper...I don't even know half of this shit. How the fuck were you able to get something like this...all of this in fact?" Ryuji asked...earning a frown from the boy.

"Let's just say...I had to dish out the last of my savings. That money I gave to Kaneshiro today...very sophisticated counterfeits. Though I doubt anyone will care at that point. If he mixes it with real money, he won't know. But that's why it is imperative that we finish this task, before he finds out." Takumi replied.

"Don't worry we will...now that Makoto helped us with the location, we can storm his bank and end this charade of his." Ann said, giving him a smile. The boy turned to Makoto, reaching behind his back, pulling out a model revolver, a .357 Magnum, along with several speed loaders from his pocket.

"I had a feeling someone might tag along, so I bought that just in case. Trust me, you're gonna need it."

"Okay...thanks Takumi...I appreciate it."

"Wait...you have to call us by Codename here...we can't afford to have our real names exposed." Mona said firmly.

"We haven't told her yet. This is Joker, he's our leader...then there's me, Skull, Panther...Mona, Fox and Rook."

"Actually Skull...I'd like to formally change my codename. Did you know, that Air Force One isn't called Air Force One, unless the President of the United States is aboard?" he said, confusing the others.

"Uh...what does that have to do with this?" Mona asked curiously.

"I wasn't a Phantom Thief before, so that's why I had picked Rook as a name. But now that I am, I'm changing codenames...from now on, and for as long as we continue doing this, I'd like for you all to call me Songbird."

"Songbird? Is there a meaning behind it?" Ren asked curiously.

"No...there isn't...it's just that...we're gonna make Kaneshiro sing like a bird after we're done here that...I wanted something to commemorate this wonderful occasion."

"Hehe...spoken like a true thief. Alright then Songbird, lead the charge, take us to Kaneshiro National Bank of Bullshit." Skull said, pushing the young man forward. His grip tightened on his rifle as he started walking up, his boots clanging on the metal with every step he took. He narrowed his eyes, anger flowing through him.

" _Just you wait Kaneshiro...your time is nigh...we will get our revenge...count on it."_

 _ **(Confidant Ranks)**_

 _ **Igor-XX The Judgment(Rank 1)**_


	12. Kneel Before the Queen

**A/N:**

 **Hello people, welcome to Chapter 12 of Codename: Songbird. This chapter is where things start happening, the Palace infiltration will begin with Chapter 13, but for now we are setting up for it. Over the next few chapters, Takumi will be getting some confidants, he already acquired the Fool with Igor, and today he will get a new one. The ones that he will get first are obviously the ones with his teammates and family. The others will slowly follow suit as time progresses.**

 **I will say, I did mess up on one thing, the calendar. I thought I was following it properly, but when I double checked with the calendar in game, I realized I had fucked up. So, some events had to be pushed to their proper dates, because I didn't bother to keep track of the calendar. In fact, I have actually made my own calendar that goes through September, I will actually be working on adding October, November and December to it so I can track each day and the events that will take place. I'm not gonna cover what happens every single day, but I have to make sure everyone strengthens their bonds with Takumi, so sadly that means I will have a lot of filler chapters in between story segments, but that's what makes a story good. The good old fashioned filler stuff. You'll get to see Takumi interact with his confidants, going on outings with his friends and getting into inexplicable situations that he has to deal with. So palace infiltrations will be one aspect of the story, but the real meat is the interactions Takumi will have in his day to day life, until eventually the time comes for the final heist to take place. My aim is to have everyone's confidant ranks to Ten by December 18th, the last full day you have before the game continues on through to the end. I will be including some events in January and February as well as March leading to the final day Ren will be in Tokyo. So look forward to that.**

 **Finally, I will leave you with this chapter, It's a little shorter than the others, but that's because the Palace Infiltration chapters, 13 and 14 will be longer as well as 15 which contains the boss fight against Kaneshiro, everything else will be juicy filler. So I do hope you look forward to it. If you want to see anything in specific happen between Takumi and someone in the story, whether that's family, friends, teachers or anyone else, do drop me a PM, and I'll see if I can include anything in the story, more often than not, I'll actually include a requested event as long as it makes sense within the story connotation. Finally, after this beginning arc, you will all get to see who Takumi chose as a waifu, but as I said before you will also see the events that lead to that choice being made, as well as alternate events with Takumi and the other ladies of his life. After all, there is only one Pimp in Persona 5 and that is Sojiro Sakura...I mean come on, he dresses like a Pimp, acts like a Pimp, and Ren is totally his bottom bitch, he took the beatings after all. And just so you know, no Ryuji, chocolate from your mother does not count...that's just sad...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 12

Kneel before the Queen

 _ **Date: Tuesday June 21st 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: Kaneshiro's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"God this place pisses me off." Songbird muttered, as soon as he arrived at the top of the ramp leading to the bank.

The building looked just as he had expected, a large marble structure, resembling a large national bank. The path leading to the front entrance was lined with dark green shrubs that towered almost above them. There were golden statues in the shape of the Yen symbol lining the path as well. All around the building was a beautiful lush green lawn, with tall cheery looking trees. All over the place, were hundreds of thousands of Yen bills, intermingling with the leaves that were flying around. He kept walking forward, holding his gun firmly in his hands as the others walked beside him, gaping at the building in front of them.

"Okay...this is a lot worse than what I had imagined." Panther muttered, shifting her weight a bit as she came to a stop.

"Just looking at this place makes my balls boil in rage."

"Perhaps you should get that checked our Skull. We wouldn't want anything bad to happen to you." Fox said, sounding quite concerned, earning a low growl from the thug themed teenager.

"So...this is what a palace looks like? Kaneshiro's distorted desires gave him a bank...how despicable." Makoto said, barely containing the anger flowing through her body.

"At least we made it up here...if we follow Songbird's logic, then he and Makoto should be customers here. That means we'll be able to get in...let's just see what will happen." Morgana said, taking a few steps toward the front entrance to the bank. Songbird slung his rifle over his shoulder, hiding it underneath his cape. He glanced at either side of the bank entrance, seeing the two large piggy banks statues that were erected beside it.

"I didn't think pork was a delicacy in Kaneshiro's bank. Seeing as he likes pigs so much, I would have thought he wouldn't erect statues in his honor all over the place. Guess I was totally wrong though." he said, earning a giggle from Panther who walked close beside him. Even Fox couldn't help but chuckle at his comment.

They walked inside the building, being greeted by a large and luxuries lobby. There were several ATM's standing around, and sitting in the leather chairs that had been placed in the waiting room. There were several tellers behind large plate glass windows. Songbird glanced around the entire lobby, memorizing the location of all of the guards that were walking around. There were two on the upper span, one to the very left, barring access to the left half of the bank, and one to the right, barring access to that area as well. Before they could even make a move toward the tellers, two security guards approached them. The brunette was able to focus on their masks, seeing they resembled the face of a fly, rather fitting considering who they were dealing with.

"Halt! State your business here!" one of the guards said, aiming his baton at Joker, who wasn't at all phased by it. Makoto stepped forward, facing down the guards, her glare causing them to back away slightly.

"I've come to speak with Kaneshiro. I'm a customer of his so I would like to have a word with him."

"Tch...you can't just barge in here and demand to see the President. If you want to speak with him, you'll have to take a number. His a very busy man and doesn't like to be disturbed." the guard replied.

" _Guards, let them through. They are customers of mine, so they should be treated as such."_ a familiar distorted voice called out. The two guards turned around, almost shaking at the sound of the voice.

"Y-yes P-president."

"We w-will take them to the reception room...follow us, if you try to go anywhere else, you will be met with force." the other guard said firmly, walking toward the tellers. Joker gave the others a nod, taking the lead while keeping his hand behind his back, most likely holding onto his gun.

"Keep an eye out, memorize the layout." Songbird said softly, earning a nod from Fox. Since he was the artist of the group, he was the one that paid the most attention to detail. He was surprised the guards hadn't said anything about their weapons, considering the fact Skull was carrying his club in his hands, and had a shotgun slung across his back.

They passed through some iron gates, and were directed down the hall to the reception room. Every single door that was of interest had a guard standing in front of it, forcing them to back away. Joker continued walking forward, taking a left into another open hallway, with more guarded doors. One lone guard stood next to a set of double doors, beckoning them over. The Phantom Thieves came to a stop before the man, who pointed to the door beside him.

"The President will meet you here. If you even think of being discourteous to him, we will take care of you."

"I'd like to see you try asshole." Skull muttered under his breath.

Joker opened the door, pressing his shoulder against it, holding the handle tightly as he pushed it open, almost as if he planned to use it as a shield should anything happen. They were met with a large and empty room, four leather couches with a table in the middle. Songbird looked around, other than a few plants, and a large television monitor on the back wall, he didn't say anyone or anything, not even another door leading out of the room. He drew his handgun from his holster, flicking the safety off.

"I don't like this...it could be a trap."

"Relax a bit Songbird, we got the upper hand here for now. Let's just see where this takes us." Morgana said, walking toward the table. Skull stopped before it, jaw dropping when he saw the pyramid of bills on top of the table.

"Look at all of this money...I bet he took it from poor innocent people." he said, clenching his hand tightly. Fox looked closely at it, grabbing one of the stacks in his hand.

"It's...approximately three million yen."

"That can't be a coincidence, right?" Panther asked.

" _It isn't my dear...I'm glad you noticed."_ the voice of Kaneshiro said. They all looked up at television monitor, seeing the violet skinned man from the day before, glaring at them a smirk on his face.

"Well, if it isn't the man of the hour. I see you still have that dumb ass mustache on your face. Seriously, get rid of that shit...it makes you look like a Charlie Chaplin wannabe." Songbird said, earning a growl from the man.

" _You really do know how to piss me off don't you? I have already given you a warning. You must get me every single yen that you owe, and since you have no clear intention of paying me back, I believe I should give you a warning. Guards, grab them!"_

Two large Orobos appeared before the group, holding their weapons at the ready. Joker backed away from the table, having already drawn his gun. Fox had drawn his katana from its sheathe, holding it tightly in both hands, ready to strike if need be.

"We can't afford to lose this bout, keep an eye on Makoto. Without her own spirit armor, she'll get seriously hurt!" Morgana cried, balancing his scimitar on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I got her covered. Phantom of the Opera, Debilitate!" Songbird cried, placing a hand over his mask. The large phantom appeared behind him, laughing ominously as he snapped his fingers. A dark green swirling light burst from under the Orobos, lowering many of their resistances.

"Alright, let's attack. Persona!" Joker cried, summoning one of his persona, Ame-no-Uzume, the dancer held her hands in her hands.

"What the hell? It's different from last time." Songbird said, glancing at the new persona his friend and leader had summoned.

"We'll explain later! For now, let's focus on attacking!" Morgana cried, dashing forward to slash at the Orobos.

"Get'em Captain!" Skull shouted, urging his Persona to attack. A large orb of lightning magic burst above the two of them, zapping their bodies, one of them ended up paralyzed.

"An enemy is paralyzed. Try to attack it while it can't move." their feline companion said. Songbird grabbed a hold of his rifle, and rested it on his shoulder, kneeling down to get a better hold for his weapon. He took a deep breath, aiming his dot sight at the Orobos. Just as Fox ended his attack, he took the shot, a single round burst through the back of the creature's skull, causing it to burst into smoke.

"Damn!" Skull cried out, impressed with what he had seen.

"Dance Carmen!" Panther cried, her persona launched a Maragi attack at the remaining Orobos, doing enough damage to destroy it. They all let a sigh of relief, only for two more shadows to take their place.

"What? Reinforcements?" Morgana cried.

"This isn't good!" Makoto muttered, clutching her revolver tightly in her hands.

"Yeah...tell me about it."

"Panther, Songbird, Mona, get Makoto out of here. Skull and Fox you're with me, let's cover their escape." Joker cried, shooting at the new shadows.

"But we can't just leave you here!" the brown haired girl cried.

"We can, let's go!" Songbird replied, grabbing a hold of Makoto's arm, pulling her along with him. He slung his rifle across his shoulder, drawing his Sword Breaker from its scabbard, holding it tightly in his hands. A loud explosion rung from the office, with Joker, Fox and Skull jumping out of the room, smoke billowing out from within.

"See, you have to trust Joker...when he tells you to go, you go." Mona said, giving the brunette a grin.

He jumped at a guard, slashing him clean in half. Panther paused for a second, flinging her whip at a nearby guard, wrapping it around his neck, and with a sharp pull, she managed to snap it in half. Songbird cringed, but decided not to say anything. He dove forward, stabbing his sword through a guard's chest, slicing it apart before it could transform into its shadow form. The Thieves managed to make it back to the lobby, being stopped by a group of guards just as they had reached the exit. Songbird pulled Makoto behind him, with Panther and Mona quickly covering her blind spots, guns raised in order to fight. It wasn't long until more shadows appeared, blocking all possible exits for them.

"You're attempts at escape are for naught. I have the highest form of security system in my bank...you will not escape." Kaneshiro said, appearing behind the guards, who moved so they could see him.

"You actually showed up? I'm impressed...here I thought you would be in your safe, sitting in a throne of money. Christ, you put Mr. Krabs to shame with your greediness." Songbird said, his grip on his sword loosening a bit.

"I like to deal with pests myself, you of all people should know that. I thought that you were genuine customers, but here you are disturbing everything. Do you not know how much money I have lost because of you? Well, it hardly matters...but maybe I'll send a message to the world. Taking care of someone in this world will definitely have an impact in the other one, let's see which one of you decides to step up." Kaneshiro said, a grin on his face as he took a step forward.

"Screw you man...you can't threaten us!" Skull cried, about to take a step forward when Fox put a hand on his shoulder. He shook his head, silently telling him that he could easily get hurt or worse.

"It's time for you to disappear. Managing a bank is tough, that's why I made it a case to kill troublesome customers. Having one impertinent brat disappear is enough to set an example in that other world." he continued, his face being firm as his guards approached the group.

"Please, stop!" Makoto cried, stepping in front of her friends, holding her gun tightly in her hands.

"I'll eliminate others besides my goods. Your sister is quite a beauty though. I'll make her my personal slave...and when I'm through with her, I'll sell her off to the highest bidder. Oh poor sis...she could have been successful, if only her little sister wasn't so dumb." he taunted, earning a growl from the brunette.

"My sister has nothing to do with this!"

"Then you better start taking customers tomorrow. All you have to do is endure it, and do as your told." he said. The girl bowed her head, her hair covering her eyes as her shoulders started to shake. Songbird tried moving forward, but was quickly stopped by a guard.

"Endure it, it...do as I'm told." she muttered.

"You'll make three million yen in no time. But by then, your life is going to be destroyed! Gwahahahahaha!"

"I've been listening, to you go on and on...shut your damn mouth! You money grubbing asshole!" Makoto shouted, surprising everyone. Kaneshiro looked at her with surprise, not expecting her to shout at him.

"Huh?" he asked, completely confused with her outburst. Makoto grabbed a hold of her head, an intense headache bursting from within. She let out a scream of pain, her fingers digging into her skin.

" _Have you decided to walk the path of strife?"_

"Yes...come to me!" she shouted.

" _Very well then. Let us proceed with our contract, I am thou...thou art I. You have finally found your justice...please, never lose sight of it again!"_

The pain had become unbearable. Makoto felt as if her head was going to split open, angry pants rocking her body. She slammed her foot into the ground, cracking the tile with ease, as she felt a metallic mask appearing on her face. Her hands instantly flew to it, feeling the cool smooth metal for the first time. Her eyes were glowing gold as she glared at Kaneshiro, a look of pure hatred on her face.

" _This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self..."_

Her scream rocked the entire building as she ripped the mask of her face, bright blue energy bursting from within. They all shielded their eyes, the blinding light making it unable to see for a few seconds. Songbird peeked from his arms after a second, hearing the loud revving of an engine, jaw dropping when he saw Makoto sitting on an ethereal motorcycle, dressed in a leather riding suit. He pulled his top hat off his head, brushing his hair out of his eyes before placing it back on, still unable to believe what he was seeing.

"A persona?" Fox asked.

"No dude...that's a bike." Skull replied. Makoto grabbed a hold of the throttle, panting a bit from the strain.

"I can feel it...myself...me. I'm going to charge forward, full speed ahead. I'm never going to stop, let's rev it up Johanna!" She cried, shooting forward a second later. She charged right through the enemies, slamming the side of her bike straight into them, causing them to fade into smoke. Kaneshiro backed away, sweat dripping from his face as he tugged on his suit.

"Not again! You two better earn your keep, or else I'll kill you both!" he shouted, sending the guard shadows forward as they covered his escape. The two shadows morphed into Orobos, along with a third enemy that Songbird hadn't seen yet. Makoto closed her eyes for a moment, as if listening to her persona before attacking, sweeping her motorcycle forward.

"Go Johanna, Mafrei!" she chanted, sending three large swirling balls of magic at the enemies, who all howled in pain from the attack. Songbird stepped forward, placing a hand on his mask, already feeling that familiar power flowing through him.

"Persona! Megido!" he cried, snapping his arm forward.

The Phantom of the Opera chuckled darkly, spreading his wings as he fired his spell at the enemies, doing severe damage to them. Joker ran forward, slashing the nearest Orobos with his dagger, long bleeding gashes appearing on its chest. He jumped back, firing a single round through its head with his Desert Eagle, ending its life.

The large enemy stood up, hefting its sword off its shoulder, swinging it at the Phantom Thieves, who all did their best to jump back. Yusuke, Skull and Mona however ended up taking a bit of damage from the attack, having fallen to their knees from it. Panther quickly summoned Carmen, the exotic dancer locked eyes with their enemies, fire crackling around her.

"Go for it Carmen, Agilao!" she cried. Carmen let out a small innocent giggle, the crackling flames over taking their attacker. It let out a scream, its skin seemingly bursting into flames from the attack. It dropped its sword, as it tried to put its flaming skin off.

"Quick, an enemy is burning, follow it up with a wind attack!" Mona cried out. Joker nodded, placing a hand on his mask.

"Change, Byakko." he chanted. Ame-no-Uzume retreated, her form being replaced with that of a white tiger like creature, who snarled and pawed the ground.

"Another change?" Songbird muttered, his eyes trained on Joker. The frizzy haired young man pointed forward, a smirk on his face.

"Magarula!" he chanted. The tiger let out a roar, swirling funnels of green wind whipped around the enemies, taking them out with ease. They all breathed a sigh of relief, but was short lived when several more shadows appeared around them.

"There's no end to them, we'll fall at this rate!" Mona said.

"Leave it to me, I'll clear a way!" Makoto cried, twisting Johanna's throttle. She spun around in a circle, taking out the nearby shadows as she drove toward the front entrance, breaking through the doors with little effort.

"Let's go!" Joker cried. Mona jumped into the air, morphing into his car form. Skull threw the door open, jumping inside, followed by Fox and Panther. Songbird jumped into the front seat, closing the passenger side door, hanging on right after due to Joker slamming his foot on the gas, shooting out of the bank as fast as humanly possible.

"Jesus, please tell me you know how to drive."

"I play a lot of Need For Speed."

"That doesn't fucking reassure me!"

"Calm down Songbird! Joker has been driving Mona for awhile now, he's nor a pro, but he's better than any of us. Unless you wanna take over, you handled that bike yesterday." Panther said. He sighed, shaking his head.

"It's fine...besides I don't have my regular license, so I shouldn't be saying anything." he replied, arms crossed as he leaned back in his seat. It wasn't long before they had gotten out of the bank, once again reaching the streets of the distorted Shibuya.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"That is the most exhausted I have been in a long time." Makoto said, clutching her shoulder in pain. Takumi held his hand out to her, helping her to her feet.

"I know the feeling, I awoke to my persona yesterday. I felt like I was gonna drop." he said.

"Still, I can't believe Makoto's persona is a freaking bike...that has to be something." Ryuji said.

"Perhaps it was fate that selected her persona for her." Yusuke muttered, rubbing his chin in thought.

"It's as Takumi said yesterday, our personas fit us to a T. Makoto was following a path that everyone forced her to follow, her persona, a motorcycle, is a way for her to drive off that path...isn't that right?" Ann asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"That's absolutely right. What's more interesting, is that she ended up getting Johanna as persona. In history, she was the first and only female pope of Rome. She was a very wise person, but when she was found out to be a woman, she was stoned to death, as it was considered blasphemous for a female to be a pope within the Church. I hope her wisdom helps you grow and view the world differently." he said. Makoto nodded, still trying to comprehend what was happening. Morgana started looking around, seeing all of the people that were looking at them, all of them muttering softly.

"I think we've spent too much time here. This hideout was great for Madarame, since his exhibit was nearby. But it's served it's purpose, we gotta move on."

"I agree...especially if there are more awakenings for our teammates. But where exactly do we go? We can't go to the school rooftop." Ren said softly. Takumi chuckled as he grabbed his guitar case, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Come on, I got the perfect hideout." he replied, taking the lead of his group.

It wasn't long after that, that they were all back at his mother's store. Since it was already investigated, and documented, he knew the police wasn't going to show up. It was also the perfect place for them currently, it was away from the public's eye, his family was in Akihabara, and no one would be in danger. He lead his friends inside, closing the front door right after, placing his guitar case down against the couch, which Yusuke helped Makoto onto.

"This is perfect...but are you sure we can hang out here Takumi? What if your mother returns?"

"Wait...this is your home?" Makoto asked, greatly confused by his actions. Takumi nodded, walking over to the fridge.

"This is my home yes...I took the backstreets to avoid the police tape. Kaneshiro is already keeping tabs on this place, though his goons haven't showed up. Mom isn't going to be coming back until the investigation is over, she packed stuff for my sisters. It's the perfect place for us, for now at least. Would you guys like anything?"

"We couldn't impose, we're already guests here, after all." Ann said.

"After all the bullshit we've been through, I have no issue sharing what we got. No one is going to be staying here, at least until we finish with Kaneshiro. So I wouldn't want any of this stuff to go to waste, and neither would my mom. So go ahead, grab whatever you want." he said, handing Makoto a bottle of water, which she quickly started drinking.

"That is very kind of you Takumi, we shall replace what we consume when we have the time." Yusuke said politely.

"Oh...nice, you got Cherry Dr. Pepper, I thought this stuff was discontinued." Ryuji said, grabbing a can of the soft drink.

"I thought so to, but trust me...you can find anything you want with time. I found this specialty store in Akihabara that sells this stuff by the pallet." Takumi replied.

"Anyway...let us discuss the main topic of this meeting. Kaneshiro's palace infiltration...with Makoto being a persona user like us, he's most likely alerted the guard. It's gonna be a lot tougher to walk around." Ren said, earning groans of displeasure from his teammates.

"We should have just shot the bastard right there. Maybe he could have changed or something."

"You know that isn't how it works Ryuji. We gotta secure a path to the treasure room like always. If we shot Kaneshiro, he would die." Morgana said.

"I'm confused...so how exactly do you trigger a change of heart?" Makoto asked, earning a similar look from Takumi.

"Yeah, you never explained it in detail."

"Well, it's simple...all you have to do is infiltrate the palace and go as far as you can. Once you get to the depths, and secure the path to the treasure, you'll be able to steal it. However before we do that, we gotta get it to materialize." Morgana replied.

"Get it to materialize...you mean change Kaneshiro's cognition right? The calling cards you've been leaving behind, that's your ticket right?" the brunette girl asked.

"Yes, by giving the target a calling card, it makes them aware of their treasure, and the fact that it's gonna get stolen. Then it'll materialize in their palace, and we'll be able to steal it. Get it out of their palace safely and we're home free." Ann said, pumping her fist, a grin on her face.

"Interesting...when the time comes, I have but one simple request. I want you to let me and Makoto write the calling card...he's threatening the two of us worse than any of you. So it seems fitting, is that alright with you leader?" Takumi asked.

"That's completely fair...I'll leave it up to the two of you. Hand it to Yusuke once it's done and he'll make it all pretty for you. He'll put glitter on it if you want."

"It would be the ultimate insult...seeing as Kaneshiro loves money." Makoto said, earning a grin from the young actor.

"All the Glitters isn't Gold. That's a truth that Keneshiro is going to have to learn, if not the easy way, then definitely the hard way."

"Okay...let's all have a good long rest. Tomorrow after school we'll meet here and head straight to the palace. If you can get yourselves some medicine for the trip, it would be well appreciated it. Magic can only heal us so much in that other world." Ren said, standing up from his seat.

"I agree...I'll see if I can purchase some for myself. I can tell I'm gonna need it...I'm gonna sleep like a log when I get home. Doubt my sister will even notice me, if she's even home." Makoto said with a frown.

"I'll walk you home, we can't have you collapsing on the way there." Ryuji said.

"I shall accompany you as well. It will give us more time to get to know each other, as we will now be working together." Yusuke added, grabbing a hold of his and Makoto's bags.

"Thanks you guys. Before we go, let's exchange contact information, we'll need to keep in touch during all of this." she said, holding her phone up. The others did the same, transferring their numbers and Chat ID's as well.

"Well...let's all do our best! Focus hard on school, and then it's palace time." Morgana said. Takumi lead all of his friends down, exchanging farewells with each of them.

"Hey Takumi, would you mind if we hung out for a bit?" Ann asked, causing the boy to give her a confused look. He shrugged, giving her a nod.

"Sure...aren't you tired though?"

"Not that much, running around in the Metaverse is actually a good way to stay in shape. I'll only get tired if Carmen uses a lot of magic attacks, or if I have to get a little physical. Thankfully, neither wore me out today. Makoto did a lot of the work for us."

"Yeah...still, getting a literal popemobile...it's amazing. But I would really like to know what her element is. I know Ren used Mafrei before, but I got no idea what that spell even does." he said, walking toward the kitchen, the blonde model following after him.

"I think Morgana explained the elements to us once. Agi is fire, Garu is wind, Zio is lightning, Bufu is ice. Then there's Eiha, which is curse, Hama which is Bless, your element is Almighty, I don't exactly know what kind of element it is...maybe godly or something?"

"Hmm...maybe. Guess I'll have to ask the Phantom about that later, he might know something. Are there any other elements?"

"I believe Psy is one...it's mostly psychological attacks. I never took one before, and I'm not looking forward to it. The last one is Nuclear, I think that's what Frei is." she said. The boy blinked a few times, setting down the tea kettle he had grabbed from the cupboard.

"Nuclear...you mean to tell me that Makoto's persona is a basically a nuclear power plant?" he asked, causing her to shrug.

"Maybe."

"What about radiation? Wouldn't that be super bad? I mean, I like fighting evil but I don't want cancer from being in close contact to a Frei attack." Takumi replied, earning a giggle from the girl.

"It's fine, I doubt you'll actually die from it. We're all protected from intense damage with our spirit armor. That doesn't mean we still can't die or pass out, so be on your guard." she said sternly.

"Okay...I guess I'll follow in your footsteps since you are the senior thief here." he replied, giving the girl a wink.

"You better listen to everything I say, it'll be for your own safety. Aside from that...there is a reason I stayed...it's about the acting thing." she said, glancing at the teacups on the island.

"The acting...? Oh right, you want acting lessons right? Well I did say I would be willing to teach you. I'm surprised you took my offer first, I thought Ren would have jumped at it. But the kid knows how to act, makes him a good leader."

"I agree, Ren knows how to keep it together. You wouldn't even think of him being a Phantom Thief let alone the leader. He's really good at acting. Ryuji can hold himself together, but his outbursts are normal...me on the other hand..." she paused, frowning a bit in embarrassment.

"Let me guess, you're acting sucks. Morgana said as much, he said you could barely keep an acted conversation. Well...I was thinking of giving everyone a group lesson, but if private ones suit you best, I'm down. But first I need to know your motivation." he said, grabbing a hold of the whistling kettle, pouring some of the boiling water into the two cups he had pulled out. He passed one of them to Ann, along with the sugar cubes.

"My motivation?"

"Yeah...I mean, why do you wanna act in the first place? Sure, keeping a straight face and hiding your Phantom Thief side is good. But actors also have reasons why they act. Like for me...the reason I started acting, was because I wanted to be someone else, I yearned for it. From a young age, I knew my life wasn't going to be a good one. I loved playing pretend, pretending I was a wealthy but kind king, a knight in shining armor, a superhero. I crafted each of those imaginary personas carefully. I guess my grandmother felt the need to expose that talent, because as soon as she did, she was contacted by an agent."

"That was when you joined the cast of Kazoku no Mondai, right?"

"Yup, my first role on television was a supporting one. I went from sitcom to sitcom, until I got my first big break. I was just a minor actor then, but when I starred in my first movie. Mayonaka...it was based off some weird thing that happened in Inaba, surrounding those grisly murders back in 2011. Of course, after the success of that movie, my father did his best to fuck my career up. The last two roles I got were in Fleeting Angel 1 and 2...and that was it." he said, taking a sip from his tea, cringing a bit at it's sweetness. He added one too many cubes to it, but he didn't really mind it.

"I remember that movie...you played the role of the Detective Prince didn't you? It was a critically acclaimed movie, especially because of the young cast. I'm sorry your father did that to you, you don't deserve it." Ann said, earning a small smile from the boy.

"It is what it is. I'll work hard to become the actor I'm meant to be, maybe teaching you and the others how to act will give me practice. It isn't a bad idea to review the basics from time to time...but you never told me your motivation."

"Huh? I guess I didn't huh? Well...you know the rumors, about that girl who jumped because of Kamoshida's abuse? She's actually my best friend. She's in the hospital right now, recovering from the fall. She's so much stronger than I am...being able to do so many amazing things, despite what she went through. I figured, if I acted like a strong person, I would give her the strength she needs to continue with her rehabilitation." she said, a warm smile on her face.

"Acting strong in order to pass that strength to your friend...I guess that's a nice motivation. But Ann you're already strong, why do you have to act strong?"

"I'm not strong...I was weak, I let myself become Kamoshida's plaything. He used me, threatened me with Shiho's position on the volleyball team, and almost made me sleep with him. Even now, one of my fellow models is stronger than I am. But I refuse to be someone's play thing...if I want to be strong, I have to start by acting strong." she said firmly. Takumi blinked a few times, taking a gulp from his tea.

" _I guess we all have our own view points. Ann is already strong, but if she wants to be stronger, I guess my acting lessons will aid in that. I do find her smile and her confidence to be quite charming."_

"Okay...I'll teach you everything I know. It's late already, so how about you give me time to prepare some things and then we'll start. Is that alright with you?"

"Sure, that's perfectly fine. We should focus more on this palace though, but once we're through with Kaneshiro, I'll take my acting seriously. Maybe we could go to Inokashira Park, since it's nice and serene there."

"Inokashira Park...yeah sure, I haven't been there in forever. I think that would be a perfect spot, as long as it doesn't rain. Unless you wanna learn some method acting." he said jokingly.

"Nah, rain makes my hair poofy."

"But it's already poofy...how poofier could it get?" he asked curiously.

"You don't wanna know." she answered, giggling into her hand. Takumi smiled, chuckling a bit himself.

" _I can feel my bond with Ann growing. Maybe I'll become better friends if I teach her how to act."_

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Lovers Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Arcana Acquired: The Lovers)xxx**_

"Well...I think I should go. My guardian is probably wondering where I am right now. Oh shoot, I think the trains probably stopped for the night." she said, glancing at her wrist watch.

"Hmm...I do have that motorcycle. You wanna go for a spin?" he asked, giving her a grin.

"Hell yeah...just don't gun it like last time."

"No promises."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday June 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Lunch**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Rain**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Big brother, when are you going to visit us in Akihabara?" Ayumi asked, earning a sigh from Takumi, who was leaning back against a vending machine, scrolling through some Chats that he had missed.

"I can't go over there. Right now, those men don't know where you guys are. That's why I haven't messaged you either and have told you not to message me. I don't want them to track you down, trust me...it won't be long until we're all together again." he said, ruffling her hair.

"I know...but are you sure you can handle this? I've heard rumors about you being involved with the mob now. Apparently, you struck a deal and are selling drugs for them." she said softly. The boy sighed, brushing his hair out of his eyes, fixing his glasses as he did.

"I'm not, and I can handle this. I got some friends helping me out, all you need to do is sit tight. I'm watching the house so that nothing else goes wrong. The police have assured me, when they capture these guys, they're gonna bring back all of our stolen goods and our money." he said reassuringly.

"Alright, if you say so. Hey big brother, do you think I could borrow three hundred yen? I uh...used all of my money on an umbrella this morning." Ayumi said, giving him a sheepish smile as she held up her pink umbrella.

"What happened to your other one?"

"Let's just say, umbrellas only work keeping you dry from the rain. They don't help you safely float down to the ground." she replied. He reached into his pocket for some loose change, pulling out four hundred yen coins and placing them in her hand.

"There, try not to spend your money on another umbrella. Also don't do stupid things like that, you and I both know umbrellas don't work like they do in video games."

"Then how do you explain Mary Poppins flying away with one?" she asked, puffing her cheeks slightly.

"She's a fictional character in a movie. Even if it was possible, you'd need magic for you to just float away with an umbrella." he said, turning to face the vending machines behind him. He placed the last of his change into it, buying himself a soft drink.

"Hey you guys, hope you don't mind us joining you." Ryuji said, announcing his presence. Along with him came Ren and Ann, who were both glancing at their phones.

"What's up guys? Anything interesting happen?"

"Not really, just boring old school stuff. The rain isn't letting up, so we couldn't get lunch off campus. We figured we could, discuss some things." Ren said, earning a nod from the young actor.

"Ayumi, sweetheart. Me and my friend's are gonna talk about this boring project we gotta do. It's a bit time sensitive and needs our full focus, so can we talk later? I'll walk with you to the JR Line when we reach Shibuya."

"Hmm...alright, by the way...I took the liberty of setting up a date between you and Toni tomorrow night. So be a gentlemen and don't stand her up. She's gonna be waiting for you outside the front gates, and she takes no for an answer." she said sternly.

"What?! Are you fucking kidding me? Who the hell said I wanted a date with someone?"

"Come on big brother, you're eighteen years old. You need to get a girlfriend, make me some nieces and nephews! Besides, Toni is a nice girl and she's really cute. Plus, I know you like them with big boobs, and she has a nice set. Give her a chance at least!"

"No, I'm not giving her a chance...because, I already made plans for tomorrow." he said, glancing at his friends for some help. The three of them just remained still, not knowing what to say.

"Oh you do? With what? It isn't because of this silly project is it?" Ayumi asked curiously. He shook his head, glancing around for a few seconds.

"No...I made plans with...um...Ann...yeah, I made plans with Ann yesterday. We're heading to Inokashira Park, because she asked me for acting lessons. So sadly, I can't break my plans with her because I have another engagement with Toni. Besides you didn't let me know about this, so I'm gonna have to decline. Sorry squirt, now run along." he said. She narrowed her eyes, giving him a nod.

"Alright...fine...I'll let Toni know, but she's relentless. Once she has her eyes set on someone, she doesn't stop until she gets them. I'll see you at the front gates big brother!" she said, giving him a hug. She took off toward the classroom building, clutching her umbrella tightly in her hands.

"You got your little sister getting dates for you?"

"Fuck off Ryuji, at least there's a girl out there who wants to date me. What's your excuse?" the boy countered, earning a laugh from Morgana who was shaking around in Ren's bag.

"That burn was so sick, it puts Carmen's fire to shame." the cat said.

"Yeah right, that was a powerful Agilao straight from Takumi. And here I thought Phantom of the Opera used Almighty and not Agi."

"Alright, that's enough of that. What's this I hear about you two heading to Inokashira Park?" Ryuji said, steering the conversation away from himself.

"I'm just teaching her how to act, nothing more nothing less. Thankfully, I was able to bail myself out of that situation. The pin on that grenade was pulled, but detonate it did not. Commit that to memory boys...and girl...for that is the fine art, of acting." he said, taking a deep bow, arm spread out, like an actor on stage.

"I'll admit, it was pretty good. But still, you lost the chance to hang out with a cute girl because you already had plans with Lady Ann."

"Hey, don't say it that way. You'll make me feel bad."

"Trust me Ann, I'd rather spend time with you than with some girl I don't even know. Anyway, Ren I take it you wanna discuss things...certain things...alternate world things. The kind of things that will make things more complicated, should those things come out."

"Things." the boy said with a nod, a smirk on his lips.

"Alright, can we stop saying things already? Sheesh. We gotta discuss stuff about the Metaverse alright? Makoto is busy and Yusuke isn't here with us. So it's up to us to develop a sound way of pilfering Kaneshiro's treasure." Morgana said.

"Hmm...it is a bank, and he said it had the best security around. Does that mean we'll be facing stuff worse than inside Madarame's museum?" Ann asked curiously.

"Yes...lasers are one thing, but security cameras are another thing. That place is bound to be crawling with them. It would be bad if we were to trip them. Not just that, those guards were tough...I think we should take extra precautions this time around." Ren said, seriousness in his voice.

"Shit, if only I knew how to hack things. I mean...I was able to get into my father's system once, but my skills weren't that good. I think we should secure a lay out of this bank. What do you guys usually do?" Takumi asked curiously.

"Well...for Kaneshiro's palace, we didn't have time. We had four days of exploration to secure a route to the reassure. That place was extensive, we were a bit lax with Madarame's palace because we had until June 5th. But this time, it's a little different. At any time that man could attack, so we have to find that treasure ASAP." Ryuji said.

"So...that's why I'm gonna propose something I've never considered. We need to secure a route to the treasure in two days. That means we're gonna have to pull overtime on this palace." Ren said.

"What? How do you think we'll be able to do that? We can't just go through an entire palace in two days Ren. We'd be dead tired, and it could affect our skills in battle!" Ann said.

"I hate to admit it, but it's our only choice Lady Ann. If it was just money we owed, we could take our time. But the fact of the matter is, at any moment, Kaneshiro could just decide to kill Takumi's family. We can't allow that to happen." Morgana said, earning a sigh from the platinum blonde.

"Two days huh? How exactly will we do it? We gonna pull an all-nighter?" Takumi asked curiously.

"No...if we leave for the palace directly after school, we'll have enough time to get to a good safe point. We have a magic item, that will warp us to a safe room once we find a place with low distortion. We should at least, go as far as we can tonight and then finish the place off the next day. I know, it's a pressing matter, but think of it this way...you'll be able to sleep all you want after we're done." Ren said.

"I guess that's true...but we'll also need a place to rest up before going to school. I can sleep during study hall, Inue doesn't care...honestly, four hours is enough for me. I've worked with less before." Ryuji said.

"Well...if you need a place to crash, my doors are open. Ann and Makoto can share my mom's room, Ren can crash in Ayumi's, and Ryuji can stay in Mitsuhide's room. It'll be like a sleep over, where we actually fucking sleep." he said.

"Are you sure about that? Wouldn't we be intruding?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Nah, it's fine. As long as it furthers our goal, I'm fine with it...just don't poke around Mitsu's stuff, she's really OCD, so if she sees something out of place, she'll flip her shit. I borrowed one of her pencils and she went all Super Saiyan God Mode on me. Blue hair and all."

"Really?"

"Well, she pulled a wig out of nowhere, but basically yeah. We should get going, people are watching...just come with me from the school gates. Once I make sure my sister is on the JR to Akihabara we'll head to my house." Takumi said.

"Okay...let's do this guys. Let's change that bastards heart." Ren said, holding his fist out. The four of them bumped fists, grins on their faces.

 _ **(Confidant Ranks)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX-The Judgment(Rank 1)**_


	13. Palace Infiltration I: Kaneshiro

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone. This is chapter 13 of Codename: Songbird, and the first infiltration chapter. The infiltrations are going to work a little bit different, in stead of fighting every shadow they come across like in the games, they are going to fight a few. Mostly, Songbird is going to take care of most of them and fight most of them as well. The infiltration will go by as normal, they will explore each palace and handle business. The next palace is going to be an original one so it's going to be a lot different than Kaneshiro's palace. As I said before, Futaba's Palace and the new palace are going to be explored at the same time, but Songbird will reach a point where he can't go on because of the patron ruler of that palace upping his security, security which only a hacker can crack, so he will go back to help his friends.**

 **After the next couple chapters, there are going to be some filler chapters, where Takumi spends time with friends in order to get those Confidant ranks up. There are going to be a lot of those in this story, I actually enjoy writing those chapters, we can't just skip to the palaces or the main story. It will actually help to building bonds between them.**

 **So, I'll leave this chapter here. I hope you guys like this chapter and enjoy how I handled the infiltration. See you all later...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 13

Kaneshiro's Palace Infiltration I

 _ **Date: Wednesday June 22nd 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: Kaneshiro's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ugh...getting away from that girl was such a pain in the ass." Skull said, leaning against one of the Yen statues near the gates to Kaneshiro's bank.

"Tell me about it, I would have thought she would have taken no for an answer. I wasn't aware you still had fans chasing you like that Songbird." Makoto said, earning a laugh from the boy.

"Yeah, that's a funny joke. That was my sister putting her up to it, I don't like that girl, and I doubt I ever will. Anyway, we're all prepared and we've discussed the plan right. You're all okay with your families?" he asked.

"I live in the Kosei Academy dorms, so they aren't going to miss me for a couple of nights." Fox said.

"I already spoke to my sister about it. She's fine with it, as long as I take my studies seriously and continue being useless to her. She's stressed out because of the Phantom Thieves case. I feel bad for her, but I'm not going to stop what I'm doing either."

"I got permission from my mother, and Joker managed to get his guardian to agree, only if he checks in during the night and in the morning, and speaks with you." Skull said, earning a nod from Songbird.

"Fine with me...what about you Panther?"

"Oh, my guardian was fine with it. I gave her the next two days off, I practically live alone anyway. All we gotta do is beat this bug into the ground and finish the job." the red themed girl said.

"Then if we're all set, let's get going." Joker said, about to take the lead, only for Mona to stop him.

"Wait...we haven't given her a code name yet."

"That's right...we can't call her by name here. It would be dangerous if they learned it, though Kaneshiro already knows it. I think we should give her something that fits her...motif." Songbird said, tapping his chin with a finger, glancing at Makoto with a firm look in his eye.

"I don't feel comfortable with that stare."

"He's just thinking, that's all...I got a name...how about Rider?" Panther said, causing the girl to raise a brow.

"That name sounds too...I dunno, it makes me think of a tough guy who stalks the wild west on his motorcycle." she replied.

"Well...I guess Mad Makoto is out of the question then...and that name wouldn't be good, it still has your actual name in it. Hmm...how about...Lucy Heartfilia?"

"Why would you suggest an anime character as my code name?" the brunette asked, an incredulous look on her face. He gave her a smirk.

"Because, your voice sounds just like hers. It just matches in my opinion...but eh...it's whatever. How about something more regal? Joker, Skull...what do you guys think?" he asked, glancing at his friends.

"Oh, let's call her Witch!"

"Pass...I want something that sounds more, sophisticated than that."

"Duchess?" Fox asked curiously. She shook her head, glancing at Joker.

"Queen...it's rather fitting. The Queen is the strongest piece in chest, and she for the longest time, had the upper hand on this chess board of ours." he said.

"Hmm...it's nice, I like it. From now on, call me Queen...now then, let us talk about our strategy. What exactly are we going to do to infiltrate this palace?" She asked firmly.

"Strategy?" Panther asked, scratching her head in confusion.

"Yes...you know, plans...what plans did you draft for this?"

"Hate to break it to ya Queen...but these guys have been winging it since day one." Songbird said, crossing his arms as he rested most of his weight on his left leg. Her eyes widened a bit as she glanced at Joker, a questioning look on her face.

"You've seriously never planned any of your heists? How have you made it this far without getting caught?" she asked, earning a shrug from the boy.

"Well, we normally walk in...find a map, Mona gives us some navigation when we need it. Then we just beat down whatever shadows are in our way and search for the treasure." Panther said, earning a sigh from Queen who brushed some hair out of her eyes.

"I guess I'll take over as the adviser of this group. I'll handle battle strategies and information gathering. Knowing your enemy is half the battle, I'll need to know about the elemental magics of this place so I can extend my knowledge."

"I'll give you some of my notes later on Queen. For now we should focus on the infiltration." Mona said. Songbird walked forward, pulling his rifle from his shoulder.

"Allow me, I'll scope the area out to see if there aren't any enemies. Panther you're with me, cover me just in case." he said, earning a nod from the blonde girl. He sprinted forward, holding his rifle tightly against himself as he ran, ducking behind a statue. He peered through the scope, checking out the area for enemies.

"We're clear, give them the go ahead." he said, continuing his walk forward. Panther waved her hand a few times, making the others shorten the distance to the bank's entrance. He came to a stop before the door, seeing all of the caution strip and wooden boards that covered the broken doors.

"It seems they barred the entrance since our last visit. Queen's exit must have alerted Kaneshiro to our true purpose here." Fox said, grabbing a small piece of glass from the floor, staring at his reflection on it.

"My apologies, I needed to get you all out of here...at the time that was my only option."

"Don't worry about it Queen, your saved our skin back there. But this makes it a bit harder for us, we gotta find an alternate entrance. Besides, what kind of thieves barge in through the front door?" Mona said.

"Let's start looking around, we might be able to find something." Joker said.

They all split into pairs, searching the area extensively. Songbird walked over to the edge of the lot, scanning the area with his rifle to make sure they were truly alone. He stopped in front of one of the piggy bank statues, looking at it closely. He noticed it was different than the other one, in fact the one that Joker and Fox were looking at was silver, and the piggy bank was tipped over on it. The one that Songbird was looking at was made out of pure gold, and it had a rather weird plaque on it. He knelt down in front of it, running his gloved hand over the plaque.

"Did you find anything?" Panther asked curiously.

"This statue is different than that one over there...this one is pure gold. The other one over there, is silver in color, and this plaque is a little odd too."

"Do you think it might be something?" she asked curiously, calling the others over to them. He pulled one of his gloves off, holding it right at the base of the statue, feeling a cool draft from beneath it.

"I feel a draft, there's a hole beneath this, most likely a secondary entrance. Would you like to do the honors Joker?" the brown haired actor said. The frizzy haired teen pressed the button causing the statue to move. Beneath it was a manhole, which was left open and lead down into the bank.

"Looks like that's our entrance. After destroying the doors, this is realistically the only way on for the guards. Let's see where this takes us." Joker said, taking the plunge into the manhole. Everyone else followed suit, appearing in a large room, with a set of stairs to their right. Songbird quickly looked around the area, aiming his pistol in all directions.

"We're clear for now." he said, earning a nod from Joker.

"I don't remember coming through here the last time...do you know where we are?" Skull asked curiously.

"Unfortunately no. Without a map, we won't be able to do much, let's all tread carefully, let's stay in pairs. That's been working well for us for now." Joker said, earning nods from the group. Songbird placed his pistol back in his holster, taking the lead. He peeked around the corner, ducking back when he saw the guard looking in his direction. He waited for a few seconds, watching it slowly turn around.

He slid his rifle off his shoulder, grabbing a hold of the strap as he rose it up. He peered through the scope, watching the shadow's movements for a few seconds. He steadied his breathing, the shaking of his gun steadily decreasing until he had the perfect line up. He squeezed the trigger, a soft pop filling the air. The shadow burst into smoke, being killed instantly. He quickly dashed forward, kneeling down beside the leather couches, training his vision on the second floor, where a lone guard was making his rounds. He held his rifle up, waiting for the man to stop walking to shoot, his head snapped to the side as the bullet pierced his skull, killing him instantly.

"Dude...how are you so good at this?" Skull asked curiously, kneeling down across from the young actor.

"Like I said before, my uncle has a lot of guns. So he naturally taught me how to use them, we used to go hunting whenever I had time. This was whenever he was in the continental U.S. of course. Let me take care of the one ahead and we'll be able to make it across the lobby." he said, taking aim at the final shadow, using the chair's arm rest to balance his rifle. The kickback of the rifle made his shoulder move slightly, a dull echo coming from the casing.

"Good job Songbird. I take it you'll take the role of sniper for us?" Joker asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"I'd like to call myself the "Scout" of the group. After all, birds scan all of the trees they can before building their nest in it. It should be fitting that I look at unmapped areas and take care of the guard."

"Just as long as you don't expose yourself. We won't be able to bail you out if you get yourself in a pickle, for now let us move on ahead." Fox said, earning a nod from the boy.

They moved across the lobby, taking cover behind some walls, moving toward a cubicle not far from where they were. Songbird silently took out the shadow, slicing it apart with his sword breaker, quickly ducking behind cover. He looked around briefly before moving forward, coming to a stop before a large elevator. A single guard stepped on it, the iron doors came down, and the machine started moving downward, disappearing from sight. The boy frowned, glancing over at Joker who had been staring at it as well.

"Looks like there's an area below us. This elevator looks like the only way down." he said.

"I don't see a button to call it, how do we get down?" Panther asked.

"Perhaps there's an engine room for it somewhere. If this elevator exists here, then it must be on the floor above, we should check it out. But we must be careful how we go about it." Queen said firmly.

"Those stairs there should take us to the upper floor. Let us go, posthaste." Fox said, urging Songbird forward. Panther followed close behind, with Joker trailing after them, his coat billowing as he ran.

They reached the second floor after a few seconds, only for Songbird to stop in his tracks. He quickly lay down on the floor, using the top of the stairs as cover. The others were confused, only to see a dog sniffing the floor, pausing after a second, its ears wiggling as if to listening to it's surroundings.

"The fuck is that?" Skull hissed, trying to stay hidden.

"Kaneshiro did say that he had high security in this place. I guess that means he also has guard dogs in here. This makes it a little difficult to deal with, Songbird, can you hit it?"

"It's moving around too much. Every single shift in movement causes it to go back and forth. I don't want to risk missing it, especially with something like a headshot." he replied, glancing at it through the scope.

"I get it...you need someone to bring it here. Are you prepared to fight?" Mona asked curiously, earning nods from the others. He raced past them up the stairs, jumping onto the large statue in the shape of a Y.

"Hey puppy! Come up here and get some!" he cried, causing the dog to turn around. It let out a bark, running toward the cat, trying to jump at the statue. Songbird lined up his shot, pulling the trigger, sending the creature tumbling back.

"Shit! Someone get it!" he cried. Joker pounced on it, grabbing a hold of the mask over its face, pulling it clean off.

"I'll reveal your true form!" he chanted, jumping back as the dog morphed into a two headed dog like creature, reminding them almost of Cerberus.

"One enemy, we should analyze it's weaknesses." Mona said, having drawn his sword onto his shoulder.

"I can't find anything, we should hit it with everything we got." Queen said, tightening her grip on the brass knuckles she had on her hands. Songbird backed up, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

"Alright Phantom, Matarukaja!" he chanted, snapping his fingers above his head. His Persona appeared behind him, channeling its magic power before casting the spell over their allies, boosting their strength, defense and agility. Joker dashed forward, throwing several speedy slashes at the creature with his dagger, jumping back when it swiped its clawed paws at him.

"Nice on Joker, the enemy seems confused!" Mona cried out.

"Let's go Captain!" Skull cried, summoning his persona. The pirate chuckled loudly as he slammed his ship into the creature, sending it back into the wall, allowing Skull to unload several shotgun rounds into its body. He jumped back, allowing Fox to take the final hit.

"Another victory for the Phantom Thieves." he said softly, as he placed his sword back in its scabbard.

"Sorry about that guys, I thought I had it." Songbird said, looking apologetic.

"Don't worry about it, moving targets are harder to aim at." Joker said reassuringly. Songbird frowned as the leader retook the lead, moving forward across the empty second floor. They worked together to systematically take down the nearby shadows, without them alerting anyone else. They came a stop before a locked door, a large iron grate having been blocking it.

"Seems to me like something important lies within." Queen said.

"Yeah, otherwise there'd be no point in locking it up tight. What do you think Joker? Should we try to get in?" Skull asked, earning a nod from the frizzy haired lad.

"I'm gonna look for a way in. There has to be one." Songbird said, walking back the way they had come. Panther was close behind, with Mona trailing them. Joker, Skull and Queen decided to check the other side while they were at it.

"What do you think of all this Songbird? Since this is the first palace you've been to and all." Mona asked quietly, scanning the area, sling shot at the ready.

"Well...it is impressive that someone's desires are so distorted, that they created this. Then again, a bug like Kaneshiro having a palace makes sense, considering he extorts students and innocent people." he said. He spotted some shelves lining up the wall, and started looking at the books, pulling at them only for them to come free.

"That is true...but we shouldn't worry. We'll squash him like the bug he is, and we'll save your mom. Count on it." Panther said, giving him a reassuring grin. He flushed a bit, giving her a nod. His eyes scanned the top of the shelf, spotting a silver metal grating. He handed his rifle to Panther to hold, jumping on top of the shelf, crawling toward the vent.

"Looks like we found our way in...it's a little narrow. However, I believe it should work. Mona, call the others while I take care of this."

"Be right back!" the feline announced, rapidly taking off. Songbird pulled his sword breaker from its sheathe, jamming it into the grate, pulling on it as hard as he could, the creaking and bending metal making him strain a bit.

"Do you need some help?"

"I think it has some screws holding it in place...hey, give me your whip, I got an idea." he said, pulling his sword back. The girl shrugged, tossing up her weapon of choice, which he quickly uncoiled. He passed it through the slats, tying it tightly before jumping down to the floor. Just as the others arrived, he gave the whip a sharp pull with all of his strength, the vent cover popping off like a can of cinnamon buns.

"You got a sharp eye Songbird, I doubt any of us would have noticed that." Joker said, climbing up onto the shelf.

"Thanks, but I'm sure someone like you would have noticed it eventually. I'll let you decide who goes in with you, that shaft is a little narrow and too much weight could cause it to collapse."

"That's right...you have to be wise when you pick someone Joker." Queen added.

"Mona, Panther, Fox on me. Skull, Queen and Songbird you wait out here." he said, ducking into the vent.

"Man...I was looking forward to this." Skull said, leaning back against the wall, resting his club beside him. Songbird rolled his eyes, trading weapons with Panther, happy to have his rifle back in his hands.

"So...how's life?" the brown haired actor asked randomly, causing Queen to look at him with a curious look.

"Life is...challenging I guess. Studying for college entrance exams, investigating stuff for our principle, and now moonlighting as a Phantom Thief...I got quite the busy schedule."

"Makes for an interesting resume though." Skull said with a chuckle. He pulled out a candy bar from his pocket, quickly biting into it.

"I suppose...I can't put professional thief on a resume though. I'm not nearly qualified enough, it's my first heist after all."

"Same here. This is gonna seem a little awkward but...I guess I didn't have a place to belong before. I was just spinning aimlessly on my little stage. The allegations made against me just added to the endless void of bullshit. I always felt that weird pressure in my chest, as soon as I got here to Japan at least. Like something was threatening to break, I guess that was the Phantom urging me to pull the mask off. I guess it was something like that for you two?"

"Yeah...Kamoshida ruined everything for me. I have no idea how, but he ended up finding some personal family information. He used it against me, and I snapped, clocked him right in the jaw. The bastard ended up breaking my leg in "Self Defense". That was what killed our school track team...hated him ever since. But I truly started to hate him when he started chatting up Panther. It just made me sick."

"You got a crush on her or something?" Queen asked curiously, causing Songbird to look at the boy. He didn't know why, but a twinge of jealousy spiked in his heart, making it beat just a little faster.

"Pfft, me and Panther? Hell no. She's like...that sister I never had, we talked a lot more in middle school. But in high school she was a little different, must have been hard being the foreigner. The rumors didn't help either, all because of that bastard. But, I guess the eventual team up made sense, Joker's on probation, and his information was leaked. The traitorous track star who wanted revenge, and the scorned young woman who wanted vengeance for what happened to her best friend. It was the team up of the century." Skull said, scratching his nose.

"Heh...almost like a movie. This shit writes itself you know...well, you already know my reasoning. I want to save my mom, and everyone else from that bastard Kaneshiro. He swindled my little sister, forced my mom to give him every single yen she had, and he still wants more. Not only that, he steals our inventory and puts a gun to my head. What choice did I have really? Although, Kaneshiro was what broke the camel's back...maybe I'll get the chance to take care of the true problem." Songbird replied, rubbing his neck.

"What about you Miss President? What's your reason to rebel?"

"Me? Hmm...I guess I'm sick of being little miss perfect. It's hard, having to act like the honor student, being everyone's favorite. I just wanted to be like my father, but being a police officer, especially as a woman, is extremely challenging. My sister was always on my case too, until she said that I was useless to her. That I was just a damn leech, I get clothed, fed and a place to sleep without having to worry about a thing. That just...it really pissed me off." Queen said, clasping her hands together.

"I'm sure your sister didn't mean that stuff. She's just looking out for you, but if she's a prosecutor for the state...well...there's no doubt she's stressed. We aren't helping her case but...just know that she loves you alright? My older sister has said a lot of that stuff to me before and she usually apologizes right after. And gets me really cool stuff too."

"You...have an older sister? This wasn't in the school records when I reviewed them." the brunette said.

"Yeah, this dude is the luckiest bastard ever. His older sister is a famous idol, have you heard of Kanamin's Kitchen?" Skull asked curiously.

"Of course, I've seen them live in concert with my sister...don't tell me your sister is one of the girls in that group."

"Nope, my sister is the leader of that group. Kanami Mashita...I mean come on, we share the last name." he said. Her eyes widened in shock, jaw dropping as her hand went up to cover her mouth.

"You're...related to Kanami? Really?"

"Mhmm...we aren't blood related. Her mother was my father's first wife, so we only share last names. She's the sweetest person you'll ever met, I'll see if I can get you some tickets for her next show. Though one of her friends broke her leg, so I doubt she'll be singing and dancing any time soon."

"Guys, the door is open. Come on!" Mona cried, grabbing their attention. Skull grabbed his club, slinging it over his shoulder as he walked.

"We'll continue this later...you know...I feel a lot more...calm around you. Like all of the nerves melted away." Queen said.

"Me too...we're the newbies of the group, so we gotta look out for each other. At least until we're a little more experienced...so, if you have my back, I'll have yours. Deal?"

"Definitely."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Priestess Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Arcana Acquired: The Priestess)xxx**_

Songbird felt a little weird, as if he had gotten a new surge of energy coursing through him. Oddly enough, it felt the same as when he spoke with Panther the night before. He shook it off, and walked into the now opened room, seeing all of the monitors in front of him. They were showing live feed of several places in the bank, all of them shifting from screen to screen. Queen stood in front of the module, her eyes scanning every single detail she could.

"It seems this was a monitoring room. This will show us footage of the places below us." she said.

"We also found this key card, it's how we were able to open the door in the first place." Panther said, showing Queen the card with Kaneshiro's face on it.

"Interesting, with this we might be able to access more areas of the bank. This was a good find."

"Yes, and we got a map too. We already took a look at it, it seems there's an area below us. The elevator is the only way to reach it, we got another large area called the Banker's Way to traverse too, before reaching this open plaza like area here. That's where the map ends however." Fox said, handing the map to Songbird so he could look at it.

"There's a room here we haven't seen yet. We've been everywhere on the second and first floors, so we should make our way here. Maybe we'll find more rooms that key will open. We'll leave it to you Joker." the young actor said, handing the map to Queen so she could look at it.

Once they had prepared, Joker once again took the lead, leading them back the way they came. Before heading toward the stairs, he took a sharp left, following the path the map had shown them. They arrived to a locked door, which he quickly opened with his card key. He pressed himself against the door before opening it, gun in hand as he pushed it open, revealing nothing but an empty room. They all stepped inside, glancing around, only for a loud whirling sound to make them all cover their ears.

"God...what's with all this noise!?" Skull cried.

"It must be a machine of some sort." Fox added.

"I think this is the elevator's engine room. You see the rope? And look down there." Songbird said, pointing at the metallic grate. They saw something move all the way to the top, almost hitting the metal grate, only to stop for a minute or so. Then it started slowly going back down.

"If that's the elevator, then we don't have to necessarily get access to it. We can climb down there and simply wait for it to go down on its own." Fox said.

"Great idea...but what if there's no way out of this shaft?" Panther asked curiously. Skull chuckled, loading more shells into his shotgun.

"We'll make one. That elevator's ceiling is at least a quarter inch thick, nothing for my shotgun. We'll most likely have to fight, but that's better than being trapped right?"

"Let's not resort to that. We'll only do that if there is no other way down. For now, let us try this." Joker said. Songbird took a hold of his hand, helping him down into the shaft. Systematically, he helped lower everyone down, going down last. They all remained crouched down, waiting for the elevator to move.

After about five minutes of silence, the elevator finally started to move. Songbird mentally counted the seconds, using his knowledge from other elevators. He guessed it took between five to seven seconds between floors. Since they were going to the basement, it would have been the bottom most floor and the map only showed one floor beneath them. Ten seconds passed, and the elevator came to a stop. Thankfully, there was a vent for them to use, which was luckily wide enough for them all to crawl through.

"Ladies first." Skull said, a smug look on his face.

"Ladies last, I don't want you staring at my ass the entire time."

"We have no time, just go in!" Queen snapped, going in after Fox. Panther sighed, following her lead, with Skull about to go next, only for Songbird to beat him to the punch.

"Hey, no fair!"

"T'was better to have loved and lost, than to not have loved at all." he said with a chuckle.

"Shakespeare, how many hidden talents do you have in your sleeve Songbird?" Queen asked.

"I popped my shoulder out of place during the filming of Fleeting Angel 2, so I'm able to do it without passing out now."

"Ew...god why would you wanna do that?" Panther asked, glancing at the boy currently behind him. He looked up from the shaft, meeting her gaze.

"I dunno...it scares the kids on Halloween." he said with a shrug.

"If I'm being honest with you, I would not enjoy trick-or-treating with you Songbird. I fear you'd just get us more doors slammed than candy in our bags." Fox said.

"Maybe."

After a few minutes of crawling through the vents, they appeared in an area above a lobby of sorts. They were balanced on the wooden beams, which were luckily high enough for no one to see though the room was empty. Songbird lowered himself down first, landing in a crouch. He dashed toward the edge of the room, holding his rifle tightly in his grasp. He quickly left his cover, two soft pops filling the room shortly after. He gestured for them to follow, dashing into the next hallway, pressing himself against the wall. The others followed suit, staying to the shadows as much as possible.

"Hmm...the distortion here...I think there's a safe room nearby." Mona said. Joker nodded, seeing a set of doors not that far from where they stood. He pushed them open, sighing gratefully as he lead all of his friends inside.

"An office?" Queen asked curiously.

"Yeah, there's no danger here. Kaneshiro only manages the bank, not the offices, so it makes sense for them to be safe rooms. We can take a break here and review our current standings in his palace." Mona explained, earning a nod from Queen.

"Man...I feel wiped out, and we haven't been exploring long." Skull said, sitting down on the top of the table. Songbird grabbed one of the chairs, setting his rifle on it. He pulled out the magazine currently inside, pulling the loading rod back to eject the round in the chamber. He grabbed a hold of it, placing it back in the magazine, reaching his pouch for some bullets.

"It's so methodical...how you handle your weapon I mean." Queen said, leaning against the table next to the boy.

"Is it? I dunno...I guess I fall under a trance. I may be Japanese, but there is some American in me too. And you know how Murica loves their guns. My uncle is crazy with this shit, he said I wasn't a real man until I could load a magazine behind my back blindfolded. Course, he only did that so he could make out with the female instructor behind my back." he said, glancing at the ceiling.

"I have a feeling that your uncle is a gun crazed pervert." Mona said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Maybe...anyway, I can handle maintenance on weapons if you need it. They're our lifeline here, after all." the young actor replied, loading the magazine into his gun. He pulled open the bipod, resting the rifle on the table, leaning back against his chair.

"So...how close are we to the treasure room?" Panther asked.

"Hard to say...we still got a long way to go. We should aim for the next safe room, once we clear a route to it, we should leave." their feline companion said.

"Yes...as you all know, time is slowed down in the Metaverse. For every hour we spend here, it's two in the real world. We've been here little over an hour and a half. Let's see if we can get to the next safe room in another hour and a half. We still need to rest for school." Joker said.

"You know...doing all of this, it kinda reminds me of Sailor Moon."

"Oh god, you watched that?" Skull asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Hell yeah I watched that. Sailor Moon was the shit when I was growing up, even though it was old...damn that Sailor Venus, it was always her legs man. They went all the way up."

"It seems we share something else in common. I often times watched anime so I could learn about various art styles. The magical girl genre was always sort of entertaining to me." Fox said.

"Fucking hell, you guys are so weird." their blond haired friend replied.

"The only reason you call them weird is because you aren't man enough to admit you like Sailor Moon too." Mona said.

"What? Don't make me hit you, you damn cat!"

"Fighting evil by moonlight, Winning love by daylight..."

"Shut the fuck up Joker!"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Shadow spotted, what do we do Joker?" Skull said softly. It looked like a rather strong shadow as well. Joker turned to Songbird, gesturing for him to take it. The boy dashed toward a nearby statue, breaking the piggy bank on top of it, collecting what was within.

He rested the bipod on top of it, lining up his shot. The shadow was a good distance away, about eight hundred meters or so. He was scanning the area ahead, saying something into his radio every so often. Lining his shot with the back of his head was rather easy. He took a deep breath, putting the trigger back. The shadow flew forward, bursting into reddish black smoke. He held his hand up to Joker, giving him the okay for them to move. He grabbed his rifle and started walking forward, keeping his eyes peeled as he did. The end of the hallway was quickly upon them, and he turned the corner, only to come to a stop, holding his hand up.

"What's wrong?"

"We got cameras...they're blocking our path too." he said, pointing to the cameras at either side of the hallway.

"Shit, that's the last thing we needed." Panther muttered, brushing one of her ponytails over her shoulder.

"There has to be a way to shut them off. A control panel of some sort?" Fox asked curiously.

"Any control panel wouldn't be on our side. They would have it just beyond this hallway, we're gonna have to do our best not to be seen by them." Queen said, walking toward the wall. She pressed herself against it, sliding carefully down the hall.

"I got a better idea than that. I'll just kill the cameras on one side of the hall, we'll just stick to that side instead. Once we find the panel, we kill the other ones." Songbird said, quickly lining the shot.

"Wouldn't that alert the guards?" Skull asked, being silenced by the soft pop of the boy's rifle. The camera exploded, plastic and wires falling to the ground a second later. He lined the next shot, followed a third and finally a fourth. He smirked contently at the sight of the sparking cameras, walking closely to the right side of the hallway.

"Well...it was a bit more barbaric than I would have wanted, but nice job." Queen said, giving the boy a pat on the shoulder.

"Sometimes, you just gotta take the shot...know what I mean?"

As they continued moving down the hallway, they took down a few more shadows that got too close. Joker found the control panel for the camera and with a solid kick, it was taken care of. Queen took a look at their map, causing their group to stop.

"It looks like the path splits up ahead. The place we wanna go is down this door and up a flight of stairs. Let's check that room first, just in case we need to double back for something." she said, earning a nod from Joker. They entered the stairwell, walking toward it, only for Songbird to grab a hold of Joker's collar, pulling him to a stop.

"Cameras, there are two this time. We cross that path and we'll be axed in a nanosecond." he said softly.

"Thanks, if it wasn't for you I would have rung the dinner bell."

"Looks like we're gonna have to double back and find that panel. That other path seems like a viable option. Wanna split up like last time? We'll be able to use our phones to tell each other information, like if the cameras are truly off. It would prevent us from having to run back and forth." Mona suggested.

"Do phones even work here?" Queen asked.

"Well, we can't call outside of the Metaverse, but we've been using them as com's for awhile. We can call each others phones within the Metaverse, I guess the Meta-Nav makes it so we're linked to each other...I think." Skull said.

"Songbird, Panther, Skull you guys are with me. Mona, Fox and Queen standby. If you run into trouble, head back to the safe room and we'll meet you there. If not then when these cameras do down, secure the next area." Joker said, earning nods from the group.

They left the stairwell, rounding the corner into the other hallway, finding more cameras barring their path. Panther flicked her whip toward the nearest one, pulling hard on it until the camera broke from the wall, fizzling loudly. Songbird took out the next one, giving them a bit of leg room. Joker smirked as he walked, shooting the last camera at the end of the hall.

"You two work well as partners, perhaps we should have you stay like this permanently." he said.

"I agree, me and Joker will lead the charge, Panther and Songbird, you two cover us when needed."

"Uh...isn't the scout supposed to I dunno...scout ahead? We should be ones in front, if we go by your logic." Panther said.

"It doesn't matter, as long as I'm able to find and clear our path it's alright. I do agree with Joker though, we compliment each other well. As long as you have me covered, I'll scout as much as I can." the brown haired lad said, earning a nod from Panther.

The four Phantom Thieves continued moving forward, shifting from light jogs to walking, and whenever they ran into a shadow, they took care of it. They managed to find one control box, which Joker quickly took care of.

" _Joker, this is Queen...one set of cameras has been shut off. The other one is still active."_

"We'll keep searching, hold on for just a bit longer." the boy said, slipping the phone into his pocket.

"Man...I wish they would just make palaces simple, instead of all of this backtracking and searching shit."

"Where's the fun in that? What's the point of taking a painstakingly long time burying a treasure, only for it to be five feet from your front door?" Panther asked.

"She's got a good point...I mean, take a hint from your Persona man. Captain William Kidd was notorious for his hidden treasure. Just before he was sent to the gallows, he confided in someone that he had hidden a treasure in a place no one would ever find. It's been the debated topic for archaeologists and treasure hunters for centuries. Just like the treasure of Oak Island."

"Isn't Oak Island cursed?" Joker asked quietly, pressing himself against a wall. He saw a shadow not far from where they were, which was quickly taken care of by Songbird.

"Some people say it is...many have lost their lives searching for this hidden treasure. Some even say Captain Kidd hid it on Oak Island. No one really knows." he replied.

"You know, I've noticed you're really into history. Is that your favorite subject?"

"I guess...I've always been interested in stories of the past. Whenever I was between shoots, I would study whatever I had available. My tutor would always bring me history books. Let's just say I prefer those over math." he said with a chuckle.

"English is my best subject, I suppose it's because I am part American. My parents are often traveling, and I've had to stay in various places from time to time. So I had to learn the language." Panther added, earning a nod from the actor.

"You and I are the same, I had to learn how to speak Russian when we were filming Fleeting Angel 2. Moscow is beautiful, I just love all of the rich architecture. I did live in Paris for six months, but I didn't pick up any french."

"That's unfair, I've never left Japan. What's traveling like?"

"It's fun...you get to go to a new place, try out new food and just...submerge yourself in the culture. If you don't wholeheartedly dive in, then there's no point in traveling. Maybe one day I'll try to visit Finland, I hear it's quite the country." Songbird said, giving Panther a wink. She flushed, glancing away meeting eyes with Joker, who gave her a knowing smirk.

"Hey, do you think the school field trip will be out of Japan? I really don't wanna go to Okinawa like last year. I mean it was fun, and all but I was already there once."

"Maybe we can suggest a new place then. Let's focus on this for now." the leader said, returning his teammates to their current task.

It took them a few more minutes to locate the next panel, which Joker once again took care of. After confirming with Queen that they had shut off the cameras, they started doubling back, running as fast as they could to avoid alerting whatever security had been scrambled by their move. They made it back to the stairwell, breathing easy knowing their teammates had secured the area for them. They made it to the end of the next hall, where Fox, Queen and Mona were waiting, in front of a set of doors.

"Great Job as always Joker."

"Thanks Fox, though I should be saying the same to you. You cleared this area out quickly and efficiently."

"It was all because of Queen, she did an awesome job directing us. Even better, the next area is the last one shown on the map...so it looks like a big one. We're gonna have to find another map soon but I reckon we're nearing the end of the journey for us here." Mona said, a grin on his furred face.

"This is going smoother than I would have thought. But this is the biggest area, so let us be careful." Songbird said.

Joker opened the door, leading his team into the next room. His eyes widened, his normally composed face being a shocked look. They were all in the same state, seeing the large room for the first time. There were several sets of stairs leading down. Every single area was guarded by cameras, ones that turned on an off like the ones they had dealt with before. The lack of guards in that area was a bit reassuring, but it also let them know that whatever was ahead was very very important.

"Looks like we've reached an important area...there wouldn't be a need for so many security cameras if what lied ahead wasn't important."

"Queen is right, whatever lies ahead is of importance. We must read lightly and carefully if we wish to reach whatever that is. Joker, I shall leave this at your discretion." Fox said. The frizzy haired lad glanced around, seeing two entrances leading away from the stairs. An idea formed in his head, a small smirk gracing his lips.

"Let's split up again...we'll take care of these cameras and clear this area. Then we'll meet down there, in front of whatever that is."

"Alright, if that's your call then we'll follow your lead." Skull replied, resting his club on his shoulder.

Once the teams were evenly split, Joker lead his own group down the left, while Queen directed hers to the right. Songbird had gone with her, with Panther deciding to go with him. The final member of their squad was Fox, who was holding his sword at the ready should he need it. They moved quietly and swiftly, taking down all of the shadows in their way, barely summoning their personas as they fought. Whenever they had too, they tried not to use any magic spells, since they were already quite tired, they didn't want to waste more of their stamina using magic.

"Songbird, I see the control panel, it's nine hundred meters or so...I'd rather not go all the way over there." Queen said, peeking around the corner.

"You think he can nail it at that distance?" Panther asked curiously.

"I've never shot anything a thousand meters out. Whenever I went hunting, I only shot things five or six hundred meters out. But this is a straight shot, I can hit it." he reassured. He turned his weapon side ways, checking the magazine, frowning when he realized he only had a few more rounds. He had already spent two during the entire infiltration. It wouldn't be long until he'd run out of bullets. He didn't let that bother him.

"Something the matter Songbird?"

"No...I'm down to two rounds on this magazine. I can't keep being a scout without bullets to take out the stronger shadows. We're all pretty much out of ammo. I got more back at home though so it shouldn't be an issue to lock and load."

"We're gonna have to be careful with how we use our bullets. We can only get a hold of so many blanks before someone notices what we're doing." Queen said softly.

"Don't worry about it, me and Joker will handle it. For now, let me handle this." he said, lining up his shot. He squeezed the trigger softly, the bullet striking the panel causing it to short out. He stood up from his crouch, popping his back as he did.

"Nice shot, you know I think we could use some pointers on our shooting from you."

"Sorry Panther, but in the real world we won't be able to do much shooting in the real world. Blanks aren't the best way to learn, unless Queen can sneak us into the gun range at the police station that is."

"That's funny...maybe I can sneak us in. Only if you want to get there with a pair of handcuffs around your wrists." she replied, earning a chuckle from Fox.

Doubling back, the group met up once more walking freely down the stairs. They reached a large iron door, styled mostly like the ones in a real bank. There were two modules at either side of the large doors, with card readers installed into them. Skull tapped it with his boot, sighing a bit.

"Looks like we aren't getting through this. What kinda door is it?"

"It's a partition door. It's safe to bet that whatever is past this door is quite the special place. That's why security is so lax, we require a set of keys to open it." Fox said, rubbing his chin as he inspected the card readers.

"There must be a place around here we can look. Wasn't there a security guard office up at the top of the stairs? Let's look there." Mona said, earning a nod from Joker. They started making their way back, quickly reaching the office. Joker heard voices coming from within, and quickly pressed himself against the wall, leaning far enough to listen in.

" _Do you think those rats will make their way down here?"_

" _I'm not sure. Why are you scared? They aren't gonna get into the Laundering Office, we got the two keys. Let them come, we'll just kill them like the rats they are."_

"So...it seems these two have the keys. But there's no way to open this door from this side." Joker said, turning to face his friends.

"This could prove to be a problem. Without access to that room, we won't be able to get those cards." Songbird replied, a frown on his face.

"Leave it to me...I've got an idea. You remember that room on the second floor? It had communication devices, and most likely connects to this place. All we have to do is go up there and make one of those guards come up, simultaneously, another team takes care of the one that remains." Queen said.

"That's a good plan, leave it to Queen to come up with something like that."

"Oh come on, even I could have come up with something as simple as that." Skull said jokingly.

"Really then? How about you come with me to the communication office then? If you think this is so simple." Joker said. The boy's eyes widened a bit, but he quickly brushed it off.

"Yeah, yeah sure. I'll come with you, only if Queen comes along with us."

"Fair enough, it is my idea so I'll gladly come along. We'll move faster in a small group, Songbird think you can manage here?" the brown haired young woman asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"I'll handle it. For now, Fox, Panther, let's find a place to hide...we can't be here when that guard leaves this office." the boy said. He bumped fists with Joker as they took off, heading back to the upstairs office.

"How is your first venture inside a palace going Songbird? Do you yet understand the madness that drives people toward such desires?" Fox asked quietly, using a cloth to wipe some blood from his blade.

"It's been interesting...and tiring. But I've been having a lot of fun, this reminds me of those cartoons I used to watch as a kid. Where burglars would plan these elaborate schemes to steal some jewels...the only difference here is we're changing someone's cognition and making them good people. Even if Kaneshiro does confess, he's still a piece of shit." he said.

"Agreed, no one threatens to prostitute a fourteen year old and gets away with it. If I had the chance, I'd crush his balls under my heel."

"That doesn't sound pleasant."

"It isn't supposed to be...then again, I think Carmen is speaking through me." she said, giving Fox a wink. Songbird shuddered a bit, especially after seeing her eyes flashing gold. They heard the sound of a gate opening and quickly shot to their feet, seeing one of the guards making his way up the stairs, grumbling as they went.

"This is our chance, let's wait until that bastard is out of ear shot and storm the place." Songbird said, earning a nod from his companions.

A minute slowly trickled by, with nothing more than silence filling the room. Once they were safe, the three Phantom Thieves moved toward the office, wasting no time in running in, catching the guard by surprise. Songbird jumped onto his shoulders, grabbing a hold of the mask just like he had seen Joker do before, pulling it as hard as he could.

"Show me your true form!" he chanted, peeling the mask off with ease, jumping off the shadow's back. They watched as it morphed into a giant creature, that reminded him of a large armored samurai.

"I won't let you harm President Kaneshiro." he cried, voice sounded deep and distorted.

"Don't worry, he comes soon after you fall." Fox said, racing forward as he drew his blade, delivering three swift slashes on the creature's chest. It growled angrily, throwing a punch at the young man, who easily dodged it.

"Goemon, Bufu!" he chanted, summoning his samurai persona. The large man puffed on his pipe, sending a stream of cold air at the creature, freezing it in place.

"Phantom of the Opera, Foul Breath!" Songbird cried. The large masked man let out a laugh flying forward with the aid of his wings. He unleashed a foul stench that covered the creature.

"It's susceptible to ailments now. Panther follow it up with fire and make sure it hits home!" Songbird said.

"Alright Carmen, let's hit this bastard hard! Agilao!" Panther commanded. Carmen let out a small laugh, holding her dress high channeling a large fire ball in her hand. With a flick of her wrist, she send a plume of crackling flames at the enemy, easily setting it on fire.

"It's on fire, anyone have any wind attacks?" Fox asked.

"Not me...but I have something that might work. Phantom, hit them with Magido!" Songbird cried. Phantom of the Opera released the charged spell, causing the creature to fall to a knee, swaying back and forth still screaming from his flaming skin.

"Let's finish it off!" Fox commanded, racing forward followed by Songbird and Panther, all of them attacking the creature with all of their strength. Fox took a step back, launching himself forward, slashing the shadow in half with his katana, a fountain of blood exploding from within. The shadow faded into nothingness, dropping a card as well as a long thin key, with several small teeth on it.

"Looks like we got what we came here for. But what's with this weird looking key?"

"I remember seeing something like this. In an Al Pachino movie, there were this bank robbers, and they got the keys to the vault. You have to take this key and slide it into the lock after scanning the card. The trick is, you have to turn both keys at the same time. If you don't, then that could send alarms throughout the bank. Not only that, this card will become useless to us." Songbird said, looking the key over.

"Take a look at this, a map for the next area." Fox said, holding out the folded paper. Songbird took a look at it, scanning the next areas of the bank.

"It seems there's only two more areas left, the Laundering Office, which is beyond that partition door, and the Underground Vault. Looks like there's quite a lot of rooms to look through there though."

"We'll tackle those tomorrow. For now, we should make it to the saferoom just beyond the Laundering Office. We've done enough for today." the blue haired artist said. Songbird rolled the map up, just as Joker and the others returned, holding the two keys they had recovered from the other guard.

"The plan worked like a charm...I believe we should let Queen strategize for us from now on." Joker said.

"I agree...now, let us go crack that safe open." Mona said, eyes glittering at the thought of what laid behind.

The group, together again moved in unison toward the large doors. Reaching the end, Joker handed his key off to Panther, gesturing for her to open it. Songbird to the left door once he figured out which key was which. He scanned the card first, sliding the metal key in place, the long chain hanging down. He looked at Panther, giving her a nod.

"Remember, if even one of us turns this a second to early, we're screwed. Joker, count us down from three...I don't trust myself doing it." he said.

"Alright...whenever your ready." he replied, earning nods from the two.

"3...2...1, go."

Panther and Songbird turned their keys simultaneously nervous at the thought of failing. The doors started to move, their turnstiles rapidly turning and locking in place. The room started to shake as the doors slowly opened, revealing the path that lay behind. The Thieves all cheered, with Songbird and Panther high fiving from their success.

"Let's move out. We're almost to the next safe room." Joker said, taking the first steps into the Laundering Office. Skull looked around, seeing all of the Yen floating around, a look of disgust on his face.

"Look at all of this money. I bet you he stole it all from innocent people."

"There's no doubt in my fucking mind. God, I am looking forward to teaching that scumbag a thing or two." Songbird muttered, his grip on his gun tightening. They entered the next hallway, seeing another set of doors, along with a path that lead down, crawling with Shadows. Mona moved on ahead, sighing contently.

"Looks like another saferoom. Come on, let's take a breather." he said, quickly dashing inside. Everyone fell into the first available chair or the floor, glad to be off their feet.

"We've made it pretty far...let's call it a night. I've already activated the circle for us to safely return here." Joker said, placing the magic teleporter on the floor, which instantly stuck to the floor.

"Hey, where exactly do you get those? I mean being able to freely teleport from safe room to safe room is quite the boon." Queen asked curiously.

"It's a type of spell that Mona can use. I'm not exactly sure how he uses it."

"It's like a special ability. Thanks to my persona, Zorro...I'm able to cast this special and create these seals. As long as they're cast in a saferoom, they'll work just fine. We should really head back, we're all about to drop." the feline said firmly.

"Then let's pack it up. We'll return to this saferoom tomorrow afternoon." Joker said.

With nothing left to do, the Phantom Thieves decided to leave the palace. It had been a long day for them and they wanted nothing more than to sleep it off. After all, they would have to go back to school in the morning, something most of them weren't looking forward to.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II- The Priestess(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI- The Lovers(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor-XX The Judgment(Rank 1)**_


	14. Palace Infiltration II: Kaneshiro

**A/N:**

 **Hello fellow Thieves, and welcome to Chapter 14 of Codename: Songbird. Today is the day...the second day of the Kaneshiro Palace infiltration. I hope you've all been looking forward to it. I got a lot of positive feedback, which is always good, but I do have a question...do you like how I handled the infiltration? Is it realistic or would you like more fights with shadows? I could always add those in later infiltrations if that is the case. Let me know in the reviews or PMs if you so wish. As you know, Chapter 15 will be the chapter that handles the actual boss fight. I hope you all look forward to it, afterwards, the next four chapters will be filler, just something to level up the confidants and get more confidants for Takumi. I'm not sure if I will give him twenty one like Joker has them, it's challenging come up with new ones that make sense...I mean I have written them out, but I might get rid of the rank up thing, because I feel like it's holding me back a bit. It makes me have to keep track of who needs a rank up. I'll most likely focus on friendships instead of rank ups...I dunno...let me know what you think.**

 **I am currently working on the next part of the story, which surrounds Futaba and Medjed, but as I said before...two palaces will be simultaneously explored. I have also decided to add a character in earlier than when you encounter them in the game. At least for Takumi...I felt like this particular character didn't get much screen time in the game due to how late they were introduced, but they will have plot relevance as well as some more stuff with Takumi. You'll probably already guess who it is, but for the sake of being secretive, I won't say the name. So yeah...look forward to that. For those of you trying to figure out Takumi's future girlfriend...you'll probably get a hint in this chapter...let's just say there are two candidates right now, that are my personal favorite and I'm having a hard time deciding who he will end up with. Hell, even Rise is a choice for him to end up with, despite her being like four years older than Takumi is, which isn't an issue at all, he's had a crush on her for years now. Ah...Persona 4 characters...that takes me back to all the fun times I had in Persona 4 Golden...yeah...**

 **Anyway, I hope you like this chapter...let me know what you think, what can be changed, improved...whatever. Have a nice Saturday...and remember, only you can prevent forest fires...unless it's the Zombie Apocalypse, in which case set all the fires you want, no one will give a shit...and then you have flaming zombies to deal with...joy...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 14

Kaneshiro's Palace Infiltration II

 _ **Date: Thursday June 23rd 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Late Night**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Thank god Dominoes Pizza exists here and they stay open until 2 AM." Takumi said happily, placing the pizza boxes on the coffee table in the living room, along with the soda bottles that he had ordered.

"Oh man...I've never wanted something so badly like I want that pizza." Ryuji said, hungrily staring at the box.

"Well you'll have to wait. A Gentlemen thief allows the ladies to take their share first." Ann said, earning a nod from Makoto.

"That is absolutely right. But don't worry, we know how much men crave meat, we'll leave the meat lovers to you fellas." she said.

"Still...we should use this time for a toast. For making it three quarters of the way into Kaneshiro's palace. We set a speed record and it was amazing, all of you were working in tandem. Even our newest members fell into the routine as if they had been doing it for years. We couldn't have done it without Takumi and Makoto."

"Come on Ren, don't put this on all of us. We all worked together and made the trip that much faster." Takumi said, flushing as he poured himself some soda, passing the bottle to Ryuji.

"You needn't be so humble Takumi. You did admirably well, against the shadows and traversing through the palace. Your Scouting served us well, taking down shadows without fighting them directly makes it immensely faster."

"That's right, we couldn't have gotten that far without you. You took care of our quarry, even I was impressed with your shooting skills." Makoto said happily.

"Well...I'm just glad that I have a purpose on this team. But we should plan for tomorrow's infiltration. The laundering office is big, but not as huge as the Underground Vault. It has many rooms, and in those rooms, there might be a lot of guards, but a lot of look too. Aside from the treasures that Ren found, and the stuff I got from piggy banks, we didn't find much."

"That's right...the Underground Vault might be filled with lots of loot. After all, it is a vault, and as Phantom Thieves, we'll have to do our best to salvage all of that pretty treasure. Precious gold, shiny silver...diamonds and pearls!" Morgana said, purring happily.

"If I didn't know any better, I would say Morgana was a Pokemon fan." Takumi said, earning a boisterous laugh from Ann, who almost spilled her drink.

"I feel so comfortable around you guys. I've longed to have friends like you, you know...during my investigation at school. I always watched you from afar...I can't deny that I wasn't jealous. You were together, always joking around and having fun. Everyone always treats me like an honor student, so no one wants to hang out. They all think I'm a stuffy nerd."

"Well Makoto, you sort of are. You are the student council president after all..but just because you love your academics, doesn't mean you can't have friends. That's one thing I hate about Shujin, people would rather waste time on rumors, than spend time with friends." Ryuji said.

"Kosei is the same...everyone focuses on their own things. But rumors are always prevalent...in fact there's a more recent one. There's a student in the second year who's a famous Shogi player. Rumor has it, that she doesn't play an honest game, and all of her matches are rigged. She spends her time in a Church in Kanda to practice in the peace and quiet of the church." Yusuke said, earning a frown Takumi.

"Poor girl...she must have been driven away, seeking refuge in a church of all places. I used to be really good at Shogi, my grandmother taught me how to play. But it's been years since I touched a Shogi board."

"Rumors are part of society. It's in human nature to speak ill about things they don't know. But we have the upper hand on them, anyone who decides to mess with society, is gonna get a Metaverse ass whooping, courtesy of the Phantom Thieves." Ryuji said.

"Damn straight they are! We're close to getting to Kaneshiro's treasure...that bastard has his hours counted. The faster we take his treasure, the better the outcome."

"You're definitely right Lady Ann, we're so close to the treasure that I can almost taste it. I wonder what it'll be this time? Maybe gold bars?" Morgana asked curiously.

"Most likely...but even if they are gold bars, we'll just get whatever real world equivalent it is. Just like with Madarame, we got the real Sayuri from him...or rather, an original replica." Ren said.

"Indeed, I believe it might be something monetary. If we do receive money from Kaneshiro's heart...then it shall be compensation for our troubles." Yusuke said.

"We'll figure that out tomorrow. For now, we should all finish up here and head to bed, we've got a long day ahead of us." Makoto added, earning a chorus of tired groans from the group.

"I already showed you to your rooms right? So you feel free to leave when you want. I'm probably gonna stay up and speak with my sister, she blew up my chat earlier." Takumi said.

"I'll take you up on that offer...dibs on the bed." Ann said, shooting to her feet.

"Hey! I thought we agreed to share the bed, it's a king size, there's enough space for the both of us!" Makoto snapped, following after her roommate for the night.

"That's so unfair...two girls sleeping in one bed together, and I don't get to be there." Ryuji said.

"But I do...because I'm a cat and I'll sleep at the corner of their bed. Or maybe, in between them both." Morgana said, talking toward the bedroom, only for Ryuji to grab a hold of his tail.

"Hell no! You aren't sleeping anywhere near them you damn cat!"

"Let go of my tail Ryuji! I'm gonna claw your eyes out!"

"Jesus Christ, you two argue like an old married couple." Ren said, taking a sip from his drink.

"If only I could understand the origins of this painting. Why did the artist decide on a cat...what do the lasers mean? And why such a backdrop?" Yusuke said, his gaze returning to the cat painting. Takumi sighed, after a long day, all he wanted was to sleep until morning came.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Thursday June 23rd 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Lunch**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Takumi-kun there you are! I've been looking for you all over the place!"

Takumi groaned, removing his glasses from his face to pinch his eyes. He sighed as he turned around, placing his glasses back on his face as Ayumi's best friend, Kotone stopped before him. The brown haired girl had a bright grin on her face, her side ponytail moving to and fro as she came to a stop before him. He noticed that she was wearing a different colored bow today. He also noticed that her hazel colored eyes were lined with black eye liner, and she was wearing some eye shadow and blush on her cheeks as well. He had to admit, the girl was very pretty, but he didn't find girls that were clingy attractive. Her white tee shirt seemed a bit different than the school ones, in fact he noticed that she was wearing a rather fancy looking blouse, with a corset over it, which helped to push up her bust. She most likely did that as a means to attract the boy. He brushed some hair out of his eyes, crossing his arms.

"Isn't my sister around here somewhere?"

"I'm not looking for her. I'm looking for you silly, I picked a new spot for our date. Do you like scenic places? There's this place in Odaiba that has an amazing view. It's right next to a bridge and it's recommended as a perfect spot for a first date!" the girl cried excitedly.

"Toni, I told you yesterday...I'm not interested in dating you right now. I don't like to uh...date girls who're friends with my sister. You know, if something happens then it'll be awkward. I don't want your friendship to end because of me...please understand."

"Oh...if you're worried about that, then don't fret. Me and Ayumi have been best friends since we were in cram school! I won't let anything separate us...besides, she said that she wanted to be an aunt. I'll gladly carry your babies!" she said, loud enough to attract the attention of a few other students.

"Jesus Christ! Shut up! People can hear you." he hissed angrily.

"Aw, your so cute when you blush."

"Listen...I appreciate that you find me handsome enough to date. But I normally make it a rule not to date a fan. They go all Yuno Gasai on you when you decide to move on. I'd rather not have a knife in my back when I take a walk down the street. Please understand Toni, I'd rather just be friends with you." he said firmly. The girl sighed, shaking her head as she frowned.

"Honestly...I don't understand why you don't admit that you like me. I know you do, so we can just go on a date. Besides, when was the last time you dated someone as cute as me? I'll pay for everything, you have nothing to worry about!" Toni said, an excited look on her face.

" _This girl is really starting to piss me off. Who knew someone so cute could be so damn annoying?"_ he thought to himself. He glanced to his right, eyes widening a bit in surprise. A small smirk appeared on his face.

"Ann! There you are, I was wondering what was taking you so long." the boy called out, causing the blonde to look up from her phone. She had been absentmindedly strolling through the school.

"Hey...what's up?"

"Well, it's just I messaged you and you didn't answer, so I got worried. It's natural right? For a boyfriend to worry about his girlfriend?" he asked. The blonde girl looked at him in surprise, taking notice of the First Year standing nearby, the same girl that hadn't left him alone the day before. She gave him a nod, adopting a smile.

"That's right, I was just talking to Shiho. She's really eager to meet you, the guy who managed to steal my heart."

"Takumi...why didn't you tell me you were dating someone else?" Toni asked curiously. The boy shrugged, wrapping an arm around Ann's waist, holding her close.

"I figured you would have already know. I mean rumors travel fast around this school. This is exactly why I didn't want to date you Toni, please understand. I don't want to break Ann's heart." he said, going as far as kissing her cheek. The girl flushed red, but continued to play along.

"I...guess I understand. And I had such a cute spot set up too...but there's something fishy going on here. Ayumi never mentioned you were dating."

"We date secretly. You know, he's a famous actor, we don't want the pap's to invade our privacy." Ann replied. The girl narrowed her eyes.

"Okay...prove it. After all you two could be lying to me...he's an actor after all." Toni said.

"I don't have to prove anything to you Toni...sheesh. Just accept that I have a girlfriend and don't want to date anyone but her. You're my sister's friend okay, and I respect you. So please respect me and stop this already." he asked, being as polite as possible.

"Fine...but the second I find this relation is fraudulent or over...I am dragging you to Odaiba whether you want me to or not. I'll be watching." she said, turning on her heel, her hair whipping about as she walked off.

"I didn't think that girl was gonna be so clingy."

"Tell me about it, thank Christ my sister didn't give her my number. Thanks for bailing me out of that one, I'll take you to whatever restaurant you want after our heist. You deserve it for playing along." Takumi said, giving the girl a smile.

"Thanks, but I figured this would be an acting exercise. Practice for our true first session...how'd I do?" she asked curiously, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Excellent. Your talking could use a bit of refining, there was doubt in Toni's mind, because your speech was a bit rough. Remember, acting and lying go hand in hand. If you convey your act you can fool anyone into thinking anything. Thankfully, I didn't have to prove to her that we were dating. Hopefully you aren't too bothered by rumors, seeing as we'll be the center of the school for awhile." he said, glaring at a few people who were looking their way.

"Well...you can't wrap your arm around someone, call them your girlfriend and then continue on like it's nothing. I was just talking to Makoto...she asked me to the Student Council Room. Wanna come along? I'm sure it's...you know what...related."

"Yup...sorry to do this to you, but Toni is kind of a pain in my ass. Just continue acting, this is good practice for you." he said, taking a hold of her hand. She giggled, glancing at her phone. The stares were unwelcome, but Takumi took them all in stride, he didn't care for rumors much anymore, not when he had already discarded his mask.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Thursday June 23rd 20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Kaneshiro's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Yo, I heard some rather interesting rumors at school today." Skull said, grabbing Songbird's attention.

The boy had been loading his magazines and making sure his rifle was ready. The others were talking strategy, while Fox kept watch. The safe room was relatively safe, but the guards had increased in numbers since the day before. Now that they were nearing the treasure, they were sure Kaneshiro would be more guarded than before. After all of the stuff that he had experienced in school, he just wanted to go to Kaneshiro's palace and forget the day's events. Toni had at least stopped bothering him, for the time being at least.

"What did you hear? Something juicy that you wanna share with me?" he asked, not taking his eyes off the magazine he was loading. The blond boy gave him a smirk.

"Hell yeah...heard you and Panther were holding hands today. Not just that, you two are dating now."

"That was just an act. That girl Toni, who's best friends with my little sis, wouldn't stop riding my ass. So I convinced her of thinking that me and Panther were dating, so that she could leave me alone. It's nothing more than an acting exercise for her. You know, she's the only one who took my offer?" he asked, looking up at his friend, placing the magazine into his rifle, pulling the loading rod back.

"She's the only one who needs acting lessons. Joker's got things handled with his level head, Queen can handle herself and Fox...well he's got his own manner of handling things. Panther was the only one who was lacking, now with your help, she can use her looks and her acting to get us what we want, and what we need." Skull replied, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah...but a little acting goes a long way. Well, I can at least show you how to take care of your weapons. It's a shame we don't have a range to practice on so we'll have to be practical about it...then again your shotgun can clear anything in our path." Songbird said.

"We'll be fine...anyway, are we all set?" Skull asked, pushing back from the wall as he approached the table, where the map had been laid out. Queen gave him a nod.

"Yes, we've planned everything. We're going to tackle the last two areas like we did yesterday. We'll explore everything and make sure that there aren't any areas leading to another place. The treasure is most definitely in the Underground Vault, it's the last place we can potentially go to."

"My treasure sense is getting a lot stronger, but it's still faint as well. I should be able to tell you if we're getting close or not." Mona said, reassuringly.

"If there's nothing left to talk about, we should head out. We run the risk of being found here, the shadows seem on edge today. Much more than at Madarame's Palace." Fox said.

"Then allow me to scout ahead. Panther you're with me, Mona would you mind tagging along as back up?"

"Of course, I wouldn't want Panther to get hurt after all." he said, grinning as he walked close to the red clad girl, much to her dismay.

Songbird cleared the area with ease. He had missed a few shots, but luckily the guards hadn't been alerted. Joker had quickly taken the lead, leading his team through the Laundering Office. They had arrived at an area with some cameras, but they were no match for the Phantom Thieves. The young frizzy haired lad quickly found an open vent and started crawling through it, thankfully this one was wide enough for everyone to get through without their weapons snagging or risk of getting stuck.

"It's a bit musty in here."

"It's an air vent. It's supposed to be musty." Skull said, ignoring Fox's comment.

"Well...it smells like money to me. Did you know, that money is one of the most commonly used methods of snorting cocaine?" Songbird asked.

"Why do you know this?" Queen asked, earning a chuckle from the boy, who continued crawling through the vent.

"I watch a lot of Cops...or well, I did when I was back home. All of last year was just boring. We finished filming New Age in March and I was forced to live with my father in LA. If I couldn't go outside I would watch some American television. Why the hell not right?"

"You seem to be filled to the brim with useless facts. Like earlier today, how the hell did you know fireflies made Luciferin? And that was how they glowed at night?" Skull asked.

"Because I take my studies seriously ass hat. You ever read an encyclopedia? Trust me when you are bored you'll do anything to occupy your mind. Why not expand your knowledge a bit? Though I will say I cheated on that last one. Mitsuhide was the one who told me about the fireflies." he replied.

"Cheater."

"Hey now, it's wonderful that Songbird turns to knowledge when he is bored. Better that than spend his time on video games right?"

"That's cause you haven't been in his room yet Queen. Once you see all of those games in his collection, you'll know that you are a hundred percent wrong."

"Oh shut up Skull...you are just jealous that Songbird has a bigger gaming collection than you. Not only that, he manages to still find time to study in between play sessions." Panther countered, earning a sigh from the boy. They finally made it out of the vent, landing in a large room. It looked almost like a money sorting room, where all of the bills were just dumped in a giant bucket. It honestly made Songbird sick.

"I wanna torch this room so bad." he said.

"Well don't...we can't change Kaneshiro's cognition drastically like that." Joker said, jumping down to the lower span. Everyone followed suit, making their way across the span to another vent. Once they were out in the hallway, they moved toward a large set of doors, leading down to another room, lined by two sets of stairs.

"Four enemies, what do we do?" Queen said softly, pressing herself against one of the many pillars. Joker glanced at Songbird, gesturing silently for him to take care of business. The boy moved across the room, spotting an area perfect for what he wanted to do. He jumped onto a table reaching his hand up to the banister, pulling himself over it.

" _This is the perfect vantage point. I can take care of the enemies on the stairs, and the others that are straggling. Hmm...let's take care of those stragglers first."_ he thought, resting the edge of his rifle on the railing. He lined up the nearest shadow taking it out with ease. He dispatched the second just as quickly, before lining up the third, seeing an almost crimson energy coming from it.

" _Be careful with that one Takumi. It seems to be exuding quite a bit of power, it might be a higher ranked shadow, put in power by Kaneshiro himself."_ his persona, the Phantom of the Opera said. The boy nodded, steadying his breathing, eye focused on his target. He waited for it to turn around, eyes forward before squeezing the trigger. The body fell back to the ground, a sickening splash filling his ears before it disappeared.

"Hehe...man I love this."

"Ahem."

Songbird stiffened, glancing over his shoulder seeing another guard shadow behind him. He glared into his eyes through the bug eyed mask he was wearing. The boy dropped his rifle and slowly stood up, raising his hands above his head. Joker who had been carefully watching from below, looked at him confused. Songbird held up a single finger, spinning his hand around, a signal that they had developed. It meant that there was a shadow holding them up, and that they needed backup. Thankfully, the shadow hadn't seen his friends yet.

"So...this is the rat who had snuck into President Kaneshiro's bank. He's gonna be glad to see you!" the shadow said, his distorted voice sounding quite pleased.

"Oh...that's a shame. I doubt he'd like to see a shit stain like me...I'm worthless, why not let me go?"

"Nice try kid...take a long look straight ahead. The President is speaking with one of his most trusted guards. He's going to have fun with you." the guard said, pointing his hand forward. Songbird narrowed his eyes a bit, seeing Kaneshiro's Shadow was speaking with another guard, one dressed in a weird yellow outfit, just like the guard he had taken care of before entering the Laundering Office.

"Kaneshiro." the boy hissed, tightening his fists. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing Fox and Panther rounding the corner a smirk working its way onto his lips. He slammed his elbow into the shadow's face, quickly drawing his pistol, pressing it under his chin. He pulled the trigger once, the bullet flying through his head. The shadow morphed into a pair of High Pixies, enemies he had taken care of before.

"I haven't the time for quarry like you!" he said, pulling the trigger twice, the two Pixies cried in pain, dropping to the ground. He drew his sword, slicing them apart with ease.

"You didn't even need help." Panther said, causing the boy to turn around, grabbing his rifle.

"Kaneshiro is down there, that's why I took the risk. Come on." he said, jumping over the banister. The young actor stared moving toward the stairs, followed by Joker who wondered why he was acting strangely. Upon seeing Kaneshiro however, he realized why and even quickened his pace a bit. The group of seven came to a stop before the two, who were still lost in conversation, and hadn't even noticed them.

"Kaneshiro!" Songbird and Queen cried at the same time, startling the man.

"Y-you bastards! How did you manage to get this far!? What about my security!?" the man asked, his face devoid of emotion, other than shock.

"Hate to break it to ya, but your security is shit. It was a piece of cake for us." Skull said tauntingly, a smirk on his face.

"Well, I wouldn't say it was simple." Fox said, a dejected look on his face. The others silently agreed, the day before had been quite challenging on them all.

"H-hey! Finish off these vermin here. Keep them away from the elevator at all costs!" Kaneshiro snapped, earning a nod from the guard shadow.

The shadow morphed into a large humanoid figure, standing several feet above them. His entire body was covered by some sort of armor, gold in color and glimmering in the light. It held a single sword in its hands, its arms were also heavily armored, as well as the rest of its body. Its beady red eyes were focused on the Phantom Thieves, knowing it couldn't let them reach the elevator. With a snap of his fingers, two more shadows appeared. A Tornado Devil, and a Floodbringer Demon, the same enemies they had faced the previous day. All three of them prepared for the fight that would ensue, making the Phantom Thieves a little nervous.

"Hey guys, these three look rather tough. Do you know any weaknesses?" Mona asked.

"The Tornado Devil and Floodbringer Demon are both weak to Nuclear magic, Queen, we'll leave the damage on those two you. Everyone else team up to attack the Warlord in the center." Joker said. Queen placed a hand on her mask, summoning her persona, a smirk on her face.

"Persona! Mafrei!" she cried, sweeping the area before her, sending three large blasts of Nuclear magic at their enemies. Just as expected, the two shadows at either side of the Warlord fell to their knees, howling in pain from the damaging move.

"Songbird, the next one is yours." Queen said, clapping hands with the brown haired actor, who had been waiting for his chance, a grin on his face.

"Phantom of the Opera! Hit them hard with Megido, make these fuckers suffer!" he cried out. The Phantom appeared behind the young man, spreading his wings as he launched the strongest Megido he could muster, the ground shook slightly from the attack. The Warlord fell to a knee, and Songbird wasted no time in dashing forward.

He jumped into the air, bringing his sword down on its head. He swept his sword across his body, throwing a hard kick into its chest, before delivering a sharp thrusting stab. He jumped back, just in time to avoid a counter attack from the creature who had grabbed a hold of his weapon and slammed it into the ground. The Tornado Devil spun his joined blades together, sending a Magaru spell at the Thieves, sending them blasting back.

"Oh no! Skull is stunned, quick someone get him up!" Mona cried, as he dashed forward to push the Tornado Devil back. Fox busied himself with the Floodbringer Demon, being locked in a fierce duel with him. Songbird pulled himself up, dashing toward Skull's rescue, just as Panther had finished casting Diarama to heal his injuries.

"Ugh...I'm fine, no worries here." the boy said, clutching his injured side.

"I got him Panther, go give them hell." Songbird said, helping his friend while his injuries were still healing. Panther ran forward, flinging her whip at the Floodbringer Demon, wrapping it around its neck, with a firm pull, she brought it to the ground, allowing Fox to finish it off with a perfectly timed slash at the neck. The two jumped back, just as the Tornado Devil planned another attack.

"Ride Johanna!" Queen cried, shooting forward on her Persona, slamming the Tornado Devil into a wall. She pulled out her Colt Python, unloading all six bullets right into its face, finishing it off for good.

"Ah...I wouldn't wanna mess with Queen." Skull said, finally regaining his missing strength.

"Yeah, me neither. Let's finish this fucker off, Persona!" Songbird cried, once again summoning the Phantom. The large winged persona chuckled happily, drawing the large sword he had at his side. With the aid of his wings, he flew forward, throwing three heavy slashes at the Warlord, before bringing the sword down over its head with all of his strength, leaving a large bleeding gash on his shoulder, causing it to drop to a knee.

"Damn! You aren't slacking either!" Skull said, grabbing a hold of his club.

"Now, All-Out-Attack!" Joker cried, drawing his dagger from his hip. The seven Phantom Thieves charged forward, all of them timing their attacks perfectly, finishing the Warlord off with ease. The creature dropped several thousand yen onto the floor, which Mona was quick to scoop up.

"Yeheah! Another one bites the dust!" Songbird cried cheerfully, clapping his leader's hand.

"Where did Kaneshiro go? Did he escape?" Queen asked, noticing the man they were after was long gone.

"It would seem so, but he left this behind." Fox said, scooping up a leather bound journal. He handed it to Queen, who started looking at it.

"Huh? This is odd...there are some letters, as well as some numbers. It looks like some of the pages are missing from it." she said, handing it to Joker.

"Numbers and Letters...sounds to me like those are passwords. Perhaps a number is tied to a letter. It doesn't matter, I brought something just in case this happened. Let's go, ladies first." Songbird said, allowing Queen to press the elevator button and enter first. The others piled in shortly after, watching the doors slowly close.

After they passed through a short dark tunnel, they were met with a shrug of blinding light. As they turned around, they looked at the entire area, stunned to see it's size. The entire room seemed to be filled with thousands upon thousands of small safes, all following an odd circular pattern. Skull slammed his fist against the glass, growling angrily.

"Look at all of this...these safes...all of that money. How much more did this fucker steal from people?" he cried.

"I dunno...but seeing all of this pisses me off even more than before. But I can't help but notice something about the set up...it reminds me of...never mind." Songbird said, remaining quiet shortly after. The others shared a look, not knowing what he had wanted to say before.

They reached the bottom floor, leaving the elevator shortly after. Mona started looking around, walking to the left and entering a room, beckoning his friends over. Joker looked the room over, deeming it safe enough for them to enter. They all sighed contently, deciding to take a well deserved break.

"Well, what does the Mona Compass say? Is the treasure here or there? Is it anywhere? Or nowhere?" the brown haired actor asked, glancing at their feline companion.

"It's close...just beyond this area, maybe one more floor down." Mona said, earning a fist pump from the boy.

"Hear that Queen, we're getting close...soon enough you and I will be able to teach this bug a lesson."

"I'm excited too...I wish to change this man's evil ways. It won't get rid of the bad things he has done...but it will at least give me peace of mind. I want to free your mom from this, your sister told me she's been on edge since the last time you saw her. It's been a few days since you did."

"I know...and I feel like the shittiest son on the planet. But they might be watching me, so I didn't want them to follow me there. Kaneshiro has been lax, I guess with those pictures he felt the need to give us some breathing room. The bastard, he probably thinks he's gonna get himself his hundred million yen. He's got another thing coming." Songbird said, a smirk on his face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"What do you think? How many combinations do you think we'll have to try?" Joker asked curiously, kneeling down before the panel. It had a numbered keypad on it, and currently barred their entrance to the center of the room.

"This journal, the first letters match with the word written about it. It says RICH...we got the numbers 0 and 1." Queen noted, showing Joker the journal.

"There are missing pages...if we look around here we might find them. This is a giant safe, filled with safes, so he might have hidden it somewhere." Fox noted, having looked around the area.

"Yeah, that's plausible. But there's no other area to go to in this place, so we're gonna have to guess the code. Or we can save ourselves the trouble." Songbird said, reaching into his pouch. He pulled out a small brush, along with some white powder.

"You're gonna dust for finger prints?" Skull asked.

"Correct, my sister taught me how to do it properly. So I'm gonna use it to my advantage. It'll just take me a second." he said. Songbird opened the small container, dabbing the brush into the powder. He slowly started applying it to the keypad, making sure not to get to much powder on it.

"Holy shit, it works!"

"Of course it works, did you think it was actually gonna fail?" Mona asked, glaring at Skull.

"Alright, the four numbers we got are 012. There are only three so one of those numbers was used twice." he said, backing away from the panel.

"Think carefully Joker, I dunno if this is one of those try once and fail panels. We may get only a few tries before they reset." Panther warned, earning a quiet nod from the boy. He stared at the panel for a few minutes, eyes narrowed in thought, wondering what the password was. He dialed the first code, 0012 pressing enter, only to get it wrong.

"It's alright, try it again." Fox said, earning a nod from their leader.

"Perhaps we should write down all possible combinations. Only three numbers left prints, 012. So one of them was indeed used twice...perhaps if we list each one we can pick one out and try it." Queen suggested, going to the last page of the journal, grabbing the pen that was wedged on it.

"Too many possible codes. If there is a code limit and there are too many codes, then we run the risk of it resetting, just like Panther said."

"But what if it doesn't resent? Are there endless tries?" Morgana asked. Joker rolled his eyes, trying the next code that he had come up with, 0102. The word _Accepted_ flashed on the small screen, before the large door started to rotate, coming to a stop shortly after.

"If I had listened to you, I would have been here all day." Joker said simply, taking the lead. He lead them into the next area, coming to a stop at a sealed door, which had a glowing red button on it.

"What do you think?" Skull asked, glancing at the leader.

"It seems to me like the next panel is in there. We're gonna have to search for it, let's go in pairs like always. Anyone sees a chest, they get dibs on the treasure. If you can't open it, then the treasure is mine."

"No fair Joker, just because your good with a lockpick doesn't mean you can claim the treasure for yourself." Panther said, earning a chuckle from the boy, who hit the button with his fist.

"Joy, another maze." Skull muttered under his breath.

"Hey, mazes make it fun."

"You ever do those mazes in the paper? They were always to easy." Panther added, earning a nod from Fox.

"I mostly stuck with word searches. It was a good way to learn how to spell and learn new words."

"You guys are so damn boring, I used to read the comics. Garfield, all day every day." Skull said.

"I found the comics to be a bit boring at times. The economics section was much more informative in my opinion." Queen said, earning groans from the others.

"What about you Joker? What part of the news paper did you look forward too?"

"The classified ads. My old man was always looking for weird stuff, usually car parts and the like." the frizzy haired boy replied. They walked into another room, finding some electrified barriers blocking their path. Joker frowned, glancing around for a few seconds before climbing onto the shelf above him. Everyone else followed suit, following after their leader.

Several minutes after, the Phantom Thieves found themselves at the next panel. Songbird once again decided to dust the device for prints, glaring at the word that was above it. He found four prints on the keypad, glancing back at Joker.

"The numbers this time are 0,1,3 and 9. Think you can crack the numbers this time?"

"What does the journal say?" he asked, glancing at Queen.

"The word is REAP, the E is 1 and the P is 9." she replied.

"So, all we gotta do is figure out what the R and the A stand for, it's either 0 or 3...that makes it a lot easier." Panther said, sighing with relief.

"I don't know how I feel about this word. Reap means harvest, it's like he put this word as an insult." Fox noted, earning a growl from Skull.

"So, he's just harvesting money from the innocent...what a prick."

"I agree, this man is quite the horrible person. Treating people like personal banks, threatening the lives of innocents, swindling children. Making teenagers push drugs for him...it's all so despicable." Queen hissed, clutching the journal tightly in her hand. Three beeps brought their attention back to the panel, which had the word _Accepted_ on it. The sound of movement made them all glance toward the exit, smiles on their faces.

"Proper job Joker! Looks like you were able to get it on the first try, you're starting to become a better thief."

"We wouldn't have figured out the other two numbers without Songbird's help. Honestly, if he wasn't here we would probably have to search for those missing pages. Kaneshiro thinks he's so smart...but he's got another thing coming for him. Let's go...we gotta take care of the last few doors." he said, leading his teammates back to the Vault.

"You know what I noticed...the shape of this area, and the way the walls move, it reminds me of a lock." Queen said.

"You two? I noticed it as we were coming down, but I didn't say it for fear of sounding stupid. I saw that when all of the walls would line up, it would be a straight path to the center." Songbird said.

"Okay...what are you talking about?" Skull asked.

"It's like this...when you open a lock with a key, the key has grooves to line the pins inside the lock. When all of the pins are lined up, you can turn the key and open the lock. But this one looks more like a tumbler lock, the ones found in safes. So when we find all the panels and activate all of the walls, we'll have a straight path to the center. That might be where the treasure is." the brown haired girl replied, earning a nod from Skull.

"I'm impressed that you know that Queen. You are a lot more well read than some people on this team." Mona said, glancing at Skull who just glared back at him.

"Let's not start throwing jabs at each other. We gotta save that for the shadows, let's go. We don't have much to go." Joker said, his tone sounding encouraging.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

After another hour of taking down shadows and exploration, the Phantom Thieves had found the last panel. With some dusting done by Songbird, they had been able to figure out the last password, 2319 and had gained access to the innermost part of Kaneshiro's bank. Songbird's hatred for the man had only been growing as they heard his inner thoughts. The way he spoke, it made it seem like Kaneshiro had started doing that because he had no choice. Because people took advantage of him, and now he was taking advantage of people to further himself. That in and of itself was enough to drive his anger over the edge, but Joker had reminded him of what would happen should he decide to kill Kaneshiro's shadow. Once they returned to the top, they kept moving toward the center of the vault, seeing the elevator that had risen from the ground, waiting for them to use it. Joker lead his team down into the treasure room, the deepest part of the bank. It was a large room, filled with nothing but floor to ceiling safes, and large Yen of different denotations. They all looked around, seeing something floating in the middle of the room, a glimmering ball of light. Songbird approached it, reaching his hand for it, but it passed through like nothing.

"What's this about?" he asked, turning to face Joker and Mona.

"That's the treasure...we've got to change Kaneshiro's cognition so it materializes." Mona explained.

"Okay...how exactly will we do that?"

"How else? We send a calling card of course!" Skull said cheerfully.

"Calling card...hmm...that's a very effective way to do this. Make them think their treasure is going to be stolen, and that in turn makes it materialize. If I may, I request to be the author of his calling card." Queen said.

"Then you're sharing that duty with me Queen, I got my own words for him. We'll hand the finished prompt to Fox and he'll take care of the rest. We're gonna need a few of these though."

"A few...how many exactly?" Fox asked curiously.

"Hmm...Kaneshiro rules all of Shibuya right? Then it would make sense to spread these all throughout Shibuya. I'd say...a thousand...maybe two?" Songbird said.

"Two thousand calling cards? What are we gonna stand on a corner and hand them out with candy canes?" Skull snapped, shock written on his face.

"Don't worry about it, like Songbird said...we're taking care of this. Now that we have the route to the treasure secured, we should leave posthaste. We finished two hours earlier than yesterday, let's take this time to rest and prepare. We'll leave sending the calling card at your discretion Joker." Queen said.

"Alright...let's get out of here then...back to the safe room."

Songbird's smile morphed into a grin. He was finally one step away from taking care of Kaneshiro. The infiltration had been a long and hard one, but after two days and being forced to hurry through it all, he had finally found his treasure. All that was left to do was to take it from him, just like he had taken the hope and money from a lot of different people. He tightened his hold on his rifle as he walked, bowing his head a bit.

"Don't worry mom...after we wend this calling card, we'll all be free. I'll be able to apologize for worrying you so much." he said.

"You did a good job, this went by a lot faster because we had an excellent scout. If we didn't have you on the team, we'd probably still be dealing with all of those cameras." Joker said firmly.

"Yeah man, it was you who got us those missing numbers. You found the vent on the second floor that got us the key card, and you looked like a total badass with your persona!" Skull said, giving the lad a pat on the back. Joker stopped once they reached the elevator leading back to the Laundering Office. He gestured for his friends to go ahead, keeping Songbird with him.

"You know...when I met you, I didn't think much of you. Just another misfit in a crowd he didn't belong. Why would an actor choose to go to school? Especially one surrounded by rumor? But then I realized that you and I...are exactly the same."

"Huh? I don't understand." Songbird said, completely confused.

"You and I, are scorned by society...we all are. But yours was much more public and more disgusting than mine. Mine was in secret, while people watched you nose dive from the heavens above. You finally got your wings back, and you can soar...you can soar so much higher than everyone else. But what's the use in soaring when you fly all alone?"

"That's the thing...birds soar alone when they're in search for a place to belong. I finally found my flock, and I'm never going to abandon them, you decided to help me, without even knowing me. I put my trust in you...so now I'll ask you to do the same. We heist together, we die together, Phantom Thieves for life." he said, holding his hand out to the taller young man.

"You totally ripped that from a movie." Joker said, clasping his hand tightly.

"I did not...well...maybe not all of it. I came up with a motto, but I want the others to be there to hear it too. Don't laugh when you hear it, it's gonna sound a bit cheesy."

"Whatever man...at least you came up with one right? Don't worry, your my friend and brother now...so I'll put my trust in you, just as long as you put your trust in me."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Fool Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Fool)xxx**_

"Alright, let me hear that motto...I wanna chant it when we go into that office. I don't want them to laugh at you alone."

"Okay...but like I said it's really cheesy. In brightest day, in blackest night, none shall escape our might. Like the gods we'll take your plunder, you're heart we'll steal, and tear your world asunder. Phantom Thieves of Hearts...or something like that." he said, rubbing his neck.

"It needs a little work, but I definitely dig it. Come on, let's go share it with the others...do you wanna add a dab in there just for effect?"

"If you want, I do have the cape. We'll flutter it before we dab." he said, earning a nod from Joker. The two teenagers bumped fists as they walked, both excited to finally be able to steal Kaneshiro's twisted Heart.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 1)**_


	15. Steal the Treasure: Kaneshiro

**A/N:**

 **Well...since G King and BloodyDemon666 updated their Persona stories today, I thought, fuck it...why the hell not right? Usually I do a post every two days, but I decided to post Chapter 15 early, just because I want to end the Kaneshiro arc of the story. I won't be posting anything until Tuesday though, so I hope this one tides you over. This is also where I fucked up with the calendar and had to fuckin make my own calendar just so I could mark each date as it moved forward. I try not to skip days, but sometimes I just wanna move on. Normally, I'm not gonna skip a day, because I can use that day to spend time working on confidants, on story elements and on improving Takumi's character a bit more.**

 **I haven't really explained the aspect of Takumi and how he fits in all of this, which is also what the confidants with Igor, Caroline and Justine are important, because those shed light on everything. You will eventually find out the truth about everything that happened to Takumi in the past. You will also get to see just how messed up his father is and what he will do in order to get what he wants. So I hope you all look forward to that.**

 **Finally, I am having trouble with Takumi and his pairing...there are two girls who I want to pair him up with that are my personal favorite in the series. Let's just say, every confidant, minus the Moon confidant will be available for Takumi to romance...every confidant...including the Temperance and Star confidants...if you haven't figured this out yet, those two belong to Kanami and Ayumi respectively...yeah...I'm going there. Of course, morally saying, he's going to turn them down, because he has values, but in the alternate chapters...hoo boy.**

 **I'm not sure if Takumi will have every arcana however...I am having trouble finding people for the Heirophant, Wheel of Fortune, Death and Hanged Man. I was gonna make Chihaya Mifune the Wheel of Fortune, but I dunno...it didn't fit in with Takumi, despite having an initial meeting with her. I'm also debating on getting rid of the rank ups in this story and just list which arcana he has and just focus on certain aspects. Either that or I'll make certain arcanas reach rank five and it'll be like they got a rank ten, and more important ones, like those of his close friends and family reach rank ten...I dunno, you let me know what you think about that shit...it's been bothering me for awhile, so that's why I'm asking.**

 **Anywhoo...don't forget to leave a review, follow...all of that jazz...also, check out BloodyDemon666 and Chance Green G King, both of them have Persona fics up...so I do hope you like their stuff...see you all on Tuesday!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 15

Take the Treasure: Kaneshiro's Heart

 _ **Date: Friday June 24th 20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Are we really gonna relax like this? Shouldn't we be sending that calling card?" Ryuji asked, glancing away from the television screen. Ren glanced up from his phone, a firm look on his face.

"We've done all we can, we secured a way to the treasure. Makoto and Takumi are handling the calling card, there's nothing else for us to do but wait. After all, we need to rest." he replied.

"Yeah man, we spent two days running through that place. We were all dead tired, we couldn't send the card and then go take care of it. I'm almost done anyway." Takumi replied, erasing one of the lines he had written.

"I'm almost done with my half too. Yusuke, are you sure you can handle this many?" Makoto asked, glancing at the blue haired artist. He chuckled, brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"Of course. One is more than enough, but I have the means to multiply our supply, and leave no trace behind. Since we're posting this in Shibuya, I've managed to secure some poster paper. The same size as the movie posters seen at the nearby cinema. We need to work in the dead of the night for this one. It's gonna be my finest work yet." he said.

"You know...this is exciting. The first time around, Ryuji was the one that took care of it, and the bulletin boards were filled with them. How much time did it take you to actually draw all of those?" Ann asked curiously, earning a shrug from the boy.

"Eh...most of the night. I slept for like two hours, thank god there's a vending machine in my apartment complex." he said jokingly. Gunshots started ringing out of the television speakers, along with the sounds of button mashing. Ann let out a giggle, pulling the trigger on her controller once, shooting Ryuji's character in the face.

"Ha...see, the sniper always wins...now I know why Takumi chose to be the scout. It's pretty fun!"

"Damn it...alright, let's play against some noobs online instead. I'm sick of my k/d looking so bad." he replied. Takumi cleared his throat, grabbing the attention of his friends.

"Let me read what I got. Ahem, Sir Junya Kaneshiro, the money devouring sinner of gluttony. You indulge in scamming others with horrendous methods that target minors exclusively. Attacking the innocent, swindling children, exploiting them for your own nefarious schemes, these crimes cannot go unpunished...what do you think?" he asked.

"That's pretty good...I'll read my half. The peace and safety of Shibuya has been disturbed for far too long. Exposing your crimes and bringing you to the light will finally set those victims free. We have decided to make you confess all of your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail...from, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts." Makoto said, a smirk on her face.

"Hehe, hell yeah...we got this in the bag!" Takumi cried happily, clapping hands with his fellow brunette.

"I say...allowing you two to write this calling card, it was definitely a good idea. I handled its scripture last time, but perhaps we should have you two do them from now on, as long as I get to design them of course." Yusuke said.

"Fair enough...it took me about two hours to actually write what I wanted. All of the ones I wrote had the word mother fucker in them, and that doesn't convey anything other than rage. Though, if you take some of the hiragana and arrange it around, you still get mother fucker out of it. A nice little Easter egg for the fans." the actor said with a chuckle. He folded both pieces of paper and handed them to Yusuke, who placed them inside his pocket.

"Well...all we have to do is wait for you to make them. It was great to spend time with you all, but I must be heading out. My sister is expecting me home tonight. I shall meet you all here when the cards are ready. By your call, we shall spread them throughout Shibuya...you need only tell me." she said, earning a nod from Ren.

"See ya later Makoto, don't worry...whenever the leader gives the call, I'll be out to help you. I know Shibuya like the back of my hand. Spreading those cards will be a cinch."

"I look forward to it then. I've never worn all black clothing, but somehow, running around in the dead of the fun sounds more than infiltrating a palace. I'll see you all at school...later." the girl said, finally taking her leave.

"She's a sweet girl, I'm glad we were able to get such a kind adviser." Morgana said.

"Aw come on man, what about me? I'm the one that makes you grilled salmon. Which by the way is gonna be your dinner tonight." Takumi said, walking into the kitchen.

"Hey, I was just saying she's an awesome adviser...but you are my favorite of the group! You can cook and clean and are a crack shot too!" the cat said, earning a smile from the young actor.

"Come on Mona, I make you food at home too." Ren said, causing the cat to look toward his friend.

"Well yeah, but aside from yellow tail and canned stuff, I don't eat much fish at home. I wish I could try some of that delicious curry though, whenever I smell the Chief or you making it, my mouth waters."

"I'd kill for some curry right about now. Last time we were at Leblanc, I could smell it from upstairs."

"Hey, if Ren can cook it then how about we go buy the ingredients? I think we should all have a home cooked meal. You know, to prepare for the heist." Ann said, biting her lower lip.

"Ah...you mean the pre-heist celebration? Like when you make a toast the night before and pray for success. I'm down for that, the market isn't that far from here. I can get the rice started, Ann, Ren and Ryuji can get the ingredients. Yusuke can stay here, after all he's designing the cards so we can't rob him of his time."

"Fair enough, I'm tired of getting my ass kicked in this game. What kind are we gonna make though? Sweet, spicy? Mild?"

"I think we should let Ren decide, especially if he's using the Chief's recipe. Come on Phantom Thieves, let's get this done!" Morgana cried, jumping into Ren's back, just as the three left the house.

"You know, it's been awhile since I've cooked something for someone. Usually it's my mother that cooks for me...this is a nice change of pace."

"I must agree with you. There is always a sense of joy whenever someone receives a home cooked meal. Especially after long periods of time eating none too delectable foods." Yusuke replied, causing the boy to look up. He had already set up the rice cooker, and was preparing to make Morgana's salmon.

"Don't tell me you eat cheap ramen all the time, come on aren't you in Kosei on a scholarship?"

"Indeed I am...however, the food isn't always too great. We do have cafes and restaurants on campus, but that costs money. Every student gets a monthly check to spend on supplies and anything else we may need. I normally use it to purchase art supplies."

"Oh...so you eat a canvas when your hungry?" Takumi asked jokingly. Yusuke let out a chuckle, shaking his head.

"No, canvas doesn't taste too good, and neither does paint I'm afraid. There is another art student like myself...she's a little...eccentric. I myself like to focus on aesthetics, it helps develop my art. She on the other hand puts all of her emotions into her work. So much so that she displays no emotion on her person."

"So wait...she channels everything into her art and as a result is totally emotionless?" Takumi asked, a look of confusion on his face.

"It is rather hard to explain. You must meet her yourself in order to understand, her art however is magnificent...much more than mine."

"Aw..don't say that. I got a good look at those calling cards man, and there totally cool."

"I'm glad that you like them, but compared to that...my normal art has lost it's luster. I always painted what I wanted, whenever the whim came to me. But, since seeing the twisted heart of my sensei...I seem to have lost my love of art. No...that isn't it...I've just become confused." he said, bowing his head slightly. Takumi sighed, his focus going back to the pan he was using.

"You're in a slump aren't you? I suppose I'm the same...I've been in an acting slump for awhile. I guess we both faced something similar, your sensei turned out to be a dishonest man, just like my father who ruined my career. But if there's one thing I've come to understand, is that we'll get through this. So come on, give me an idea of what you wanna paint, maybe if you get an honest opinion in return, you'll be able to paint something marvelous."

"You've a point there...I wish to paint the madness that lurks within the human heart. It has an odd sense of beauty...how something so pure can become dark and twisted at the flip of a hat. I wish to convey that on canvas...and show it to the world. We can't exactly tell them what we do, but perhaps we can share what we see." Yusuke said, earning a nod from the boy.

"That's not a bad idea, but maybe painting that is a little challenging right now. Start out small, maybe you can paint one of the shadows that we've fought. Maybe you could paint one of our Persona, you'd be able to convey the beauty of a pure heart if you do that...I mean, in order to get a persona you have to accept your weaknesses right?"

"Indeed...that is in fact an excellent idea...do you think Ann would model for me? I've asked her before but she vehemently refused."

"Huh? You've asked Ann to model for you? Well...that's a little weird, but maybe she'd be okay with it if you ask again." the brown haired actor replied, placing the salmon on the pan, content with hearing it sizzle.

"There's no harm in asking I suppose...perhaps she'll agree to bear it all this time. Even if she doesn't, that leather suit leaves nothing to the imagination." he said absentmindedly, causing Takumi to drop the glass he had been holding, which shattered on the floor.

"You...asked her to model naked for you?"

"Only once, and she's refused. I wish to convey her beauty on canvas...perhaps this will coincide with my wish to paint a pure heart."

"You know Yusuke...you're rather...eccentric...I'm glad we're friends. Somehow, I know you'll keep things interesting between us."

"I am glad we are friends too. Perhaps you could help me out sometime, I would gladly teach you some of my artistic skills, just as long as you teach me how to properly use my rifle." he said, earning a nod from the actor.

"It's a deal."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Emperor Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Emperor)xxx**_

"So tell me...how was it that you were able to become so good at aiming?"

"Well...it's like I said, my uncle took me hunting whenever he could. But I did have my own paintball gun, so it did help with aim. Zeroing the scope was something I had to learn myself, I was often off target. Trust me, I had a lot of time on my hands, so whenever I wasn't acting, I was practicing with my paintball gun. Either that or rehearsing lines for a potential role, playing video games or skating."

"Did you...not have any friends in California?" Yusuke asked. The boy shook his head, brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"Not any real ones...I didn't need them. What's the point of having fake friends who only hang out with you for money? I'd rather have a handful of honest friends, than to have a million fake friends. This new life of being a Phantom Thief...I don't think I would trade it for anything. Not for all the money..or even all of the acting in the world, I finally have a place where I fit in."

"That's quite a way to see things...I believe you and I will be great friends. There is a lot that we do not know about each other, and I for one wish to learn all I can from my friends." he said.

"Same here, I'll let you focus on those cards...they're gonna be what sets my family free. They need to be perfect." Takumi said, earning a nod from Yusuke, who's devious smirk told him everything he needed to know.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi sighed as he threw himself on his couch. It had been an hour since his friends had left, after the most amazing dinner they had. In his honest opinion, it had been slightly above mediocre, but just sharing it with friend's made it that much better. He and Ryuji went up against Ann and Ren in a game of Call of Duty, and ended up tying with them. After a few more games, they had all said their goodbyes for the night. But not before Yusuke handed him one of the finished cards. He looked the card over seeing the symbol of the Phantom Thieves, a crimson top hat, with a white and black mask, flames erupting from the side. It was red and black, and very much eye popping. The phrase "Take Your Heart" was written on it in white letters, using the English alphabet. It was like the one that Madarame had received, but to him, it was much more personal. He flipped it over, seeing the words that were written in bold hiragana on the back, explaining all of the crimes that Kaneshiro had committed, the words that he and Makoto had written, he couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment seeing the final product.

Suddenly, the sound of the door opening made him shoot to his feet, almost making him drop the card. He quickly stuffed it in his back pocket, grabbing a hold of the handgun he had left on the table top in case he needed it. He held it at the ready, only to lower it when he saw his mother along with his little sisters, both of them looking dead tired. Erica looked up at him, about to say something when she saw the firearm in his hand. She frowned, glancing away from him.

"I can see you've been on edge. How is it that you've been able to stay here without losing your mind to the nerves?" she asked.

"I had my friends over to keep me sane. Don't worry, we didn't make a mess of anything, the bigger question is what you are doing here? It's still too dangerous."

"We were sick of being away from our home big brother. Besides, Mitsuhide missed her room, she wanted to read her books and wouldn't stop pestering mother about it. Even when big sis Kanami got her plenty of stuff from the nearby store. I want to spend time with my big brother and not see just see him at school." Ayumi added, arms crossed in annoyance, he could tell she was struggling to stay up, as it was past eleven at night.

"I hate to have been such a bother, but I had to share a bed with big sis. It seems her breasts tried to smother me in my sleep, I just could not continue sleeping in those conditions. Taking the risk of staying at our home is much better than staying over there. Risette was rather nice about it, and even cooked for us while we were there."

"Oh god...you didn't eat any of it did you?" the boy asked, eyes widening.

"No...Kanami switched it out before it got to the table. We just told her it was good...Jesus, that one was trying to kill us." Erica said, shuddering a bit. Her last run in with Mystery Food X had almost cost her her life. She looked around the apartment, content that she was back home.

"Anyway, you shouldn't be up this late. You should be in bed getting ready for school in the morning. I won't have you failing your grades because of some petty gangster, you hear?" she asked firmly.

"I'm gonna go to bed then...Mitsu I'm sleeping in your room tonight okay?" Ayumi asked.

"Please keep your night gown on. I don't like seeing you sleeping in the nude next to me. It is unbecoming of a young woman such as yourself." the black haired girl said, grabbing her backpack as she started toward her room, her older sister sleepily following behind.

"Mom...there's some stuff I want to talk to you about and it's rather serious. If we can do so in private, I'd appreciate it." Takumi said firmly.

The woman sighed, gesturing for him to follow. They walked down the stairs leading down into the first floor. She pulled out a set of keys and opened the basement door, leading him down stairs. The climb down was actually quite long, at least three flights of stairs before they reached the ground floor. She turned the lights on, leading him forward into what she had called the Organ Room. It was here where she stored some musical instruments, but also where her most prized possession was, a beautiful Pipe Organ. It was way smaller than the ones inside a church, and had several less pipes, but it was still quite the impressive instrument.

"This is where I come when I want to be away from everyone. Did you know that I majored in music when I was in college? The organ was my instrument of choice. I wanted to become an organist, to teach others the beauty of this instruments sound. You can express any emotion with it, fear, pain, anger...betrayal, hatred. All coming out of every single one of those pipes. It's enchanting."

"I didn't know that."

"Not many do, I did teach Mitsuhide and Ayumi how to play. But neither of them are interested much in music. It saddened me a bit, but I didn't want to force them, I want both of them to succeed in life after all." she said, turning to face the instrument.

"Is that why you took out three loans with Kaneshiro?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"How did you find that out?" she asked, spinning around to face him. The boy rose a brow, a frown on his face.

"Because I made a deal with him too. A hundred million for him to call off your hit. I've been gathering the money, so far, I've got sixty million, but I'm not sure I'll be able to get it all to him in time. He told me personally."

"Goddamn it, Takumi! Why the fuck did you do that? You threw your life away, and for what?"

"For your freedom!" he cried back, making the woman gasp.

"What?"

"Do you actually think I wouldn't care what happened to you? Or my sisters? Come on, I don't call you mom for fun. You have a hit on you, I lost my mother once, I'm not losing her again. I can't standby and watch that man kill you, and turn my sisters into prostitutes or worse, sell them off to some...pervert child molester. You've been staying strong for too long, you needed a hand." he said, bowing his head a bit.

"You're an idiot...involving yourself with people like that."

"I could say the same thing to you. I have no idea, how you managed to remain strong for so long...dealing with my dad's bullshit. Keeping this store up, putting my sisters through school. Only to be forced into this, and even then you still fought as much as you could."

"I'm not strong...I was a fool. I asked for two more loans when I was almost done with the first. That was the most foolish thing I could have done, but I couldn't let this store fail. I had poured every penny your father gave me into it, to fulfill my dream. I was always thinking of my little girls. Even if I died, that money could have helped them get far away, to live a better life and get the education they deserve!" Erica said, her voice cracking a bit as she spoke.

"Not at the cost of your life. Did you know Mitsuhide blames herself for the debt your in? That she's so misunderstood as the genius she is because you were forced to make deals with the mob? She acts like it doesn't bother her, but it does. Mom, I'm not gonna tell you anything, you did what you did and you'll have to live with it. But please, don't worry your daughters anymore. They love you with all of their being, and seeing you suffer...it isn't right. You may hide it under a facade, but I can see straight through it."

"I know...I had to be strong for them...and for you. Naotaro was an amazing woman, and I wish I could have met her. The way your father spoke about her, it was clear that he was in love with her. He married me out of necessity, to give you a mom. But when it didn't work out, he tossed me and my daughters aside, just like he did with you. You've been strong too, having to deal with...all of this bullshit." she said.

"You're wrong...I'm not strong, I was weak. I let those rumors destroy me...I quit when the going got tough, and rescinded my passion. All so I could play heir and learn the tools of the trade. Even when I was sick of it, all I did was run. You stayed firm, dealing with these asshats for so long, all for your daughters...I don't deserve to call you mom. You don't need a son as weak as me." he said, turning away from the woman. She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"You are my son...no matter what. We may not be blood related, but you are Mitsuhide's half brother. That makes you my son, like it or not...you aren't weak. Admitting your weaknesses, that's what makes you strong. So let's keep being strong together, and work to make this store the best of the best. To help your sisters become the best they can be."

"I...okay mom...I will. Thank you, for everything you've been doing for me for so long." he said happily.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Strength Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Strength)xxx**_

"Alright, no more bullshitting. Let's get you upstairs, you got school tomorrow so we can't afford for you to be late."

"Okay...I've made some new friends recently. Three in fact, I can't wait to tell you about them!"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday June 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya**_

 _ **Time: Late Night**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Send out the calling card**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _I delivered the requested items to the rendezvous location. I managed to make quite a few, we will cover all of Shibuya in the dead of the night. Just how we agreed."_

"Yes we will...thanks for your cooperation Fox...with Shibuya being a little more quiet...we'll be able to nab that treasure by tonight. I've just recovered my half. I'll let you know how it goes, relay back to Joker, we'll meet at the hideout this afternoon."

" _I await wonderful news...good luck out there Songbird, you're gonna need it."_

Takumi chuckled as he ended the call, placing his backpack on his shoulders. He left the alleyway he had been directed too on Central Street, ducking through the darkness. He had dressed up in all black, just like Makoto had suggested. So far the police hadn't been alerted, and since Kaneshiro only targeted minors, which were out during after school hours, none of his goons were around, which made it the perfect time to be out. It had taken quite a lot to sneak out of his house in the middle of the night, but it was something he needed to do.

He finally reached the movie theater, noticing the posters for the movies they were currently showing. He pulled out one of the large posters and unrolled it, pulling the adhesive paper off of it, sticking it right over the other poster. He continued doing that, until every single one had been replaced. On every store front, he taped one of the smaller cards, at the bookstore, he placed some of the larger posters for everyone to see. He made sure to cover as much ground as he could, staying to the shadows, his trench coat billowing as he ran, his masked face being unseen by anyone. He wasn't able to wear his Phantom Thief outfit in reality, but that didn't mean he couldn't act like one either. After covering all of Central Street with every card, poster and stamp that he had been given, he walked back to his apartment where his motorcycle had been waiting for him.

He had been able to get his learners permit through the school, thanks to Makoto's handy work. It wouldn't be long until he would get his official motorcycle driving license. He took off his mask and tossed it in the nearby trash can, putting on his helmet. Once he had gotten far enough from his house, he drove off, his sights set on Kaneshiro's Bar. He had a smirk on his face as he drove, having memorized the location of it the last time he had been there. He couldn't help but laugh, he was finally gonna get one on the bastard. It only took him twenty minutes to arrive, and he parked in the alleyway from before. As he walked down the street, he pulled out the calling card that Yusuke had left with him, the one he was set to deliver. Makoto was handling all of the other cars just in case, but this one was more personal. It was going on Kaneshiro's personal limousine after all. He found the black vehicle parked near the entrance and quickly flipped the card over, placing it right under the windshield wiper as he walked, stuffing his hands in his pockets. The symbol of the Phantom Thieves glinted in the moonlight, the card had been delivered, now it was only a waiting game.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday June 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Time: Lunch**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _Did you see Shibuya? It was like a storm whipped through it last night. All over the place, there were these calling cards."_

" _You mean the Phantom Thieves are at it again? Who is it this time?"_

" _Some guy named Kaneshiro. I read online, that he's the one terrorizing students! Look I brought one with me!"_

" _This is way cool...I am so down for the Phantom Thieves taking down criminals! My little brother was a victim too! This fucker has it made!"_

"Looks like you did a thorough job." Ren said, pushing his glasses up as he glanced at his friends. Takumi smirked, leaning back against the vending machine.

"Damn straight we did. All of Central Street was covered, it needed a little more red, and a little bit of black."

"I've been seeing it all over the internet, the Phan-Site has been blowing up about it...the question is, did Kaneshiro get it?" Ryuji asked.

"I guess we'll have to figure that out when we get there. The atmosphere will be different, the place will be crawling with baddies. You've experienced it before after all." Morgana said.

"That's right...we just gotta hope he gets it. Though with how many there are, I'm sure he definitely got it. Let's go in there and kick some ass this afternoon." Ann said, a grin on her face. Takumi couldn't help but match her enthusiasm.

 _ **xxx**_

"Um...Kaneshiro sir...something was found on your limousine just now." a cowardly man said, grabbing the mob boss's attention. He noticed the card in his hand, and sighed, glaring at him.

"Well..go on, read it."

"Very well... Sir Junya Kaneshiro, the money devouring sinner of gluttony. You indulge in scamming others with horrendous methods that target minors exclusively. Attacking the innocent, swindling children, exploiting them for your own nefarious schemes, these crimes cannot go unpunished...the peace and safety of Shibuya has been disturbed for far too long. Exposing your crimes and bringing you to the light will finally set those victims free. We have decided to make you confess all of your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail...from, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts." the man said.

They all remained silent, with Kaneshiro just glaring at the man for a few seconds. The woman beside him tightened her grasp around his warm, giving him a look of worry.

"Um...isn't this bad?"

"What of it?" Kaneshiro asked firmly, urging the man to continue.

"I-if something happened to you...I mean, if the higher-ups found out about this..."

"Don't waste your time on useless shit...just keep quiet for now." the man said, cutting his cowardly goon off. The man sighed, giving him a nod.

"B-but...it's posted all throughout the city. People are already talking about it, on the news and online too..."

"Grr...all of you bring me your earnings...if you don't surpass your quota...I'll kill you!" Kaneshiro exclaimed, earning a sheepish nod from the man, who quickly took off. The man's eyes flashed gold for a second, a smirk appearing on his face.

" _Phantom Thieves huh? Don't make me laugh..."_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday June 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Kaneshiro's Palace**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Kaneshiro's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Life Will Change)xxx**_

"Alright then, are we ready for this?" Mona asked, standing before the rest of the Thieves.

"I was born ready." Panther said, pulling the slide of her SMG back. Skull finished loading fresh shells into his shotgun, while Queen and Joker checked their own weapons.

"Same here, that bastard has been in power for far too long. It's time for us to shutdown his operation." Songbird added, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.

"After everything that's happened, there is no other choice than to shut it down. All of Shibuya has been put aware of the calling card, we only get this chance, and it cannot be repeated. So let us not waste another second." Fox said, sliding his katana back into its sheath.

"I agree...let us head out. Songbird, Queen...you two are the ones most affected. So you get the supreme honor of leading the charge. The path is set, so from this saferoom, we'll be able to head out." Joker said. Queen and Songbird shared a look, nodding firmly to each other.

They left the saferoom, walking down the hall toward the glass elevator leading down to the final room. Once inside, they pressed the down button, turning to look at the Underground Vault once more. The path was still open, the large tumbler having remained in place from their last infiltration. Songbird had been half expecting to see it locked back up, but he was pleasantly surprised to find it still open. The elevator dinged as the doors slid open. The seven Phantom Thieves started walking forward, holding back the urge to run as they made their way forward.

"This is it huh...my heart's beating so hard in my chest. I can finally teach Kaneshiro what it means to mess with my family."

"We can save all of those people, and finally give Shibuya the peace of mind it deserves. On top of that, the Phantom Thieves will definitely skyrocket on the popularity polls." Queen added, a smile on her face.

"It's gonna be insane...we're finally nabbing a baddie. No more pervy teachers or greedy artists. Just a cold hard criminal, I can feel my fingers twitching in excitement!" Skull said, a laugh escaping his lips. Finally reaching the final elevator, Queen pressed the button willing the doors to open. They all stepped inside, waiting patiently for it to deliver them to the treasure room.

"What the hell...Kaneshiro is over there. Where's the treasure?" Mona asked, shocked to see the man standing in the center of the room, the giant safe behind him looking ominous.

"Let's go greet him, I just want the pleasure of wiping the smirk off his goddamn face." Songbird said, taking the lead stalking toward the violet skinned man.

"What the hell is this? A safe?" Skull cried out, glancing at the giant spinning door.

"He changed this place rather quickly...I guess this isn't a bank for nothing." Mona muttered, a frown on his face. Kaneshiro stalked forward, pulling on his suit, a smirk on his face.

"Greetings! Welcome to my private city bank, I'm surprised you made it here alive. It seems you were quite lucky." the man said, a pair of goons walked up behind him, guarding him from potential attack.

"Lucky? Heh, don't be ridiculous." Queen spat, glaring at the man.

"We're gonna change your heart, and make you confess everything you've done, you bastard! That'll save all of those people who're suffering because of your shitty actions!"

"My mother...my sisters, all of those kids from Shujin and Kosei. We are going to make you pay for every life you have ruined, for every yen you have stolen. For all of the lives you have taken, you will give it all back, and the world will watch, as you confess your disgusting villainy to the world. You will suffer, while I sit back and enjoy myself." Songbird said, his words carrying all of the venom and hatred he had swirling in his body.

"Not only that, the police have been struggling to apprehend you. Our popularity will skyrocket, and we'll take a scumbag off the streets too!" Panther added, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Those in power work the ones below them to the bone for money. Such is the hierarchy of the world. Just accept your fate as the source of my wealth!"

"Tch...we'll never agree to that!" Fox replied, his eye twitching a bit with hidden anger.

"And hierarchy? You have to be out of your mind."

"Heh...all of that was forced on me too, you know!? I went through shit until I crawled my way out of the dregs! Now it's my turn to profit on everyone else."

"You don't get to do that! You don't decide to put people through hell to make a quick buck! If you went through that shit, then why force it upon other people?" Songbird shouted, grinding his teeth together in anger.

"Don't you think you are getting back at the wrong people?" Panther added, placing a hand on Songbird's shoulder to keep him calm.

"What a pitiful man." Queen muttered under her breath.

"It doesn't matter whether you're clean or dirty! Only the clever come out on top! The strong and the smart devour the weak! This is the natural order of things. You damn brats who think you know the world through the shit you read online will make the perfect prey."

"He is utterly hopeless."

"You had hope we would change him with words alone?" Songbird asked, almost jokingly. The girl just shrugged, not taking her eyes off the man.

"It's always the fools who get tricked! Fools who have to pay for their foolishness. And if those fools don't learn, well they have to suck it up and stay as plain, stupid fools!"

"Will you just shut it already!?" Skull cried angrily.

"Hey, the man said it himself right? If there's a fool in this bank, it's clearly the one who calls himself president. So Mr. President, are you gonna submit? Or are we gonna have to kick your ass? Oh wait, you don't have a choice." Songbird cried, aiming his gun at the man, finger on the trigger.

"I guess there isn't much left to say to you fools. This is where my gracious lecture ends. I hope you look forward to working here as slaves for the rest of your lives!"

"That's outrageous!" Fox exclaimed, squeezing his scabbard tightly in his hand. Kaneshiro chuckled darkly, a grin on his face.

"I'm gonna swarm all over you...and squeeze out every last penny!"

The man's laugh was cut short by a pained groan. His body started glowing a reddish black, his arms and shoulders almost becoming dislocated. He started rubbing his hands rapidly, screaming as his body continued morphing. The men beside him screamed in fear when two large clear wings ripped through his back, tearing holes through his suit. He vomited a black liquid which pooled around the other blood that had been running down his arms and back. He looked up at the Phantom Thieves, crimson bug eyes staring back at them.

"Don't worry men, I'll take care of them myself. Wassup yo?"

"You damn dirty bug on money, get the fuck outta my face!" Queen shouted, already on Johanna as she revved the engine, preparing for a fight.

"I've been dying to squeeze the life out of this bug. Now my fucking chance as arrived...get ready asshole, because the Phantom Thieves have come to collect. And we won't leave until you pay every debt you made!" Songbird shouted.

"Hehehe, being young is such a crime! They're naive, they're reckless, and on top of that, they don't even realize how stupid they are. Now I couldn't just sit back and not cash in on those idiots right!?

"Shut up! Phantom of the Opera, Debilitate!" Songbird cried out. The Phantom appeared behind the young man, already sensing his anger. He formed the debilitating spell in his hand and threw it at the man, a pained scream erupting from him.

"Ame-no-Uzume, Tentarafoo!" Joker chanted, the goddess behind him channeled magic into her fan, sending it outward at Kaneshiro. It struck him in the chest, making him bobble back and forth in confusion.

"Alright Joker! You've confused him, get another hit in and make sure it counts!" Mona cried, urging their leader on. The young man smirked running forward, slashing the hideous fly across the chest various times with his dagger.

"I'll leave this one to you, Queen!" Joker replied, passing the baton to her. She revved Johanna's engine, her eyes locked on Kaneshiro's shadow.

"Let's go Johanna, Freila!" she chanted, slamming the tail end of her persona into the man, sending him flying back. She followed it with a large blue ball of Nuclear magic, a loud explosion echoing through the room.

"Holy shit!" Skull cried, shielding his eyes from the blast.

"Quick, he fell down! All-Out-Attack!" Mona cried, drawing his sword from his hip.

"Songbird, Queen you lead the charge!" Joker called out. The two teenagers nodded, racing toward the man, aiming their guns at him.

"Why do you insist on making my life hell? All I want is money, where's the shame in that!?"

"You're still on that? God you really have twisted priorities don't you asswipe?" Skull cried, pointing his shotgun at him. Kaneshiro looked at him, a smirk on his face.

"Money makes the world go round boy. You best learn that, because one day you'll have to come face to face with reality! You'll have to take advantage of people if you want to make a living, there are no honest men on this planet!"

"Let's take care of him!" Panther cried, jumping back a few feet.

In a flash, all seven thieves unleashed their attack, perfectly timing their slashes and gunshots. Kaneshiro's shadow screamed in pain from the attack, only for Songbird to grab a hold of his shirt, punching him straight in the face. He slammed him up against the vault doors, driving his fist into his chest, pulling his arm back as far as he could. With a scream of anger, he socked him right across the face, jumping back in time to avoid a counter attack.

"Damn, this bastard is squishy."

"No shit, he's a fat ass. Of course he's gonna absorb our hits!" Skull said, earning a glare from Songbird.

"Then we should get back to the grind! Carmen, Agilao!" Panther chanted, summoning her persona, the tall dancer giggled ominously, charging balls of flame in her palms.

"Persona, change! Kikuri-Hime, Maragion!" Joker cried, exchanging his persona. The one he summoned snapped her fingers, launching various balls of fire at Keneshiro, timing them with Carmen's Agilao, setting the big eyed man aflame.

"The enemy is burning! Follow it with wind for major damage!"

"Leave it to me Queen, time for my other self! Zorro, Magaru!" Mona cried, swiping his sword in a Z. Zorro grinned, aiming his rapier forward channeling a blast of wind at Kaneshiro, causing him to scream in pain.

"We almost got him, just a little more!" Fox said.

"Then let's hit him with everything we got! Phantom of the Opera, show him our power!" Songbird cried, placing a hand on his mask. The Phantom sent out a Megido at the violet skinned man, slamming him hard to the ground. He rapidly stood up, using his wings to fly at them, throwing several punches at Queen, easily defended herself from them.

"You damn brat, I'll teach you to bite the hand that feeds!" he cried, kneeing her in the chest, a proud smirk on his face.

"She doesn't owe you a damn thing, Kaneshiro!" Skull cried, slamming his club as hard as he could into his chest, making him fly back to the ground, looking stunned from the attack. He started beating his wings, attempting to get away, only for him to take another volley of magical attacks.

"Quick, he fell down again. Let's finish him out for good this time!" Panther cried, closing the distance between themselves. They aimed their guns at the man, who was clutching his sides in pain.

"You damn brats...I'm gonna get back at you for this!"

"You can kiss the fattest part of my ass, scumbag." Skull cried, a grin on his face.

"Let's not waste time, let's finish him off already!" Queen cried.

The seven Thieves unleashed another wave of attacks. Kaneshiro's cries only served to push them forward, hitting them with all of their strength. Songbird grabbed a hold of the portly man, holding him in place so that Queen could strike him down. Using all of the Aikido moves she knew, she struck every single one of his weak points. She pulled her arm back, uppercutting Kaneshiro hard. He fell back to the ground, coughing loudly from the pummeling he had received. He slammed his fist hard on the ground, the black split pooling around him.

"You damn brats...you keep on going and going...you're gonna rue the day you messed with me!"

"You're all buzz and no bite Kaneshiro! Just stand down, admit defeat!" Mona cried, earning a snicker from the man.

"Admit the defeat? I'm not done yet. Looks like I'm gonna have to bring out the big guns!" he cried, forcing himself to his feet. He snapped his fingers, causing the vault doors behind him to stop spinning. The center one opened and he flew straight in. The doors around it started to move, revealing a large silver robot, in the shape of a pig.

"What the hell...is that a giant pig?" Skull cried in disbelief.

"It seems fitting for a pig like him to be enamored with swine." Fox added.

"You fools! This isn't a pig, this is my souped up guard robot Piggytron! I'm going to show you what it means to mess with me!" he cried. The silver pig slammed down on the ground, causing the entire room to shake about.

"This is bad, conventional attacks aren't gonna work on an iron pig!" Mona said firmly.

"Looks like we're gonna have to resort to magic and bullets. Panther, you get on Johanna with Queen and start shooting it. We might find a weak spot we can exploit. Fox, try to blow out those rockets keeping it aloft. The rest of us will try to use our magic against it." Joker said.

"Without penetrating rounds, we won't do much damage. Aim for whatever you think is a weak spot. I'll try to bust open the face." Songbird cried, kneeling down several feet away from the giant robot. He rested his rifle on his shoulder, taking aim at one of Piggytron's eyes, a smirk on his face.

"Let's go you fat fuck, let's see how good this robot is." he said, squeezing the trigger of his rifle. He fired a second round, and then a third, adjusting his aim slightly every time. The bullets kept bouncing off the thing, Kaneshiro's laughter filling his ears.

"Bullets aren't gonna do damage! My Piggytron's bulletproof!"

"Phantom of the Opera, shut his mouth for me!" Songbird cried, gesturing for his persona to fly ahead. It let out a loud laugh, spreading his wings as he did. He sent the largest Megido yet at the robot, causing it to hit the ground.

"Persona change, Lilith, Mabufudyne!" Joker chanted. His persona unleashed a stream of ice magic, the sound of shattering ice echoing over the sound of the rockets.

"You think you can do all of this damage to my Piggytron? I'm going to hurt you all right back!" Kaneshiro cried out. He urged the robot into the air, slamming it hard into the ground, sending the Phantom Thieves sprawling back from the shockwave.

"This isn't gonna work, if we keep attacking that robot, we're gonna get tired. Do you have any ideas?" Queen asked, coming to a stop next to her teammates. Panther jumped off, exchanging her spent magazine for a new one.

"If only we could get him to come out...I bet you if we threw a bar of gold at him, he'd come running like the grub he is." Skull said.

"You're a genius Skull. Let's throw an expensive item at him, he might get distracted enough to come out. Then we'll wail on him like no tomorrow!" Mona cried out.

"What do we toss?"

"Anything, he's gearing up to attack!" Joker warned, causing them all to brace themselves. Songbird stuck his hand in his pocket, pulling out some of the fake money he had brought with him. He didn't know exactly why he had brought it, but he was glad he did.

"Hey Kaneshiro, I got a little something for ya. How's a million yen sound to you?" he cried, throwing the bundle forward, striking Piggytron's nose.

"Money? You're throwing money at me? Well if you wish to waste it then who am I to stop you?" the man cried. Piggytron's nose opened up and Kaneshiro flew out, scooping up the money that had been tossed at him, quickly flying back inside the giant pig. It came to rest on the ground, completely immobile.

"Nice thinking Songbird, he seems distracted, let's start unleashing hell on that robot! We've only got this chance!" Mona cried loudly.

He didn't know how long it took, but all of them ended up using every single attack in their arsenal. Spell after spell and gunshot after gunshot, the Phantom Thieves managed to destroy the robot. Kaneshiro jumped from it just before it exploded, the explosion sending him flying toward the ground. He tumbled on the hard tile for a few feet, coming to stop right in front of Queen. The man looked up, sweat pouring from his face as he looked down the barrel of her Colt Python.

"Kaneshiro." the girl hissed. The man backed away in fear, bumping into the gold bars that had fallen out of Piggytron. He hugged them tightly, tears running down his face.

"I'm not gonna let anyone have it...this is my money."

"You stole it all from innocent people! From families like my friend's here."

"F-fine...I'll call off the debt." he said softly. Songbird growled angrily, clutching his rifle tightly in his hands.

"You aren't just gonna call off the debt. You will return every single dime you stole from those people. My sister got swindled by your men, and she's gonna get back every yen, my mother and even me. I want all of it back, and the rest will go to everyone who suffered because of you!" he snapped angrily.

"I'll return it all...alright?"

"Alright? You're still sounding pretty condescending." Skull replied, earning a whimper from the man.

"You're right...I'm poor, ugly idiot. How am I supposed to live a normal life like this? It's all because of our society, these people can't lead a normal life, no matter what they do! I'm a victim too you know!? Yeah, none of this is really my fault!"

"Blaming society for what you are doing is as low as you can get. You've got no one to blame for your crimes but yourself. Own it, own every single fucking thing that you did." Queen shouted.

"The more you talk, the more pathetic you sound." Fox added, causing the shadow to turn around, looking back at the teenagers that had defeated him.

"I just wanted a place where I could belong! You get that, don't you!? I'm sure you of all people understand that Mashita!"

"I do...I do understand it. I get that society snubbed me, and shamed me...but I never let their opinions control me. I never let them bring me down, I just accepted it until I was strong enough to tear off my mask. I'm become so much happier, I find my place to belong. I didn't have to stoop to your level to achieve it." he replied, a frown on his face.

"All you did was surround yourself with people you could use, solely for some easy money!"

"Panther is right, you think you're the only one being labeled. Me and all these other guys...we're all fightin' against that." Skull said firmly. Queen stepped forward, arms cross with a devious little smirk on her face.

"But don't you worry, you'll finally have a place where you belong. You go to a place where you can atone for what you did...for the rest, of your life."

"We're gonna do something about that distorted heart of yours...free of charge." Skull said. The shadow looked at the man in fear, causing Fox to chuckle in amusement.

"I'm glad you understand. Begone, return to the real Kaneshiro." he said, earning a sigh from the shadow, which was slowly starting to fade away.

"Seriously, you guys don't have any tact. Especially with that incredible power...these palaces can net you loads of cash. You could do whatever you wanted to people's hearts!"

"We aren't like you." Songbird hissed, earning a grin from the man.

"Where do you find meaning in that naive sense of justice...? You know, there's already someone out there taking full advantage of what palaces have to offer..."

"What?" Queen uttered in disbelief. They all shared a look, glancing back at the fading shadow.

"I'll let you in in on a little something...there's a criminal using other people's Palaces to accomplish whatever they damn well please. They don't care about consequences, Psychotic breakdowns, mental shutdowns. Anything goes for them."

"Is that...the same person Madarame was talking about?"

"Spill it, who are you talking about?"

"Don't even bother, you are nothing like them. Better be careful, a chance encounter with them could prove fatal...peace!"

Kaneshiro's shadow finally faded, leaving nothing behind but the large golden bars, coming from the destroyed Piggytron. The Phantom Thieves all turned to face each other, confusion written on their faces.

"What was he talking about? There's another persona user here? I wasn't aware of this at all." Songbird said. The room started shaking, almost knocking the boy off his feet.

"We can think about that later! Grab the treasure, we must get it out of here before this place collapses!"

"You never told me about that! You just said the palace would cease to exist!" Queen cried.

"Yeah, well it's ceasing to exist right now...what treasure to we grab?" Panther cried.

"I dunno, but the cat has a good idea." Skull said, seeing a purring Mona, clawing at one of the gold bars, incessant mutters leaving his mouth. Songbird slung his rifle over his shoulder, grabbing one of the bars, pulling it hard, only for it to fall out of his grasp.

"Shit...this is a team effort. How the hell are we gonna bring this thing with us?" he asked curiously.

"Mona, time to turn into a van!" Panther cried, throwing the feline into the air. He let out a screech as he morphed into his car form, letting out a growl.

"You shouldn't throw animals dammit!"

"Get the treasure in, hurry!"

It took a few minutes of effort, but they were finally able to put the gold bars into the back of the van. Joker jumped into the driver's seat, followed by everyone else who managed to wedge inside. Joker slammed his foot on the pedal as soon as the door closed. He drove straight ahead, bursting through the crumbling wall, and right off the edge of the floating bank.

"Hey wait...there's no road!" Mona cried. They all screamed as gravity took over, bringing them back down to the ground.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Oh...ow...god that hurt!" Makoto muttered, groaning in pain from the hard hit on the pavement.

"I think I cracked my ass." Ryuji said, pulling himself to his feet.

"Ann, are you alright? Is yours cracked as well?" Yusuke cried, a worried look on his face.

"What...no?!" the blonde shouted back, face flushed in embarrassment.

"Isn't it supposed to be though?"

"Christ, are we having this conversation? We shouldn't just drive off like that...we're in public!" Takumi hissed.

"At least we all made it back safely." the brown haired girl said, once everyone had stopped looking at them.

"Well...not everyone is alright." Ryuji said, pointing to the middle of the street.

"That briefcase." Takumi muttered, eyes narrowed as he tried to recall where he saw it.

"Yes, it appears to have been the source of Morgana's demise."

"No...dammit. It looks like Kaneshiro's! Christ, someone pick him up."

Ryuji muttered a swear, grabbing both the briefcase and the unconscious cat, heading back toward the plaza, away from prying eyes.

"Where should we open it?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Oh...how about Karaoke?" Ann suggestion.

"No, that place is filled with people right now. Uh...what about your place Takumi?"

"Can't, mom's there and it's Thursday. So Ayumi would have been back from practice by now." the boy replied.

"Hmm...wait, I got a place in mind." Yusuke said, a knowing smile on his face.

"Yes, so do I...it's a safe place. I'm sure the owner won't mind, right Ren?"

"I'm sure...he wasn't going to open shop today, he had another thing to do. So it should be safe." he replied.

"Huh...wait where are we going?" Makoto asked curiously.

"I think we're going to Ren's place. It's a bit kitschy, but I'm sure you'll like it. This is the first time I'm heading there without being snuck in." Takumi said, a grin on his face.

"Plus we gotta fix Morgana up."

"So...warm..." the cat uttered, finally regaining consciousness. Takumi rolled his eyes, picking the feline up into his arms, cradling him like a newborn.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"This place is rather calming." Makoto said, glancing around Ren's attic bedroom. Takumi glanced up from his phone, a smile on his face.

"Good news, it seems Kaneshiro sent some men to my mom's store. They gave her a letter saying he had called off the debt. They gave her all of our money back, plus interest and the instruments they stole. They even turned themselves in right there when the detectives showed up for a welfare check."

"That's wonderful news...guess you don't have to worry about being broke anymore, huh?"

"The money is the least of my worries. All I care about is the safety of my family...I can easily make money. But I can't replace them, they're too precious to me." Takumi replied.

"Have you managed to open it?" Makoto asked, earning a sigh from Yusuke, who shook his head.

"It's locked by a rotary lock. We'll need a combination to open it." he said. The girl hummed to herself, kneeling down before the briefcase. She started spinning the dials, eyes narrowed for a few seconds. It clicked open and she opened the case, a smirk on her face.

"Whoa, you opened it? How'd you guess the combination?" Ryuji asked, a shocked look on his face.

"I saw him opening it so many times, that I memorized the combination."

"Ho...holy shit...look inside...there's money in there!" Ren said, barely withholding his emotions. Ryuji turned the case to him, eyes widening.

"No way...stacks upon stacks of cold hard cash."

"How much is in there?" Ann asked curiously.

"I believe one stack is worth one million yen...but um..." Yusuke answered, clamming up a second later.

"There's thirty five stacks in here, that's...thirty five million yen. If we split it seven ways, we would each get five million yen."

"Dude...how many beef bowls can five million yen buy you?"

"Goddamn it Ryuji, you're thinking too small. You gotta go big man, pizza...this is enough to buy yourself an entire goddamn parlor." Takumi said, grabbing one of the stacks, looking at it.

"Have you noticed something off about this money?" Yusuke asked. Takumi tossed the stack back a second later, a disgusted look on his face.

"It's fuckin fake."

"What?"

"Children's bank? God this is such bullshit!" Ann cried, forcefully sitting down beside Takumi.

"Well...I guess this money reflects just how twisted Kaneshiro's heart truly was, all talk and no bite. This is worthless, not even worth the paper I wipe my ass with. But that case is made out of gold, we could get ten million easily if we go to the right guy." Takumi said.

"Well...at least it feels like we totes busted this case right?" Ann asked, earning a confused look from Takumi and Makoto. She let out a giggle, catching everyone by surprise.

"To think, the reward for the Phantom Thieves is feeling like they _"Totes busted"_ the case...how funny."

"I do agree with Takumi though. This case is quite nice, it could net us a hefty sum."

"Good, then let's sell it. Problem solved...by the way Morgana, have your memories returned?"

"Memories?" Takumi asked softly.

"No...not at all. I can't seem to have remembered anything."

"Aw come on, did that briefcase hit to the head make you forget even more?"

"Easy for you to say, you aren't the one who lost his memories."

"Wait...you have amnesia?" Makoto asked, sounding quite saddened at the news.

"Something like that. He does remember searching for treasures though." Ann said.

"Well buddy...I hope one day you recover what you've lost. And even if you don't, it won't matter. Because those missing memories will be filled with memories of your friends, doing awesome, crazy, stupid shit. You'll always be surrounded by friends, who you can always look back to in your time of need." Takumi said, giving him a pat on the head.

"So what do we do now?"

"Well, we usually wait for the change of heart to happen. It's still June 25th, the hit was supposed to be on July 9th. Since we finished this heist earlier than normal, we'll have to bide our time and wait. That means living honest school lives." Morgana said.

"Is there a need to worry?" Takumi asked curiously.

"Not really...I mean, if Kaneshiro's sent all of your money and stolen goods back to you house. That means he's already feeling the guilt...he'll be squealing like a pig or...singing like a bird in no time." Ren said.

"I suppose that's true."

"Oh, it's gonna be big this time. We netted a criminal after all." Ryuji said, reminding them of their current achievement.

"That's right...hey, remember what Kaneshiro said...about that other guy using the Metaverse."

"Yes, I was bothered by that as well."

"No point in mullin over it for now. We should just wait for the change of heart, and lay low for awhile." Ryuji said.

"I never though I would hear something like that coming from you." Makoto said, earning a frown from the boy. Takumi shook his head, about to say something when his phone started ringing. He grabbed it from the table, swiping the screen.

"Hello?"

" _Big brother, when the fuck were you gonna tell me you have a girlfriend? What is the matter with you? Huh? I got through all of this trouble setting you up with my best friend only for you to turn her down? Where are you? I'm gonna kick your fucking ass when you get home, you hear me?"_

The boy hung up the phone, placing it back on the table. He cleared his throat as he looked up at all of his friends, confusion on their faces.

"So uh...it seems I won't be able to lay low at home...mind if I crash here?"

"Sorry Takumi...you're the one who decided not to date Toni. So own up to it like a man." Ren said.

"You bastard, I'm gonna get you for this one. Just you hear."

"What's this I heard about a girlfriend? Takumi are you pulling one over on us?" Ryuji asked, glancing at Ann who had a flush on her face.

"Ugh...it was just a damn lie okay? I figured I would put my acting to good use. I don't like clingy women or fans coming after me...don't all judge me at once. Sheesh."

"Hehe...I think we're all gonna be the best of friends." Makoto said, a reassuring smile on her face.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank1)**_


	16. Await the Change I: Kaneshiro

**A/N:**

 **Happy Tuesday! Welcome to chapter 16 of Codename: Songbird...with the Kaneshiro palace taken care of, Takumi is going to dick around with his friends. He's gonna be getting to know them and working on confidants while he's at it. For the next few chapters at least, Chapter 21 will begin the new arc. I'm actually already working on chapter 31 so I'm quite ahead of the current story. I'm working on Futaba's Palace at the moment, and I'm having a lot of fun. This is also when the original palace is going to be taking place, so Takumi and a few others will become more prominent during this time. I'm also introducing a character a little earlier than they would be in the game, just so I could give them a little more time with the main cast before the end game. I still haven't come up with anyone for the Heirophant, Death, Hanged Man and Wheel of Fortune arcana, but every other one has been assigned to a character, the confidant ranks at the end of the story will be listed whenever they rank up or he acquires a new one.**

 **The days between palaces are fast becoming my favorite, solely because I can explore these relationships a lot more than in the game. The game does a good job, but there are a lot of things I don't agree with. Like with Futaba's confidant, the fact that her best friend was whore'd out by her parents and they get off scot free after all of the shit that happened, the doctor guy that messes with Takemi and practically lets a girl almost die in a hospital just because he was a jealous prick...like seriously, the fuck is wrong with these people? It's even worse with Chihaya who was brainwashed into selling salt to people fooling them into thinking they did shit when they in fact didn't. Also fuck Ohya...yeah her story was sad but her confidant sucks ass.**

 **Anyway, that's enough of that...the Phantom Thieves will be getting a new member soon, so I do hope you look forward to that. I will also be explaining their persona, who it's based on and what powers they have. Though with that persona, it's going to be an elemental persona, having spells from every single type of magic, so it would be first tier, second tier, third tier and then second awakening would be fourth tier, your Garudyne Magarudyne all of those spells. I'm also tempted to have Kawakami make a Megido bomb at some point just for giggles. I mean, her confidant is pretty cool, I can imagine Ren being like, Hey Becky, make me some lockpicks, and she's like, okay...I'll try my best, and asks no damn questions. She's letting her student make bombs in school and aiding in making those bombs too...it's kinda funny when I think about it. It would be funnier if Kawakami confiscates that shit and then hands it back to him at the end of class like...Here's your Megido Bomb, try not to blow up the school when you make it...someone should draw a comic about this happening.**

 **Eh...well here's the chapter, I hope you like it. Be warned, from here on out there will be a lot of filler, bad acting, blondes, Takumi doing Takumi things and that one squirrel at the park that always peers at you, the one that you shoo away, but it isn't even scared, it's just standing there like, Come at me Bro, give me your salty nuts, and you're like, fuck this park, let's nuke it and the squirrel still lives. It becomes some sort of terminator squirrel leading an army of T-800 Squirrels in an attempt a global domination...fuck the squirrels man...just fuck them...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 16

Await the Change I: _**Kaneshiro**_

 _ **Date: Monday June 27th 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **Objective: Wait For the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

The second Takumi stepped into the kitchen and smelled bacon, he knew that it was going to be a great day. Ever since he and his friends had stolen Kaneshiro's heart, the man had given his mother everything he had taken from her. It also included all of the money she had been given him for all of the time they had been business associates, if they could be called that. It had stacked up, and the man had also included interest. So she had enough money to not only put her daughters through school without having to worry, but also to fix up the shop and get all new inventory. Takumi himself still had to put all of the money he had gotten back into his bank account, so for now the woman was holding it for him. As soon as he sat down at the kitchen table she placed some food before him, a couple of pancakes, some bacon and sausages along with a glass filled to the top with orange juice. He shared a look with Ayumi who had been brushing her hair. Mitsuhide set her book down, seeing the same dish placed in front of the three.

"Mother...to what do we owe this breakfast? Usually it's something more simple than this."

"I'm just happy. Ever since the authorities told me Kaneshiro had turned himself in, and his men gave us back everything...I've just been so happy. I've been keeping an eye on the news, but he hasn't said a single word. It's strange isn't it? How someone like that could turn themselves in out of the blue?" she asked.

"Maybe he felt guilt. After all he was threatening people, maybe he had a heart after all. I don't really care, I got my money back." Ayumi said cheerfully, grabbing the blueberry syrup, pouring a copious amount over her pancakes.

"As I recall, it was big brother who gave you that money. Shouldn't you return it to him? It does belong to him after all." Mitsuhide said, earning a glare from her sister.

"It's fine girls, she can keep it. In fact, for being my awesome sisters and being so brave while you were in Akihabara. I've decided to give you a little gift. Here's a million, for each of you. Kaneshiro's men gave me this plus interest, which all totaled to over 100,000,000 Yen. I have no issue splurging on you two." he said, handing them each a stack of yen.

"O-one m-million...f-for me?" Ayumi asked, her hand shaking as she grabbed the money.

"Yup, if there's one thing all of this has taught me, it's that being greedy isn't ideal for anyone. If you become a money grubbing gnat like Kaneshiro, well then you lose the true things that people value. Friends, family...everything gets replaced by money. This paper...its worthless to me...my true value is you three and my friends. So I have no problem with giving it away." Takumi said, giving the two girls a grin.

"Son, you truly are your father's opposite aren't you? That man would have taken that hundred million and quickly hidden it in his safe. But here you are, giving it up like nothing. Isn't there anything you want to get for yourself?" Erica asked curiously. He shrugged, tossing a stack of money at her, which she easily caught.

"I've got myself an awesome motorcycle, I spoke with the previous owner and he gave me all of the paperwork. I'll be going for my license soon. There's nothing I really want to buy...I think I'll just live my school life for now. Finals are coming up, so I wanna be ready. Speaking of, Mitsu aren't you coming to school with us next term?" he asked, glancing at the raven haired girl.

"I am. It is going to be weird, waking up in the morning and taking a train to school. My middle school is nearby so I usually walk with the other students. What's Shujin like?" she asked softly.

"It's pretty fun...don't worry, you've seen the academy already. The library is huge so it'll be your little hide away. I'm sure if you do your tests, you'll be able to spend all the time you want in there. Still, a nine year old high school student. You might be a super genius or something." Ayumi said, giving her sister a pat on the head. Mitsuhide frowned, her eyes returning to the manga she was reading.

"I...I hope so." she muttered. Takumi narrowed his eyes a bit, focusing on his breakfast. The door bell rung loudly, causing Erica to drop what she was doing, walking over to the panel next to the door.

"Who is it?"

" _It's Ryuji and Ren...we came to get Takumi and Ayumi."_

"Oh shit, we're gonna be late for school...come on Ayumi." Takumi said, shoving the last of his breakfast inside his mouth. He quickly put on his boots, tying them up as fast as he could.

"They'll be down in just a second." Erica said, rolling her eyes watching her kids hurrying to put their things on. Takumi grabbed a hold his umbrella, along with his backpack, which he slung over his shoulder. Both he and Ayumi kissed their mother good bye, racing down the stairs.

"To think, those two are high school students, yet they are not the most punctual of people."

"Don't you say anything Mitsu, we gotta get you to school as well." Erica said, turning to face her youngest. She frowned, sweeping some hair behind her ear.

"Would it be a bother to stay home today mother? It won't be long until the final exams, and I already prepared for them. I...don't want to bother my instructors."

"Honey...I know it's a scary place. Being in a middle school, surrounded by people older than you. You might not fit in, but just focus on your studies...I know...if you make it through the next few days, we'll go out for ice cream on Saturday. Middle schoolers don't have school on the weekend, so it'll be just you and me. Deal?"

"I suppose...I shall get my uniform on." the girl said, jumping down from her seat, her book in tow as she walked back to her room. Erica frowned, having heard the sound of the door closing.

" _Oh sweetheart...what's the matter? I thought you loved being in middle school. Don't tell me you aren't happy being several years ahead of kids your age."_

"Hey guys, sorry for being late." Takumi said, opening his umbrella as soon as he made it outside. Ayumi did the same with hers, glancing at the sky through it, since hers was clear.

"I really wish it would stop raining. The heat, plus all this rain makes the nights muggy and makes it hard to breathe."

"Gotta agree with ya there kid. Come on, the train is gonna leave soon." Ryuji said, taking the lead toward Shibuya station.

"So uh...anything yet? How long do you usually have to wait?" Takumi asked quietly. Ren glanced away from his phone, facing his friend.

"Not long, a few days mostly. The last two times, it happened on the day they threatened to do something. For us it would be July 9th, so we should wait until then."

"Makes sense I guess."

"Hey Takumi, are you doing anything after school? I figured we could go hangout or something. There's this sweet place in Ogikubo that I've been dying to go back too." Ryuji said.

"Um...yeah sure, I got nothing to do...I'll wait for you by the stairs after classes are over. You wanna cash in on those acting lessons?" Takumi asked curiously.

"Nah...just wanna get a beef bowl. I invited Ren earlier so it would be the perfect time for all of us to hangout. I'm sure the girls are gonna go shopping, and Yusuke is...well Yusuke."

"Big brother, don't you have a date with your girlfriend today? I thought you two were gonna go take a walk or something?"

"Ugh...for the last time Ayumi, I do not have a girlfriend! I only said that so that Toni would get off my back. She's just a clingy fan okay? She seems like a sweet girl, but she's overbearing, not just that, I saw her talking to one of the teacher's like they were best friends. That's just odd."

"She's just outwardly friendly. I wish you'd give her a chance...how about you big brother Ryu...you wanna go on a date with Toni?"

"Eff that! I've known that girl since seventh grade and let's just say...I'd rather get stabbed. Ren however is looking for a woman of her tastes, maybe he'd like a shot."

"I'd rather kiss a toilet seat." the frizzy haired boy said dejectedly.

"Aw, it isn't that bad Ren...come on, you gotta get yourself a sugar momma!" Morgana said, chuckling from within Ren's bag.

"Hehe...I agree with...hey wait, who said that?" Ayumi cried, whirling around. Her eyes darted back and forth, but she didn't see anyone else with them. Takumi shared a look with his friends, not knowing what to say.

"Heh, good one Ren. You gotta stop working on your ventriloquism without your dummy. We wouldn't want to confuse people would we?" Ryuji said.

"Uh...yeah, it just happens okay?"

"Hmm...there's something fishy going on here. Does this have to do with that other world? The one I keep seeing in dreams?"

"Ayumi, don't talk so openly about that okay? Just...keep that dream to yourself. And stop trying to push Toni onto people, I know you wanna help your best friend, but it isn't nice to pawn her off to others." Takumi said.

"Okay...she just wants a boyfriend. She lives alone so she's a little lonely, that's why she's so devilish and clingy. She values friendship over anything else and wants a little company. I feel really bad for her."

"What happened to her?" Ren asked curiously. Ayumi frowned, glancing at the ground.

"I'm not sure myself...but I think she used to live with her aunt, who owned the house she lives in now. I think she was part of that really big accident a couple years back. You know, when the Psychotic Breakdowns started happening?"

"Oh yeah, I remember that...it was a bus crash. The driver lost control and flew right off the freeway. They say everyone who was on that bus died, it was pretty bad." Ryuji said sadly.

"Damn...I didn't know that." Takumi said softly.

"She's made it out just fine...but she has to work hard to sustain herself. Now don't you start thinking she clung to you because you have money. She isn't like that, she just thinks your cute, and since your my brother I figured I could hook you two up."

"I don't think that at all."

"It is a shame what she's going through, but you should be careful not to get her hopes up. Someone like that is putting up a lot of strength to keep going, we wouldn't want her to breakdown right?" Ren asked.

"I suppose...big brother Ren is very smart isn't he? Do you have a girlfriend? Maybe you'd like to go on a date sometime?"

"Ha! Over my dead body...Ren is my bro, and that means he doesn't get to lay a hand on my sister. Besides you are fourteen, stick to dating people your age, yeah?"

"You are no fun." she cried, sticking her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes, flicking her nose.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Hey Takumi, you seem bored."

"Hmm? Oh hey Ann...I am a little bored. It's raining, so it really limits the stuff I can do. There's no place to skate here either." the boy said, stretching his arms a bit. It was lunch time, and he had decided to stay in his classroom for a nap, but the constant chatter made it impossible. Ann took the seat in front of him, which was Ryuji's seat, but the blond boy was gone so it wasn't in use at the moment.

"Yeah, there's too many people in Shibuya for something like that. Though I did hear there was a park in Yongen-Jaya...near the place where Ren lives. Maybe you could go there...and there's Inokashira Park as well, the paths are paved so it would be a nice relaxing trip by the lake."

"Now that you mention it, that would be relaxing. I might go there this afternoon, after meeting up with Ryuji." he said. The girl glanced at her phone briefly, before nodding to herself.

"Um...do you mind if I tag along? I figured, since we're done with the palace stuff, that we could start our private lessons?" she asked. He chuckled, giving her a nod.

"I figured you'd want to cash in on that sooner or later. Hang on a second, I got this book just for you. The five well used acting methods...I want you to read each method and pick the one that suits you the best. Thankfully, I managed to hang onto the script to Shimizu's movie, so we'll use scenes from that to practice."

"Awesome, I'm looking forward to it. I know I wanna be a professional model, but maybe I can make my way into the silver screen while I'm at it. This is gonna be so much fun!" she said happily. Takumi glanced across the room, seeing all of the other students glancing at them, muttering things to each other.

"Guess those rumors of us dating are spreading through the school. Dammit, if only Toni hadn't been so damn insistent."

"Let them think what they want, though if anything it's a convenience to you." Ann said, causing the boy to look back at her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well...if people think you are dating someone, then girls wouldn't be so inclined to go after you. I heard some guys muttering things about how much they hate you, because some girls adore you. Some keep spreading that fake drug addict bullshit around, and some girls are talking about how dreamy you are. If you are off the market, then it saves you the suffering in the long run." she said firmly. The boy narrowed his eyes, brow raised in curiosity.

"Are you...using your acting to convince me of something?"

"I dunno...is it working?"

"Hmm...it is...you've been practicing huh? You have a point...it is convenient. But that will be up to me to decide, for now you read up on that book and pick a style of acting that you wanna work on. We'll meet in Inokashira Park at say...six tonight...that sound good?"

"Sure, it gives me time to go see Shiho. Her next rehab appointment is coming up, so I wanna tell her about my progress in acting." she said. The boy pulled out his wallet, pulling out a five thousand yen bill, handing it to the girl.

"Here, buy her some flowers. I know being stuck in a stuffy hospital room is unappealing, she'll need a little bit of color in her life." he said.

"Are you serious?"

"Mhmm...matter of fact, take some for yourself. After the shit that we all went through, and that bust of a case, we all need to splurge right?" he asked, handing her some money for herself. The others just looked at him oddly, wondering why he was handing the blonde all of that cash.

"You're insane you know that?" she whispered, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Nah...just extremely rich and bored. After facing off against that greedy bastard, all I can say is the worth of money doesn't mean anything to me anymore. You know...Kaneshiro and my father share a lot in common. Both are greedy, and would do anything to get money and once they have a lot of it, they have no idea what to do with it. I'm content with giving it all away. It's just a hundred million yen right?"

"I suppose...but I would honestly save it. Because when you graduate from this tiny little shithole, you'll be able to pay for a good college. You'll be able to do whatever you want in life."

"True...I hope Shiho likes those flowers Ann...maybe one day I can meet her?" he asked. She giggled, giving him a nod.

"Yeah, I'm sure she'd love to meet one of my friends. I bet you she'd be happy to meet one of the guys who didn't treat me like a sex object or called me things."

"Hey...those people who called you all of those things, they're nothing but useless charlatans who succeed in only spreading lies. The most ignorant thing a human being can do is be ignorant of their own ignorance. Is it truly is bliss, then we are living on an ignorant rock in space...we're nothing but dust in god's eyes anyway." he said with a shrug.

"Are you sure this isn't all just one giant act for you?"

"Hehe...I'll let you decide." he said, giving the girl a wink. She flushed brightly, and stood up, just in time for the bell to ring, signaling the beginning of class. He gave the girl a wave, just as Ryuji came back to his seat.

"I'm surprised to see her here, she's usually with Ren and Morgana or walking around the school. What did you do to make her come to you?" the blond boy asked curiously.

"Eh...nothing, I just offered her a shoulder to lean on. The same one that I'm offering to you and the rest of my friends. Plus I just couldn't take my damn nap...it was too freaking loud in here."

"Ugh...tell me about it...but at least we can look forward to those beef bowls after school right?"

"Damn straight."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday June 27**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Ramen Shop(Ogikubo)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Rainy**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Aw man...this is definitely the best. Especially on a rainy day like this, don't you think so?" Ryuji asked. Takumi nodded, too busy slurping his noodles to reply.

"I gotta agree...I've been here a few times with you, but even a light meal like this is enough to give me energy. I feel like I can take on the world." Ren said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself just yet. It wouldn't be a wise idea to go anywhere just because you have a shot of energy." Morgana said from his bag, being quiet so he wouldn't attract attention.

"Ah...that really did hit the spot. Anyway, now that we got nothing to infiltrate, what exactly do we do? I'm a little anxious." Takumi said.

"Well...we normally train in Mementos whenever we're waiting. There's also requests that we take from people on the Phan-Site. We can't let our skills get rusty after all." the black feline said.

"Mementos...that place me and my sister went to, right?"

"Well...the way you described it, you went to the Mementos version of Shibuya. We never explored the overworld, it probably became that way because Kaneshiro's palace was in close proximity."

"Ren's right...the place we go too is like...like a train station. It's much easier if we show you...ah, but you have plans today right?"

"Yup, I promised I'd help Ann with her acting today. I got nothing planned tomorrow, I can tell Ann about it too if you want." Takumi said.

"Yes, I'll let Makoto know as well. She hasn't been there yet and it would be good for her to practice. Getting a handle on your persona is very important in all of this." Ren replied, earning nods from his friends.

"Hey Takumi, where'd you get that bracelet? It looks familiar."

"Hmm? Oh, you mean this? My sister Kanami got it for me for my birthday. She said it was imbued with some anti-curse thing...I didn't believe it. But I did see it glowing while we were in the Metaverse." Takumi replied, glancing at the star shaped charm attached to the bracelet.

"It might be an Stamina charm. You didn't get as tired as all of the others while we were in that place. Perhaps this is imbued with a spell that makes you use less stamina when using magic." Morgana explained, earning a shrug from the brown haired actor.

"Maybe."

"Anyway...I didn't drag you guys out here just for lunch. I came out here to talk about a workout routine. Me and Ren had one, but the old track team took our spot, so I've been searching for a new one. The Gym in Shibuya is good for days it rains. But being outside is much more beneficial."

"I agree, running outside in a park is way better than on a treadmill."

"You only say that because you ate it big last time you were at the gym." Morgana said.

"Yeah, but I did get three HP points for that fall. So joke's on you."

"Eh...what?" Takumi muttered, causing the boy to just shake his head, brushing his comment off.

"Whatever, as I was saying...training our bodies will go hand in hand with training against shadows. The more we build up stamina, the more time we can spend in the Metaverse without getting tired. Plus, I feel like I've been regaining the strength in my legs after so long."

"Ah right...you were in track right? What happened to that, did you quit or something?" Takumi asked curiously, causing the boy to shake his head.

"Nah...it was all cause of that bastard Kamoshida. I was the track team's star runner, but he didn't like our team at all. He somehow dug up some family stuff and used it against me. I slugged him across the face and he broke my leg in self defense. The team, who had been bearing all of his shit for so long, had to disband because of me. So I got blamed by them for what I did."

"That's total bullshit...I would have slugged him too, especially if he talked shit about my family. Hell, that would be like some rando walking up to me and calling me a druggie right to my face. I would bust him in the fuckin lips."

"Yeah...that was my thought process. I guess I'm like you, the family situation I mean, I'm an only child and live with my ma. My old man was a drunkard...and would always hit her when he was pissed. Sometimes, I'd step in and get hit instead...he finally had it and took off one day, haven't seen him since." Ryuji said, grabbing a hold of his drink, downing it in one go.

"You're wrong in one aspect man...being hit is way worse than being abandoned. That's what I feel whenever I think of my old man...he never really cared. Well, ever since my birth mother was in that accident, he just stopped caring. He romanced Erica and left her just as fast. Then he married a third woman, left her and remained single...the bastard tried marrying me off to some girl once...I forgot what her name was, all I remember was that she was the daughter of a businessman here."

"That sucks...how old were you?"

"Thirteen...I remember it well, hey son come down here, I've got someone I'd like you to meet. This is your fiancee, from now on you'll be together until you two are old enough to marry. Treat her as you would your future wife, because she will be one day. Go on son, take her on a date...god that was so embarrassing. Eventually, I focused on my acting and told the girl's father that I wasn't interesting in forcefully marrying his daughter and we cut ties. Wonder if she's still around?" he said, glancing at the ceiling.

"Arranged marriages are bullshit...especially ones where it's for mutual benefit. Hearing something like that in this day and age boils my blood." Ren said firmly.

"Hey, you three about done? We got a line outside." the chef said, causing the three to cringe.

"Ah...sorry man, we forgot. Here's payment for all of us, and a little extra for holding these seats up." Ryuji said, handing the man the money.

"It's quite alright, thanks for coming here. We encourage you to come again, in fact...why don't you keep those bowls as a gift?" the chef said.

"Whoa really?" Takumi asked.

"Yeah, I'll rinse it out for you." he said.

After a few minutes, the three Shujin students left the ramen shop, holding their bowls in their hands. Ryuji looked at his, a frown on his face. He didn't want to hurt the man's feelings by rejecting his gift so he had taken it. Ren had been thankful for his bowl, and Takumi was honestly happy to have a souvenir to take home.

"This is the third one I've gotten. I got one from here, Akihabara and from the shop in Shibuya...I guess I should start a collection."

"I've got the one you gave me last time we came here...I think I'll give this one to Morgana, so he can use it as a food dish."

"Really Ren? You'd let me have it? Mwehehe! Awesome, I no longer have to eat metal tasting food!" the feline cried happily, causing the others to laugh.

"Really man? At least when I have him over I give him his salmon on a ceramic plate. I'm gonna have to call animal control on you." Takumi said.

"Over my dead body." the frizzy haired lad said.

"That can be arranged you know...I am a little jealous of the Joker. Maybe we'll team up and steal that sweet ass coat." Ryuji said, causing Takumi to laugh. They high fived, sharing in their mirth.

"I'm glad we're all friends...let's take on every baddie we see. It's just the Thieves against the world!"

"Hell yeah, I love that shit. I also like that motto you came up with man, you're totally gonna rock the world with that shit. I'll definitely say it if you're too shy."

"Ha...I'm not to scared, I'll say it next time...just you wait!"

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Chariot Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Chariot)xxx**_

"You shouldn't be embarrassed about the motto. I'm pretty sure Ann wrote a song for our group. Besides it sounded cool when Ren said it." Ryuji said.

"Yeah...what can I say, I was inspired...you know what they say, Prepare for Trouble."

"And Make it double." Ren said, earning a chuckle from Takumi, who bumped fists with him.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Heart)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday June 27**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Inokashira Park(Inokashira)**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Cloudy**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Goddamn mud." Takumi muttered, frowning as he brushed his boots off on the grass. Ann couldn't help but giggle at the boy's misfortune. The two had been walking through Inokashira Park, enjoying the afternoon breeze. Since it stopped raining, the evening had been rather cool. The quacking ducks and buzzing insects added to the serenity of the place, and since it had been raining, every few people had gone to the park at all.

"Um...I read that book, I think I've made up my mind. Method acting suits me the best."

"Does it now? You do know what Method acting is right? Getting into the characters and conveying emotion. It means basically becoming that character as if it was an extension of yourself. Do you think you can handle that kind of acting?"

"That's why we're here right? So you can direct me?" she said, earning a shrug from him. He pulled a script from his backpack, handing it to her.

"I suppose, alright, flip to Act 3, Scene 22 and read those lines. Practice them for a few minutes and then we'll start. Remember to convey as much emotion as you possibly can. Method acting is all about that after all." he said, sitting down on the wooden rail separating the path from the lake's edge.

"Okay...I'll do my best!" She said cheerfully, flipping to the act he had told her. The boy did the same, memorizing his own lines.

" _Wonder how this is gonna go. I'm surprised Ann actually wanted to learn how to act. Ren is mysterious enough and his acting is quite good, enough to convince anyone that asks. Ryuji always gets mad, so he can handle that, Yusuke is eccentric, and that helps him out well. I haven't spent much time with Makoto, but I'm sure she can lie and not get nervous. Realistically, Ann is the only one who needs this help, going by what Ren said anyway."_ he thought to himself.

"I think I'm ready." Ann said, after a few minutes of silence. Takumi shrugged, standing up from his seat.

"It's alright if you have to glance at your script. So let's begin from the top alright? Just act things out and I'll determine whether or not you're going right." he said. She nodded, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

"You can't do this to me dad! You know just how hard I've been working on this performance. I've already told everyone I was going to be in it, you can't tell me I'm not allowed to go!"

"I don't care, you should have thought of that before you tricked me into signing that permission slip. Didn't you know there were consequences to your actions? Jesus, Koyomi! You let this idol thing cloud your mind!" he cried out, an angry look on her face. Ann cringed a bit, feeling nervous from the sudden raise in his voice.

"I-I'm not letting it cloud my mind. Mom said that I should believe in myself, that I should follow my dreams! So why don't you understand that I want to be an idol!?"

"Don't bring her into this conversation. She isn't here anymore, so she doesn't get a say in it."

"Sometimes, I wish I was with mom. Because she would be more understanding than you could ever be! I wish I was dead so I didn't have to suffer with an asshole like you!"

"Alright let's stop right here. I like what you are doing, but you didn't convey emotion well enough." Takumi said.

"What are you talking about? I was totally into that role."

"No you weren't...did you read the stuff above the lines? You're supposed to be crying. Method actors search for the emotion of a scene, and can call upon those emotions in order to convey them. That's why in movies, you see the actors crying."

"So you want me to cry? Okay, um...let me just thinking about something sad...I think dead puppies will work."

"No...Ann you aren't understanding this. To make your acting more believable, it's necessary for you to submerse yourself in your character. I think we took this part too serious, so I'm going to change it." he said, taking her script from her hands. He pulled out a yellow highlighter and flipped through some pages, humming to himself.

"Ah...I know, this is the scene me and my sister had to do. I want you to practice these lines, both parts. We're going to practice this scene until I feel genuine emotion from you. Until it's so believable that people will cry when they see this heartfelt confession." he said, highlighting all of the lines he wanted her to practice.

"You want me to practice this? All of this?"

"That's right. Rehearse it daily, I find rehearsing in front of a mirror helpful. You can see your own face and your emotions, so you can see what you have to fix. Your act isn't enough to convince yourself, then it isn't a good act." he said.

"I suppose that's true...I'm not kissing the mirror though."

"Hehe...I didn't expect you too." he said, capping his highlighter, placing it back inside his backpack.

"Hey wait...this is the scene you practiced with your sister right? Does that mean you had to kiss her?"

"I'd rather not talk about that. How was your friend? Did she like the flowers?" he asked.

"Shiho? She's doing great, she thought the flowers were a really sweet gesture. She said now she definitely has to meet you...her rehab is going great too. She can finally walk without dragging her feet."

"That's good...won't be long until she can walk on her own. Even if it's with a cane or some crutches, being able to walk without someone behind you is a great feeling." he said.

"Yup...it's just...been so hard for her you know? She's decided to switch schools, after what happened, people are gonna label her. Her parents thought it was a sound decision. So once she's able to walk around on her own, she's gonna leave." she replied, a frown forming on her face.

"Aw...don't get all sad on me. I know it'll be hard, adjusting to her not being there, but...think of it this way. At least she's alive, and you can see her whenever you want. That's way better than the alternative."

"That's what Ren said...I'll take her alive than dead any day of the year. When I saw her jump, the world around me froze. I just stood there, unable to move. It was me, I caused this...I could have spoken up against Kamoshida. But I didn't, because I was scared of what he could do. He threatened her with her volleyball start up position...in the end, I realized that no matter what, he wasn't going to put her on the lineup, and that I was a fool for believing him."

"He had the upper hand. He was the adult, he had power as a teacher so he could do anything. He could expel you without a thought, and he used that authority to threaten people. Which is why we shouldn't allow those people to have any kind of power. I'm glad you took care of him." he said firmly.

"You...act like you have something against him."

"I do...I do. My sister is a cheerleader remember? She told me that he would always watch their rallies. The Shujin Cheerleading Squad has gone to nationals once in the past, and she wants to be the one to take them there. The captain is graduating this year, and she's been working hard to become the next captain. She told me that whenever the girls were doing their flips, and splits and generally jumping around...he would always stare at them, and lick his lips."

"That's so fucking gross!" the girl exclaimed. The boy scoffed, brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"Hell yeah it is. Just knowing some sicko was staring at my little sister, imagining all of the perverse things he could have done. It just pisses me off...I hate to admit it, but Ayumi is quite the looker. For her age, she has the body of an eighteen year old, despite being short. She's cheerful, happy, boisterous and attractive. I hate to think that there are others who look at her that way. Which is why I'll defend her from anyone who thinks that way about her."

"You're a good older brother Takumi. Despite you not having any blood relation to Ayumi at all, you care for her like you do." Ann said, earning a smile from the boy.

"The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb. It means that blood is thicker than water, and that no matter what I'll have anyone's back. My sister's, Ren's...yours. No matter what shit we're going through...we could be up a creek and I'll still swim up it if I had to. Don't be scared to share your problems with me okay?" he asked.

"I know...you're a good friend. I can't believe people never once thought of approaching you, all because of those bullshit rumors." the girl said, sitting down on the railing, crossing her legs. The boy followed suit, glancing at the ducks swimming in the water.

"That's life...social media was created with the noblest of intentions, to help us connect with people. But all it does is cause more drama than anything. There's so much bullshit and fake news on Facebook and Twitter it's not even funny. When I had my awakening, I realized a lot about myself, and how oppressed I felt. So I did the only plausible thing I could, I deleted my social media accounts, down to the apps. No more Facebook, no more Twitter, no more Instagram. Just my chat with my real friends and family, fuck what the world says, I'll write my way out." he said.

"You're so inspiring...I wish I could be a strong as you." Ann said, tilting her head a bit as she smiled at him.

"What are you talking about? You are strong Ann...no one could manifest a persona like Carmen if they weren't strong. I can see the immense trust you two have in each other. Does she talk to you?"

"Sometimes...whenever I'm at a crossroads. She guides me...does the Phantom talk to you?"

"Mhmm...I call him Eric whenever we're not in battle. He's like a best friend to me...my other half. All of the years I spent, sucking all of that in finally burst out. It's liberating...though I do have some questions."

"About what?" she asked curiously. He took a deep breath, glancing back at the lake, seeing the ducks were gone.

"There was this girl...I can't see her face at all. But I can hear her voice...she was urging me, almost pleading me to break the chains that held me back. She was pushing me toward the Phantom and I kept pushing myself back. Kaneshiro gave me the reason to finally break those chains. That girl...she seemed so sad, so distraught that it makes my heart break when ever I hear her voice."

"Is it a Persona? Could you be like Ren perhaps?" Ann asked, earning a shrug from the boy, who glanced up at the rapidly darkening skies.

"No...she isn't a persona, as far as I can tell at least. She seemed more like a guiding voice...she said something...about me being unable to regain my lost power...her name always makes me feel weird when hear it."

"Maybe she's an old girlfriend you don't even remember...what's her name?"

"It isn't a girlfriend, I only had one in my life, and it was forced. Besides, it doesn't feel like that kind of relationship...it feels more...different, like a guardian taking care of his charge. Her name though...it's really pretty...I hadn't heard it until that weird dream though." he said.

"I've never heard someone speak about a person like that. Maybe she truly is special...but you never did tell me her name."

"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. Her name is Lavenza...have you ever heard of her?" he asked, glancing at the blonde beside him. She shook her head, a frown on her face.

"Sorry...that's the first I've heard that name. But you are right, Lavenza is a pretty name." Ann said, glancing up at the sky, a serene smile on her face.

"Yeah...whenever I see a swallowtail butterfly, I can't help but think of her. I just wish I could remember who she was...I know we've met before somewhere. But it's all hazy, even Phantom doesn't know who she is. Anyway, it's getting late...I don't plan on getting malaria tonight so maybe we should call it a night." Takumi said, standing up from his seat.

"Hehe...you're right, the mosquitoes are starting to get annoying. Thankfully the lotion I use acts like a repellent...maybe you should get yourself one of those Off Bug fan clip on things."

"Pfft...I doubt those even work. Maybe I should cover myself head to toe in honey, that way they'll get stuck. Plus honey is good for the skin." he said jokingly, causing her to laugh.

"Yeah right...you'll turn into a sticky mess. You'll probably be sticky enough to stick to a wall!" she said, laughing louder as she pictured it happening. He rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"Anyway, let's start heading back. You transfer in Shibuya right? I'll at least ride with you on the train...I mean we are going to the same place." he said.

"Yeah, hey can we come on your bike next time?"

"Once I get my license...I heard from Makoto that you don't need one on private property. I was thinking of practicing in a huge lot, but I haven't found one. Maybe I could teach you some time." he said.

"That would be awesome...hey Takumi, about the whole act for school. I'm sure you don't want Toni to be on you, a lot of guys have been getting unnaturally close since Kamoshida left and...well if it helps with acting, I figure we could use it to our advantage. You know, you scratch my back, I scratch yours?"

"Uh...okay, what do you propose?"

"Let's just keep the act up as much as possible. Whenever we pass by each other in the halls, we'll chat each other up. We'll hug and hold hands and all that jazz, the more people believe it, the better. Plus it will help with my acting too. I just want those lecherous looks and weird date proposals to stop, and you want clingy girls to leave you alone. So it works for us." Ann said. The boy nodded, taking his glasses off his face, hooking them to his shirt.

"Alright, I totally agree. It's stressful having girls ask you out when you're walking through the halls. It hasn't happened too often, but Toni is a bit overbearing. She almost made it impossible to go to the Metaverse, and the last thing I want is to bring her in there. I already did that with Ayumi and it's been hard keeping her mouth shut. So if this helps you, then I have no issue with continuing the act."

"Okay...great, so I guess we'll continue the act tomorrow, fake boyfriend."

"Hehe...yes we will fake girlfriend...this is gonna be awkward for our group though. I'm sure Makoto will understand, as will Yusuke and Ren...Ryuji might need a bit of explaining." he said.

"Yeah...he is in idiot, despite him being naturally black haired, I think he is a secret blond...come on, we'll miss our train." she said.

"Race you!" Takumi cried, breaking into a sprint.

"Hey no fair! You have a head start!"

"Come on Panther, I've seen how fast you run. You can definitely keep up with me!"

"Shut up Songbird, don't make me get my whip!"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"What it do peeps, how's my favorite family doing?" Takumi called out, as soon as he walked into his home, making sure to leave his muddy boots downstairs.

"My fucking phone broke, big brother do you know where I could get my screen fixed for cheap?" Ayumi cried, running up to the boy, hair whipping around her face as she did. He noticed she was still wearing her Shujin Cheerleading uniform.

It was a tight fitting sleeveless shirt, the top left being white, while the bottom right was black. Across it was the name Shujin in bold black letters, acting almost like a banner, while the emblem for the academy was on the black part of the shirt. She was wearing a white and black pleated skirt, with black spanky pants underneath. She wore white crew socks on her feet, her shoes having been left by the door. Her hair had been put up in a ponytail, with a familiar looking red and white polka-dotted ribbon, which made him swallow hard.

"Uh...she isn't here is she?" he asked softly.

"She is here, and she's right behind you." the voice of Toni said, causing the boy to jump. He whirled around, seeing the brunette grinning at him. He noticed she was wearing the exact same uniform, though hers looked a lot tighter than his sister's did. He shuddered a bit, brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"God...Jesus! Don't fucking do that you damn creep!" he cried, earning a giggle from the girl. She leaned forward, a grin on her face as she purposely made her breasts jiggle.

"I didn't mean to startle you. So, where's your girlfriend? Figured you two would come home soon."

"Ann had to go home...she has stuff to do, like you...you should be going home too."

"Actually, she's staying here for the night. Her house is being fumigated for bedbugs, so she'll be here with us for about a month or so."

"MOM!" the boy cried, running through the open door, downstairs to the store.

"Mom!" he cried again, causing the woman to drop a bass guitar she was placing up on a rack. She turned to face him, glaring at him.

"That was a 40,000Y bass...you better have a good reason for startling me." she said firmly.

"Yes...a crazy fan followed me home, she's already installed herself upstairs. I need you to send her home, or at least a very clean motel."

"Huh...oh, you're talking about Kotone aren't you? She's a sweetheart, the poor dear doesn't have a family, so I said she could stay here while her house was being fumigated."

"No...you don't understand...this girl is like...the stalker type of girl. Ayumi tried to hook me up with her, and now she won't leave me alone. Even though I'm...you know...dating Ann right now." he said. Erica looked at him, brow raised as she put her hands on her hips.

"You're dating Ann? Really...do you think you can fool me? I'm your mom."

"Okay...I'm not really...but I don't want her clinging onto me. She's like a leech." he said.

"Aha! I knew you and Ann Takamaki weren't dating! I thought you loved me, why would you lie to me that way?" Toni cried, causing the boy to back away from her.

"Sorry okay? I just don't want a girlfriend as clingy as you...sorry for being blunt." he said. She let out a laugh, shaking her head.

"Ah...you're the first one who's ever called me clingy to my face. Yeah, I agree I can be a little clingy. But that's because I value friendship over everything. I'm an extrovert, I like doing fun stuff, cutting back and enjoying life! You haven't even hung out with me yet...you never know...maybe you'll fall in love with me. Then you and I can give Ayumi those nieces and nephews she wants so much."

"God...sweetie could you not talk like that? You're fourteen, you shouldn't be talking like that, especially to my eighteen year old son." Erica scolded, earning a grin from the girl who placed her hands behind her head.

"Sorry Erica, you've known me for years now. You know exactly how I am...anyway, I get that you don't want to date me. That's fine, but if we get to know each other, do you think you could change your mind later on?" Toni asked, an earnest look on her face. He sighed, closing his eyes for a few seconds, thinking it over.

"Fine...I guess I could give you a chance. But there are some ground rules, number one...no clinging onto me in public. It's embarrassing and I don't want people like that around me. I've had too many fans in the past do that. Number two...you need to keep your hands to yourself...it just looks wrong if you keep grabbing me and stuff. And number three, you have to be 100% real with me. No fake bullshit, just pure honesty. If you can handle that, we can hangout whenever you want, and then maybe...I might change my mind." he said.

"Yes! You won't regret it Takumi, I promise you that!" she cried, hugging the boy tightly. He sighed, reluctantly returning the hug.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Devil Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Devil)xxx**_

" _Jesus...if this is how this one acts normally, I'd hate to see what kind of shit she might get me into. Though I gotta admit, she does seem interesting. An extrovert huh...those people can be really wild sometimes."_

"Me and Ayumi were gonna review some of our routines. We're getting new uniforms next week, and we get to pick our colors. Let's go look at spanky pants!"

"No, Toni wait maybe I shouldn't...mom, mom!" Takumi cried, reaching for his mother who did nothing but give him a smirk as he was dragged away.

"Sorry son, that's the consequences of being the only man in the house. Have fun!"

"YOU SUCK!"

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 1)**_


	17. Await the Change II: Kaneshiro

**A/N:**

 **Yeah...I felt nice and decided to update twice today...you're still going to get a new chapter on Thursday, but you know, I wanted you all to get through two filler chapters instead of one, so we can hurry the story along. I wanted you all to see Takumi's interactions with his friends and future confidants as well. So that is one reason why I decided to update today. It's also because yesterday was my little sister's birthday, she just turned 19, and she sometimes skulks around on my profile and likes my writing, so I figured she'd like to get into Persona, or at least read my version of it. So this one is dedicated to my little sister Valerie, if you're reading, text me dammit, I've been texting you and you haven't replied, and I know your ass is up at night cuz you graduated last year!**

 **Hope you all like this second filler chapter...don't let memes be dreams...**

 **Video of the day: Extreme Meme Music MegaMashUp...listen to it if you love memes...but for more serious people, if you want to listen to some good music, Might I recommend Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy? their entire album is good, or you can listen to Kara, a K-pop Idol group from South Korea who has some awesome music...or you can listen to Baby Metal, AKB48...whatever you like...but still...memes are king...happy Weed Week! #420YOLOBLAZEITFORJESUS #NOSCOPE #IGN 10/10 WOULD READ AGAIN #MLG QUICK SCOPE #DORITOS #ILLUMINATI**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 17

Await the Change II: _**Kaneshiro**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday June 28th 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Wait For the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Hey Takumi, could I talk to you real quick? Before you leave for school?" Erica asked, causing the boy to look up from his homework. He jotted down the final solution, closing his notebook up, stuffing it inside his backpack.

"Sure Mom, what do you need?" he asked. She gestured for him to follow, glancing briefly at Ayumi and Toni who were lost in conversation in the living room, while Mitsuhide was nearby, reading one of her books. Once down in the store, she turned to face him, a frown on her face.

"Have you noticed how Mitsu is acting lately?"

"Not...really. She seems normal, as far as I can tell. She's really been into that manga I bought her. She's reading the third volume right now and I think she's even writing her own story tied to it."

"That's not what I meant. Her attitude is still the same I guess...what I'm trying to say is, she's acting a little...different. It's subtle but I think if you pay attention to her you'll know what I mean." Erica said. The boy crossed his arms, sitting down on a large amp behind him.

"Mom, I'm gonna ask you a serious question and I hope you can answer me. Do you think Mitsuhide feels accepted?"

"What? Of course she does!"

"That's an assumption. Have you ever...you know, spoken to her? We both know she's intelligent, she wouldn't be in the eighth grade at nine years old if she wasn't. Do you think that, because she's so smart she longs for people to talk to? Those on the same level as her." he asked. The woman tilted her head, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Well...she's never brought a friend home...I guess she longs for mutual companionship. Maybe it doesn't have to be a genius like herself...maybe she just needs another little girl to talk too."

"That's the problem right there, being surrounded by people that aren't her age. I know you're busy with the store, but maybe taking her to the park would do her well. She's an introvert, but maybe surrounding herself with people her age and playing games outside will make her feel better." Takumi said, causing the woman to sigh.

"I wish I had more time. Ayumi has Cheer Leading more often then not, and when she doesn't she's usually doing homework or managing the store. You've got your plate full searching for acting gigs...I'm ashamed to have ignored my baby for so long."

"It isn't your fault mom. It's just how life works...tell you what, if I have some time today, I'll take her to the park. Maybe some brother/sister bonding is what she needs. I mean, she did help me with my math homework last night, I owe her that much at least." he said, rubbing his neck.

"Hehe...yes you do. She's really smart isn't she? Understanding the fundamentals of mathematics and science, but choosing psychology and philosophy. She is a rather intriguing little girl...I wonder where she gets it from?"

"Maybe from our good for nothing father. You gotta admit, even though he's a dickhole, he is extremely smart. Being able to purchase a small factory and turn it into a multi-million dollar empire. The only difference is that Mitsuhide is pure, while our father only sees his genius as a way to make money." he said, balling his hand.

"Gotta hand it to him, he managed to get out of the slums. Wish he was more humble and less...greedy. I don't think I can even call him that...it's obvious he values money. He has his priorities mixed up, and by sending you here, I think it was a subtle way of disowning you...though I really doubt it."

"Yeah well, I'm an adult in America, so unless he comes over here, which he won't, he can't make me do shit. Even if he did, I know for a fact that he wouldn't be able to control me. That reminds me of that girl he tried to marry me too...I really hope her family is treating her better and didn't get abandoned by her folks."

"Takumi, we're gonna be late for school! Hurry up!" Toni cried out, causing him to look at his phone.

"She's right, sorry for taking off like this...I'll see you later mom. I got some stuff with my friends right after school. But if I do have a little time, I'll definitely take Mitsu out. She needs to see the real world for a change. Bye mom!" the boy said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before taking off toward the door. Erica sighed, glancing up at the ceiling, a frown on her face. She was worried for her little girl, she could only hope that she would see the world differently and make some real friends, instead of reading her life away in her bedroom forever.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday June 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Central Street(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Cloudy**_

 _ **xxx**_

"I'm worried about my sister. I don't exactly know what to do about her, or how to talk to her." Takumi said, brushing some hair out of his eyes. He had taken his glasses off, finding them a bother at the moment. Ryuji, Ren and Ann all shared a look, not exactly knowing what to say.

"What's wrong with Ayumi? She isn't getting bullied is she?"

"It's not Ayumi...she can handle herself, Makoto taught her some Aikido remember? It's Mitsuhide I'm worried about."

"I remember her...she's the black haired girl with the red eyes. Your half sister right?" Morgana asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah...as you know, she's a genius. She excels in mathematics, science, English, history and various other subjects. But where she most definitely shines is in philosophy and psychology. It's odd, but she can understand how the human mind works, or at least that's how she makes it sound. For such a young person, she is leagues ahead of where I was at her age."

"So what's the problem? Shouldn't she have a lot of friends if she's that smart? I mean she would be popular in this day and age. A child prodigy like her?" Ann asked.

"I'm not sure that's the issue Ann. Maybe Mitsuhide is different, I mean I've spent some time with her. The way she speaks, the sophistication in which she talks and carries herself. She acts like a grown adult should...I think she's just misunderstood. Being in middle school, with kids years older than her...maybe that has made her a little shy." Ren said.

"All of that from one meeting?" Ryuji asked.

"He's right...you left me with her once, and that night I spend with Takumi gave me proper insight. She spent all of her time in her bedroom, I was able to look at some of the books she had in her collection. Did you know she can speak Latin fluently?" Morgana asked.

"Are you serious? I never even knew that." Takumi said.

"Wow...learning a language like that...she really is a prodigy. But even I know when people need to socialize. Maybe she's scared that she's too smart for her age. She probably thinks she'll be bullied like a typical nerd would." Ryuji said.

"That's a shame...women should feel empowered by their intelligence. But perhaps being surrounded with people older than her has made her regress a bit. I know...how about we take her somewhere fun tomorrow? Like a park, where there are kids her age. We'll make her look pretty and put her in a real life scenario. She can't keep reading books all the time you know!"

"I like that idea Ann...I think I know exactly where to take her. She's never been to an amusement park. Wanna ditch school for a day and go to Dome Town?" Takumi asked.

"Do you know in how much trouble we could get? We should be laying low, no way Makoto is gonna let us do that." Ryuji said.

"Let you do what?"

"Gah!"

Ryuji jumped several feet, turning around to face Makoto who had appeared behind him. She quirked a brow, wondering why he had reacted in such a way. The boy straightened his shirt a bit, adopting a firm look on his face. Takumi stood up from his spot on the bench, placing his eye glasses back on, trying to avoid some of the people that were looking at them.

"Don't do that! You're like a damn fox, always sneaking around people."

"I think I should take that as a compliment. I'm glad that I can sneak up to you and not be heard. Regardless, what is it that I won't let you do?"

"We wanna take tomorrow off school. Takumi's little sister Mitsuhide is having a bit of trouble. Social trouble." Ann said. Makoto looked over at Takumi, who gave her a nod in confirmation.

"My mom has been watching her a lot lately. She thinks Mitsu feels rejected by people because she doesn't have friends her age. I figured we could take her somewhere fun, so that she could be a kid instead of a stuffy nerd. Even if for one day, I just wanna see her smile and not scowl all the time."

"I do agree...social interaction is very important, especially with children. I think your mother is a direct cause of this, by treating her like an adult, Mitsuhide has developed that thought process. Coupled by the fact that she's a genius and it makes for a bad combination. Taking her to a park would benefit her immensely. But I cannot let you skip school for a day just so you can gallivant at an amusement park. Not only would it be bad for your records, but we still need to await the change of heart, or did you forget?"

"Of course I haven't...but this is my family we're talking about. They've been through so much shit already, how do you think she's taking it? Her mother had a hit on her, they had to hide for the better part of a week. That isn't good for anyone's psyche, especially for a little girl!" Takumi said firmly.

"I understand that, but it's still your responsibility to go to school. You can go on your next day off."

"On Sunday, when Dome Town is closed...come on Makoto, toss me a bone here. You have an older sister don't you? A prosecutor no less, how does it feel to be left alone for most of the time? Or to be misunderstood because you are on a different wavelength than her. Doesn't feel good does it? If you understand what that is like, then you'll let me skip school tomorrow. Besides even if you didn't, I'd still skip school." he said firmly. The girl sighed, giving him a nod.

"Fine, just you. If I catch wind that all of you skipped school tomorrow, then I will be forced as your student council president to take you down a letter grade. That wouldn't be good for any of you, especially because finals are around the corner." she said firmly. Takumi gave her a smile, bumping fists with her.

"Thanks, I owe you one."

"My apologies for being late everyone. Kosei was in the midst of their prep week. We have finals next week so we had to stay back for a few minutes." Yusuke said, having finally arrived.

"It's fine man, at least you are here. Anyway, we've all come prepared right? Ren do you have any requests to take care of?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Mishima gave me one...there's a man who has been stealing from his own store. Not just that, he blames his employees for it, the guy who posted the request knows his friend would never steal. He's asked us to take care of it."

"What a prick...guess we're not done dealing with the greedy, eh?"

"Nope, not at all it seems...there's another one that's a little worrying. School teacher abuses children, her name is Kurumi Takagi from Shibuya Third Elementary. A concerned sibling noticed her little sister coming back from school with some bruises, she also confessed this woman loves washing kids mouths with literal soap. She's poured floor cleaner in the mouths of kids who accidentally swear in class, and that's not the worst of it, there's a list." Ryuji said, holding out his phone.

"That one is mine...I'm gonna teach that hooker what it means to hit and abuse children. If that's all the information we've got, I believe we should take care of it." Ann said, an angry scowl on her face. Takumi backed away from her slightly, not wanting to be next to her. He shuddered a bit, remembering what Ryuji had said about her getting mad.

"Alright then, let's go." Ren said, entering the two names into the MetaNav. Takumi felt the familiar sensation of being transported to the Metaverse washing over him.

He looked around, seeing he was once again in the Distorted Shibuya, only this time he was wearing his Phantom Thief ensemble. Having assumed his persona Songbird, he followed Joker toward the nearby Shibuya Station, watching him walk down the stairs with the rest of the team. He and Queen shared a look, following right after them. He was surprised to see it was the same place he and Ayumi had visited before.

"We've been here...me and Ayumi I mean. The first time we warped in here, we were chased by these two shadows. We took refuge here for a few minutes, hoping they wouldn't follow us." he said.

"You needn't worry...the shadows don't come to this floor. There's an enchantment here of some sort that scares them away. There are many safe places in Mementos for people to hide, if they have too." Mona replied.

"So...what is this place exactly? It looks like a train station to me." Queen asked curiously.

"We're not exactly sure what it is. Mona thinks that going down as far as we can will have the answer of why he got turned into a cat. We've only explored three areas, they seem to open as soon as a change of heart happens. But we're not exactly sure ourselves." Panther said, Fox cleared his throat, grabbing their attention.

"Through our explorations, it seems that this place is created by the general populous. It's how society views the world, but they are all unaware of it, the collective unconscious if you will. It is here where we take care of lesser shadows before they get strong enough to develop their own palace."

"Interesting...so palaces start out in Mementos. If people's hearts don't change, then a new palace will spring up. I take it since these requests are online, the phrase "The Phantom Thieves will take care of it" is enough of a calling card to make the targets scared right?"

"You learn fast...that is precisely the case. I wish you were a smart as them Skull, you just accept it without an inch of understanding."

"Shuddup!" the blond cried.

"Well...why don't you all sit tight for now...I've got to confirm the location of our targets. Thankfully, the MetaNav allows me to do that, but it takes a bit of time. If you have any more questions, you should ask Mona while we're here. Although, searching for targets is pretty boring, the topography of the places changes every time, so we might be here awhile." Joker said, taking a few steps toward the escalators leading down.

"Oh joy...a real life Pokemon Mystery Dungeon game. That's the last thing I need, hopefully there aren't any Rhyperior or Tyranitar in here...I really don't wanna face a sandstorm." Songbird said, walking toward the nearby wall.

"HA! Nerd!"

"Shut up Ryuji, I saw Pokemon Go on your phone before we came in here. So I wouldn't be talking if I we're you." he countered, earning a laugh from Panther who pointed at the boy, who's face had contorted into a scowl.

As he leaned back against the wall, he saw a flash of blue from his peripheral vision. He turned his head slightly, seeing a glowing iron barred door. It was just there...surrounded by blue smoke. What was even more alarming was the fact that one of the twins from the Velvet Room was leaning against the edge of it, glancing at her clipboard. He glanced at his friends all lost in conversation, and Joker was still messing with his phone. So he pushed himself away from the wall and walked over to the girl, who looked up at him, a blank look on her face.

"Hello Inmate, I was wondering when you'd come to greet me."

"Um...what are you doing here? Can the others...you know see you?"

"Fear not, only you and one other can see me...we are here to offer him our services. But we have another task for you, our master would like to see you. If you would be so kind?" she asked, stepping away from the gate. He subconsciously remembered the key he had been given, and reached into his pocket, finding it resting within.

"Holy shit...I thought this key was fake."

"It is not, guests of the Velvet Room get their own keys. How else would we be able to provide our services to them? Now come along." she said, taking the key from his hand. She opened the door, allowing him to step inside. He saw nothing but white, appearing in the familiar looking cell, finding himself in his prison uniform.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room. I see you are a changed man, how does it feel to take care of a sinner within society?" Igor asked, earning a smile from the boy.

"It feels oddly satisfying...but we haven't changed him yet. We still have to wait for the change of heart. But so far, I feel at peace." the boy said, only to back away from the bars, a loud bang echoing through his cell.

"You can't relax yet Inmate! There are still things you don't understand, our master is here to guide you, so pay attention!" Caroline said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Yes ma'am."

"It seems you have gained a new aspect of yourself, one you wouldn't have found without your persona. But it is still far less than the power you once had. Train hard, and you shall indeed regain that lost power. The bonds that you have started establishing shall aid in that front, I can see you have gathered several already." Igor said, holding his hand out, eight tarot cards were floating around it, glowing faintly.

"The bonds you craft are very important, the stronger those bonds, the more power you will get. In turn, that shall help the Wild Card achieve his ultimate goal, to prevent the world from ruin." Justine said.

"What is this ruin you speak of? Is it bad? Has something happened before that required the use of personas?"

"Very valid questions...you are not the first to come to the Velvet Room. In fact, many people have been in your place. All of them feeling oppressed in some way. The previous Wild Card was something, facing off against a god, with his friends by his side. History is set to repeat, and I'm afraid that is what this ruin is. You must continue your rehabilitation in order to prevent this event from occurring." the long nosed man said, earning a nod from the boy.

"I get it...I'll do my absolute best. But I do have a question, what makes the Wild Card so important? Does he have a special skill that no other persona user can use?" he asked.

"The wild card is a special person, he has one unique ability. The ability to discard and reclaim different masks in battle. To adapt to new personas and use them to achieve ultimate power. In a way, the wild card is the ultimate player in this game of ours. A man who can become anyone without any issue."

"In essence, what our master means is that this person can use multiple personas in battle. You have already met this man, our other inmate...but for your protection, I would advise you not to mention anything about this to him. This is a private matter between us and you." Justine said firmly.

"Justine is right, if you tell him anything about our conversations, I'll send you straight to the gallows Inmate!" Caroline snapped, shaking her baton at the boy.

"Alright sheesh, I won't say anything. God, I never thought I would be scared of a ten year old with a metal stick."

"I'm not ten! I am twelve for your information, get your facts straight!"

"How could I have known that if you never told me?"

"How come you never asked?"

"Caroline that is enough. You are letting your emotions get the best of you...Inmate, we have a separate mission for you. As you know, bonds are quite important in your endeavor. You cannot reach a successful rehabilitation without them. As our master has said, we are willing to become your tools in this game." Justine said firmly.

"What...what are you doing?" her twin asked, clearly confused by her sister's actions.

"There is something I wish to understand for myself. The Wild Card has been rather intriguing, but I'm afraid I have been more fascinated with your role in this story. Why are you a guest? Why do I feel so odd when I think about you, and who is Lavenza? You mentioned her name to us previously, and it struck a chord with me. I believe, that in order for me to understand this, I must come to know myself and the world around me. I must learn the true meaning of being human."

"Huh? Being human? What do you mean by that? I thought you two were human." Takumi asked, greatly confused by the girl's words.

"We're goddesses you idiot. We were created solely for the purpose of being attendants here." Caroline snapped, further confusing the boy. He pursed his lips a bit, eyes widening.

"Aha! I know...you two want to know what it's like out in the real world. Well, then I got a proposition for the two of you...my sister is around your age...physically...kinda. She needs some friends, if you are willing to come with me to Dome Town tomorrow, I can show you a staple in the human world. An amusement park...how does that sound?" he asked. The twins shared a look, glancing back at Igor who had returned to his own devices, seemingly not paying attention to them.

"It would further our usefulness to the Wild Card, especially if we knew how his world functions. It would also aid in my eternal search for the meaning of this." she said, holding out the bookmark she was always carrying around. Takumi looked at it, feeling a little odd.

"May I...see that bookmark for a second?" he asked softly. Justine looked at it, before passing her hand through the bar, handing him the bookmark.

It was a soft blue color, with yellow lines on it, and some black markings. It had a tassel on the other end, which was a bright golden color. When he turned it over, he saw a glowing blue swallowtail butterfly printed on it, in fact it took up most of the back side of the bookmark. He also noticed the golden L at the bottom of it, his heart skipping a beat. He closed his eyes briefly, seeing a figure in the darkness, standing just a few inches taller than the twins, around the same height as his sister, with long hair. But he couldn't see anything else, just a silhouette in the darkness. And a glowing butterfly flying above her.

"Is something the matter Inmate? You've been strangely silent for a few minutes now."

"No...nothing is wrong Justine, I thought this bookmark looked familiar. I just...can't tell who it belongs too." he said, giving it back to the girl.

"You're such a weirdo, who cries at the sight of a bookmark?" Caroline cried, causing the boy to reach for his eyes, feeling some moisture on his cheeks. He quickly wiped his eyes, sniffling a bit.

"I'm fine okay? I thought I remembered something...anyway, if you two want to come with me and my sister to Dome Town, I guess we can meet up in Shibuya. I'll pay for your fare and entrance tickets, I just want you to have fun okay?"

"Hmm...I understand. Perhaps, I will be able to solve this enigma swarming around my head. I believe we have an accord Inmate, I look forward to learning much about your world."

"Tch...me too, I guess." Caroline muttered, looking away from the boy.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Aeon Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Aeon)xxx**_

"You should return to your world, I'm sure your friends are wondering why you are standing in the room, unmoving." Justine said.

"Huh? Oh yeah...wait, I don't disappear when I'm here?"

"If you did, people would ask questions. Non guests cannot be here, though I'm sure the Wild Card knows what is going on. Remember, keep your mouth shut, he doesn't know about this, and you will not tell him. If he figures it out on his own, then that is his prerogative...now go."

"I'll...see you tomorrow then. Until next time Igor, I look forward to our next meeting."

"As do I, continue on the path to rehabilitation...I look forward to seeing you grow."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Songbird blinked a few times, finally returning to the real world, or rather to Mementos. He glanced at his phone, seeing barely any time had passed, in fact his friends hadn't even noticed he had been standing there. Justine gave him a wave, gesturing for him to run along. He gave her a bow, heading back toward his friends just as Joker finished his scan.

"It seems our targets are in Chemdah, the third level. They are above the rest area on the fourth floor. So this should make our trip a little easier, is everyone ready?"

"Hell yeah, we were born ready!" Skull said firmly.

"Same here, I wish to know more about Mementos, the only way to do that is to venture into its depths." Fox added, a small smile on his face. They all started walking down the stairs, Mona ran forward turning into his car form.

"Shotgun!" Songbird cried.

"What? That's not fair!"

"I think the car should decide who gets shotgun, since it's I am a gentlemen, I say Ladies first, and since it's Queen's first time here, she gets shotgun." Mona said, earning a groan from Songbird.

"I guess that's fair. Pile up in the back then." he said, grabbing a hold of the back door handle, allowing Panther in first. He climbed in after her, sitting down next to her as Skull brought up the rear, sitting in the very back of the van. It wasn't long before Joker took off, leaning back a bit as he had a single hand on the wheel.

"Uh...do you know how to driver Joker?"

"I play a lot of Mario Kart." the boy replied, earning a glare from Queen.

"Both hands on the wheel, and sit up straight, this isn't a low rider." she said firmly.

"Ha...you're getting chewed out hardcore."

"Quiet Skull, you should put your seatbelt on for your own safety." the brown haired girl said firmly.

"How are we supposed to jump out and fight shadows if we wear our seatbelts?" the boy countered.

"Indeed, besides it wouldn't go the aesthetics of this van. We're Phantom Thieves, meaning we need to fight at any moment. Seatbelts would bar our chance for a successful preemptive strike."

"Fine...I guess you are the veterans of this place...what is this place anyway?"

"Like we said before Queen, this is the collective unconscious. What humanity sees the world as...I guess they see it as a train station because train stations are where most people spend their days." Mona replied.

"Do you think America has a Metaverse? Or rather, do you think you could change the hearts of people in other countries?" Songbird asked, leaning back in his seat, arms crossed.

"That's a very good question. Who's heart do you wanna change across the pond?" Panther asked.

"I got a few ideas." the young actor replied.

"The shadows here have no shape...it's rather odd after seeing what forms they take. Hey Joker, why aren't we fighting them?"

"The shadows here are weak, when we get to Chemdah, we'll fight more of them. The low leveled areas have less enemies to handle anyway."

"High risk, high reward...I like it." the girl replied, training her eyes ahead.

"Hey Fox, if I gave you ten cents would you paint me like one of your French girls?" Songbird jokingly asked, causing Skull and Panther to break into laughter.

"Perhaps, it all depends on what you wish to be painted as. I think there is a high chance of getting a master piece should I paint you. I'm sure a certain fan of yours would love a portrait of you on her mantle."

"On second thought, I'd rather not." the boy said, quickly retracting his previous comment, earning a devious chuckle from the artist.

"Ah...Fox, I see that you've become more cunning, nice man, nice." Skull said, bumping fists with the older young man.

"Is it fun being an actor?" Queen asked, after a few minutes of silence. Songbird perked up, looking up from the magazine he was loading with bullets.

"It has it's ups and downs. There was talk of me joining the cast of Fear the Walking Dead for awhile. My manager thought it would be a good way to get spotted by American directors. But New Age really ruined my chances of that shit from ever happening. You do meet some wonderful people and get to travel to awesome places. I guess if you don't mind the long hours and all of the stress from filming, it's the perfect job for you." Songbird replied.

"Must be great knowing you're in anime though. You voiced some people in Captain Mars right?" Joker asked.

"Yup, I was the voice of his sidekick, Little Mars. I wanted to be called Little Venus, but people started saying Little Penis around me and I just got pissed."

"Because it's small right?"

"Skull, really?" Panther asked, earning a laugh from Songbird.

"Actually, it isn't small at all. It's nice and thick, like cottage cheese."

"Oh god, okay...enough with that conversation. Damn, why do guys have to be so perverted?" Queen asked.

"It's just a staple of what it means to be male." Mona replied.

"Indeed, I am not a perverted person. I just value the truth behind every piece of art."

"You know...there was this movie once, where these guys went to Rome, and they spent hours dressing up all of the statues. It was fucking hilarious but I forgot the name of it."

"That's not random at all." Panther muttered, pulling on her glove for a few seconds.

"Eh...it's whatever honestly. I'd rather talk about random stuff than sit here in silence until something exciting happens." Songbird replied, finishing on the magazine he was loading.

"I suppose that's true. We better not stick around this area for too long, we wouldn't want to attract the Reaper." Mona said, causing Queen and Songbird to go wide eyed.

"The Reaper?"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

He didn't know how long it had been, but they had finally made it to Chemdah. Thankfully, the targets were on the first few floors of it. They had spent some time in the previous floor, battling shadows and looking for treasure. Songbird felt stronger, and more in control of his persona, he felt like he could rely on it a lot more. He had also taken the time for target practice with his friends, teaching them much about their weapons and how to properly handle them. But now, they had arrived at the end of the road, or rather the end of their search. They had already taken care of their first target, and all they had to do was search for Kurumi Takagi's shadow, which they had just located. Joker pushed Mona onward, bursting through the swirling mass of red, landing hard on the other side.

"Whoa...what is this place?" Queen asked curiously.

"It's like the treasure room in a palace. Our first target had a different one, that swirling mass of chaos behind them is forming into a gate. See it?" Mona said, pointing ahead of them.

"I see it...where does that gate lead?" Songbird asked curiously.

"That is the gate that will lead down a long path. At the end of it, will be the persons palace. Once it has fully formed, that person will assume control of it, and forget their time wondering around Mementos. That's when the torment truly begins, and their distorted desires finally take shape." he explained.

"And there she is, right smack in the center. Let's go greet her." Joker said, calmly strolling toward the shadow.

It was of a woman, who looked like she was in her early forties, and had dark blue hair tied into a bun. She was wearing a formal business suit, black blazer over a white blouse, dark knee length skirt and heels. She had an angry look on her face, her eyes glowing an ominous yellow. It reminded Songbird a lot of Erica's shadow, before she had turned into a Succubus.

"Kurumi Takagi I presume?"

"Oh...and who are you? Some Phantom Thief? Don't make me laugh!"

"We heard your a school teacher, and a pretty shitty one at that. Don't you know it's wrong to abuse children?" Songbird snapped, feeling an immense anger flowing through him.

"Puh-lease! Those kids are nothing but brats, thinking they own themselves. I'm the adult, they should be listening to me, not the other way around. So I have to discipline them, just like I was disciplined when I was a child. If you stand in my way, I guess I'll have to discipline you too!" she cried, morphing into her true form, that of an Angel.

Much like the Succubus, this woman was scantily clothed, her modest areas being covered by leather belts, even her eyes were covered by them. From her back grew two beautiful angel wings. Her arms were above her head, a smirk on her face as she faced the Thieves.

"You aren't gonna get an easy fight from me!" she cried, sending a wave of magic in their direction.

"Remember, she's not like normal Angels. Lightning magic won't work, so we have to attack with something else!" Mona cried.

"Alright then, let's go with an easy approach. Panther have Carmen set her on fire, Mona and Zorro will deal massive damage with Garudyne, the rest of us will attack accordingly until she's down." Queen said, donning her brass knuckles.

"Then allow me to help us all out. Phantom of the Opera, Matarukaja!" Songbird chanted, snapping his fingers above his head. The Phantom appeared behind him, casting the boosting spell on his allies. He stepped back, holding his sword at the ready.

"Persona Change: Byakko, Mabufula!" Joker cried, summoning his tiger like persona. The giant beast let out a roar, pawing the ground as it sent a large blast of Ice magic at the Angel, who took it without getting a single scratch, a smirk on her face.

"It'll take more than that to get me." she cried, flying forward. She slammed her leg into Skull, sending him flying back. He let out a scream as he was over taken by a Hama spell, which thankfully didn't knock him out directly.

"Skull is injured, someone help him out!"

"I'm on it, Johanna, Diarama!" Queen chanted, holding her hand out sending a mist of green magic at the boy, which quickly healed his injuries.

"Sorry about that...I'll return the favor with an attack! Let's go Captain, Headbutt!" he cried, watching as his persona slammed the bow of his ship right into the Angel, knocking her to the ground.

"Quick, All-Out-Attack!" Mona cried, quickly dashing at the creature, holding his slingshot at the ready.

"You just don't understand. Those brats are horrible, they want nothing more than my suffering!" the shadow cried.

"Even so, you shouldn't abuse children. You should teach them right from wrong, not how to be violent. Let's not hold back everyone!" Songbird cried. They all jumped back, training their attacks on the Angel's body, aiming to do the most damage possible. The woman spread her wings, shooting into the air, firing several glowing balls of light at them.

"Shit...I didn't think she'd be this strong!" Joker cried.

"I'm still setting up, someone distract it!"

"I'll go...I think I'm ready to test out a new skill Phantom learned. Alright, let's show them what we got Phantom, use Mastema!" Songbird cried, holding his hands out. The giant shadowy opera singer smirked, spreading his wings. With a single flap, he shot hundreds of black feathers at the boy, all of them swirling around him, taking the shape of ethereal wings.

"What kind of ability is that?" Queen asked curiously.

"It looks like an Almighty spell...it give him wings?" Mona asked.

"It raises my agility...I can move as if I we're flying. Fight fire with fire I always say. Now, let's see if she can actually last against me." the boy said, taking a step forward, quickly closing the distance between him and the shadow.

"What...what is this inhuman speed?" the angel cried, swiping her arm at the boy.

He jumped into the air, avoiding the hit entirely. He let out a scream of shock almost hitting the ceiling. He drew his sword, bringing it down with force on the woman. He threw a kick at her chest, following it up with a left hook, swiping her chest with his short sword. He continue his barrage, driving a fist into her chin, grabbing her arm he spun her with all of his strength, throwing her into the wall, which broke apart from the impact. He looked at his hands, eyes widening a bit.

"Whoa...what just happened?"

" _Mastema doesn't just increase your agility, I am granting you half of my power through it. Your strength increases exponentially, but the more you use it, the more tired you'll become. So only use it when you need too."_ the Phantom said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Alright, it's finally ready. Dance Carmen, Agilao!" Panther cried, Carmen giggled contently, throwing a giant crackling ball of flame at the Angel, causing her to scream in pain, her wings bursting into flames.

"Hehe...I knew if I concentrated, I would be able to use a stronger spell. This one is yours Mona, finish it off!" she cried, allowing the feline forward.

"Time for my Persona! Zorro, Garudyne!" Mona cried, urging his persona forward, the Mexican Vigilante moved forward, flinging his rapier forward, enveloping the Angel in a funnel of glowing green wind. Joker shot forward, jumping into the air, slamming his knee into her face. He grabbed a hold of her wings, tearing them off her back with ease. Both landed on the ground, and he slammed his foot into her neck, causing her to squeal in pain, a gurgled noise leaving her lips.

"This is it." he said, holding his gun up to her face.

"NO! I surrender!" the Angel cried out. Joker backed away, watching the shadow return to normal. She got up on her knees, bowing her head.

"What do you have to say for yourself? Are you gonna stop abusing the children? Or are we gonna have to keep tossing you around?" Skull asked, holding his shotgun close to her face.

"No...I've learned my lesson...I should treat children with kindness and respect. I only did this because I was jealous...I can't have kids of my own because of my infertility...so I grew jealous of the other parents."

"You shouldn't be jealous of others for what you can't have. Instead there are other ways you can become a loving teacher and a mother. Go out there and adopt a baby, treat them right and with love. It doesn't matter if you birthed her or not, the blood of the covenant is stronger than the water of the womb. Go back to your real self, and apologize to all of those parents...if you avoid jail time, I hope you find a child of your own to love one day." Songbird said.

"I will...I will admit my sins, I'm sorry. Thank you Phantom Thieves." the woman said, disappearing from Mementos. In her place, fell an envelope, which Joker took into his hands. He opened it and opened the letter inside, a frown on his face.

"It's a doctors report...she really is infertile. She must have carried this for years, enough for her to almost get a palace." he said.

"I hope that woman can adopt a baby. I would be sad if I couldn't become a mother in the future." Panther said.

"You're so kind Panther, I bet you would be an awesome mom." Mona said, a lovey dovey look on his face.

"Oh brother...as if we need more platinum blonde kids with zero acting skills running around." Skull said, earning a slap to the head from Panther, who just glared at him.

"This is why you'll never get a girlfriend or have your own kids."

"Ah...fuck. You don't have to hit me so fucking hard...sheesh!" he cried, rubbing his new sore spot.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ugh...I'm tired." Takumi muttered, dropping onto the cool couch in the living room. It wasn't long before Ayumi and Toni arrived, doing the exact same thing he did.

"The gym teacher drilled us so hard...it was so hot, I thought I was gonna drop our flyer." Toni muttered, glancing at the ceiling, spread eagle on the ground.

"Jumping around may seem like good exercise but after awhile, it really does start hurting my legs. And my chest." Ayumi added. She pulled her arms from the grasp of the leather couch, cringing a bit from the slight pain.

"Let me guess...tough day of cheer leading?" Takumi asked, glancing at the two girls.

"Yeah...we have a game soon, volleyball. So they want to give the team a final hurrah for the year. End the tragedy that was Shujin's Volleyball team, and give them the Phoenix that was birthed after Kamoshida was arrested. If anything it's an excuse to make twenty two girls look like those sweaty models in beer commercials." Ayumi said, fanning herself with her hand.

"I think our new gym teacher is a perv too...he was Kamoshida's lapdog. Now he wants to bring back the track team too, I bet you it's all bullshit smoke and mirrors. That cock sucker's influence is still in Shujin, the prick."

"Well, I can tell Toni doesn't like Kamoshida...what did her do to you?" Takumi asked, sitting up from his seat.

"He shoved his hand down my shirt, but I kicked him in the gonads and he left me alone. He kept saying I was a slut and that I gave the volleyball team members head in the locker room, but all of my teachers knew that was BS and called him out on it. That was the last thing anyone did before he became powerful...I'm glad the Phantom Thieves made his sorry ass confess. I would have loved to see him kill himself though."

"Toni! That isn't nice you know, you shouldn't wish death on anyone!" Ayumi cried.

"He drove a girl into thinking suicide was her only option. He sexually assaulted her, possibly even raped her. That fucker deserves a bullet between the eyes, or at least have the angriest Pitbull they can find and have it tear his dick clean off his body."

"Okay, enough of that. You two go and take a shower, you reek of sweat!" Takumi said, earning a giggle from Toni, who turned herself to face him, getting up on her hands and knees, giving him a catty grin.

"I bet you like that don't you? Seeing us all sweaty, imagining us both in the bathroom, lathering up with soap, our modesty barely covered by steam and suds. You can come watch if you want, I don't mind. Maybe me and Ayumi will shower together, two cute girls...rubbing soap on each other." she said. The boy rolled up a piece of news paper, smacking the girl in the face with it.

"Don't be a pervert."

"Muu...you're no fun! Come on Ayumi, let's see how much hair has grown since last time!" the brunette cried, grabbing a hold of her friend's hand.

"No...I wanna take a bath alone. You know the tub isn't big enough, Toni!" the girl cried, only to be pulled along. Mitsuhide came into the living room a second later, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, her hair sticking up in a few places.

"Can I ask that I have a bit of peace and quiet in the afternoon? That's usually when I recuperate after a long day of boredom." she muttered.

"Hey Mitsu...sorry if those two woke you up. But I got something I wanna tell you, come sit next to me." he said, patting the couch cushion beside him. The girl inhaled deeply, sitting down next to her brother, an emotionless look on her face.

"Do you require assistance with your homework? Mathematics isn't that hard big brother, you should make an effort to learn the basics of Calculus and Trigonometry."

"No, that's not it. I don't have any more math homework for the rest of the year. We're gonna start reviewing for finals on Saturday. I however have a bit of a gift for you." he said.

"A gift? Is it the sequel manga to Dance in the Vampire Bund?" she asked, her eyes lighting up a bit.

"Uh...not really. Sweetheart, when was the last time you went anywhere fun?"

"Last week when mom took me to the bookstore."

"No...I mean, a place where you got to be a kid?" he said, rephrasing the question. She blinked a few times in confusion.

"Am I a kid? I believed being this smart classified me as a prodigy, on par with some of the smartest men and women in the world." she said.

"Sis, you're nine years old. You are still a kid, you can't spend all of your time locked in your room reading. You have to go outside and see the world, be with people your age. I got Ann to help me pick out an outfit for you, something a lot less...sophisticated than your normal attire. I want you to act your age."

"Negative, I like being like this...if you insist on taking me somewhere that by your definition is fun, then I shall agree to it. But I shall be wearing my normal attire. Shorts and long sleeved shirts are my favorite."

"Ugh...listen, I spent an hour looking for this and you are going to wear it, even if I have to dress you myself. Besides, it's like 85 degrees outside, don't tell me you aren't hot in that sweater." he said, glancing at the black sweater the girl was wearing.

"I am perfectly content with my sweater. It keeps me warm." she said. He grabbed a hold of it, much to her protest. She started struggling a bit as he pulled it off, revealing the sleeveless shirt she was wearing underneath, which had a white bunny on it. She looked at the shirt, screaming loudly before covering herself with her arms.

"Please...give it back!" she cried, holding her hand out for her sweater. Erica threw open the door, panting a bit as she came to a stop before the couch.

"What happened? Is she alright?"

"I just took her sweater off...she turned all catatonic." he said, poking the girl's cheek. She just whimpered, burying her face in the pillow. Erica sighed, brushing her hair out of her face.

"She doesn't feel comfortable without her sweater...it was...a gift from her grandfather alright? Just give it back to her."

"Mom, I'm not taking her to the amusement park with me if she wears this. She'll be at risk of heat stroke with how hot it's gonna be tomorrow." he said.

"I know honey...we'll figure it out. Just give it back to her." she said with a sigh. He nodded, holding the sweater out to the girl, who quickly put it on, returning practically to normal.

"As you can see...I do not feel comfortable in regular attire. If we go, I am wearing my sweater." she said.

"Fine...alright, you can take the sweater with you. But you aren't wearing it, you'll be wearing this. Trust me Mitsu, this is for your own good. We need to make you socialize more." he said.

"I do not understand why I must socialize...my books are all that I need. I can socialize when I am with those studying my field...I am going to retire to my room. I shall see you all at dinner." she said, walking back toward her bedroom.

"Hey Mitsu, take a picture of me naked, I wanna send it to Takumi's phone!"

"Goddamn it, act your age you pervert!" the nine year old cried, slamming the door to her room rather hard. Takumi looked at his mom, who looked back at him.

"I didn't teach her that, I swear."

"No...I'm sort of happy she had that outburst just now...she sounded almost normal, instead of catatonic." he said.

"Are you suggesting we turn Mitsuhide into potty mouth like you and Ayumi?"

"No...we just gotta get her out of her comfort zone...I think the amusement park will definitely do that. I was gonna ask you to let me dress her, but I doubt she'll even move when I show her that outfit. So you'll have to do that for me."

"Heh...as if I was gonna let you. You may be her brother, but you are still a man...and men don't see girls in their undies unless they're married or dating. Also be careful with Toni would you? She's always been a pervert, even as a little girl."

"I was afraid of that." the boy said, shuddering in fear.

He wasn't looking forward to the next month with the brunette living with him. But if he could face shadows in the Metaverse and greedy grubby bastards like Kaneshiro, he could handle a perverted fourteen year old girl, with the hots for him. He would have to go to Iwai to see if he had blast charges for sale, he knew he would surely need them.

 ** _xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx_**

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 1)**_


	18. Await the Change III: Kaneshiro

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 18 of Codename: Songbird. I hope you guys enjoyed that double post on Tuesday...I ended up feeling happy about how the story was coming out, so I decided to put up two chapters. But now I will resume the usual posting schedule, which for now will be every two days, so the next new Chapter will be on Saturday. I'm currently writing chapter 33 which is all about the original palace, so I'm having a blast doing that. Hopefully you will all like it when you get to read it. By that point, I'll probably have exceeded fifty chapters on this story. That isn't my goal, but since Persona 5 is a long game, I want to cover every aspect I can. I'm on Chapter 33 right now and I'm dealing with the Fourth and Fifth Palaces, imagine that...after that there will be even more filler, though I will skip ahead to days with important events. I have decided to do two rank ups whenever more than one person hangs out with Takumi. Like said Ren and Ryuji hang out with Takumi, both of them will get a rank up, as he will be telling them about himself, and vise versa. I feel that will make it a lot easier to handle the whole rank up bullshit. But that will only be for members of the Phantom Thieves, everyone else will either have a chapter dedicated to them or part of a chapter.**

 **I still haven't found proper Confidants for the Hierophant, Death, Hanged Man and Wheel of Fortune arcana, and it's really starting to piss me off. I have every other arcana set up, even the Aeon, but not those four. I have no idea who will end up taking those roles, but at this point I don't know if I can even include them. Because I'm getting far into the story, and I won't have time to explore these rank ups fully, unless I shorten them to five ranks instead of ten, which feels like a cop out to me. Ugh...perhaps I shouldn't have included these confidants for Takumi...but it made sense to me too, since it helps him grow stronger as a person and learn to trust others. And I am having fun writing certain characters, especially Toni, who is Takumi's Devil Confidant. I have a lot in store for her in the future, so stay tuned for that.**

 **Also, what would you say to me adding summons to this story? As in, mythological persona that help the main characters in a pinch? Like, I was thinking of having Takumi summon Shiva, she reaches out to him in a point of dire need, like he's about to lose to the palace ruler on the final day of that palace, and she reaches out to him. So for that one instance, he'll be able to command Shiva and her ice attacks. Technically it could work, because Shiva is actually part of Hindu mythology. All of them would be able to contact one of these mythological persona, like Joker could summon anyone, Panther would be able to summon Ifrit of Brynhildr, Mona could summon Bahamut, Fox could summon Shiva, Skull could summon Odin or Ramuh...you know that type of stuff, as long as it fits with their element. For people like Takumi, he obviously has an almighty element, so he can't just summon a god, so he'd likely summon someone like Shiva, who is kind to humans, or Odin who would help them in a pinch. If you hadn't noticed, I just wanted to borrow some elements of Final Fantasy into it, because Final Fantasy and Persona are up there on my list of Top JRPGs of all time, including the Tales series, Pokemon and Legend of Zelda, those are literally my top fives. So let me know what you think of this idea would you? I'd really appreciate it!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter, it might be filler but at least it should be a bit entertaining. It isn't a massive exposition dump, but it isn't boring either in my opinion. I'll let you all decide...see you all later!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 18

Await the Change III: _**Kaneshiro**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday June 29th 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Dome Town**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Wait For the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

To say Takumi was having an awkward time at the park was an understatement. He was honestly glad his friends hadn't come with him, because he wasn't sure how it was going to go. After wrestling with Mitsuhide for an hour, he had finally found a way for her to put on her outfit without the sweater she loved to wear. Ann had settled on a bright red tank top, with flowers around the collar, and small bunnies on the hem. She had grabbed a white satin skirt, and matching white stockings. The final part of the outfit had been a pair of brown boots, which tied the outfit together. The girl however refused to go out without her sweater, so the boy had to tie it around her waist in a knot so tight that she couldn't undo it. She had struggled with it for twenty minutes before finally giving up. He had wanted to put her hair into twin tails but she had just taken them out and left her hair down, settling with a white diadem instead of her usual ribbon.

She was currently sitting at a table by herself, her eyes trained on the wooden surface in front of her. She hadn't said a word, especially after Justine and Caroline had joined the two. The twins had been glancing around with curiosity etched on their faces. Even though she hated to admit it, Caroline had the urge to run around the park and try everything that caught her eyes. Her sister however kept a firm hold of her hand, not wanting to lose sight of her. The two were currently with Takumi, who had been in line to purchase some food from one of the many vendors in Dome Town. The happy cries of the patrons filled the park, along with the sounds of some of the park rides around them.

"I don't mean to worry you Inmate, but it seems your sister is out of place here. Why did you bring her here again?" Justine asked curiously, causing the boy to look down at the girl, meeting her gaze.

"I thought that I could get her to socialize with some of the kids here. But she hasn't talked to anyone...I figured since you two were close to her physical age, that you'd be able to befriend her."

"Heh...why would I bother making friends I'm never gonna see?" Caroline asked curiously. She felt rather nervous without her baton, but she hid it well.

"That isn't the point, don't you two have phones of your own? If you make friends with my sister, you could just talk or text her whenever you had the time."

"My apologies Inmate, we do not have those devices. They could interfere with our work. We do not wish to impede our abilities with helping the Wild Card." Justine replied, earning a frown from the boy.

"Oh...doesn't Igor let you...you know...interact with people? Or are you in the Velvet Room all the time?"

"We go where ever the Wild Card needs us. Whether that's Mementos, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara or anywhere else. We don't have time to just run around like chickens with no heads!" Caroline snapped, looking away from the boy. He turned back to the vendor, taking a hold of the two trays he had been given, walking back to the table with practiced skill.

"You seem to be rather adept with balance. Did you learn how to do that from your acting?"

"I did...one scene from Fleeting Angel 2 had my character working in a diner. So I had to practice balancing platters on my arms, it wasn't fun having to reshoot that stuff whenever I dropped them though." he said, sliding them onto the table. He placed the Takoyaki in front of his sister, who didn't move at the sight of it.

"Hey Inmate, is being in a movie fun?"

"It depends on what movie you're filming, also do you think you could call me Takumi? Inmate sounds a bit degrading...and we should keep that secret." he said. The twins shared a look, giving him a subtle nod, both grabbing their food.

"So, Mitsuhide is it? What do you like to do for fun?" Justine asked curiously, glancing at the ravenette who finally looked up from her food. She had a rather bored expression on her face, her ruby eyes enhancing her boredom.

"I like to read psychology reports. Last week I was reading a particularly fascinating thesis on cognition, written by Wakaba Isshiki. I was very interested in her work, but was saddened to know that she suffered a fatal accident a couple years ago."

"Hehe...what? I thought little girls like you liked playing with dolls!" Caroline cried, taking a gulp from her drink.

"I do not find dolls, or toys to be entertaining. Unless they are made out of porcelain that is. There is something intriguing about those dolls from the 20th century though. They are often sold for high prices however. I believe spending my money on a good book is better than wasting it on a doll." she replied.

"Wow...you're pretty boring."

"Sister, do show some respect. Just because she has varied interests doesn't mean she's a boring person." Justine scolded, earning a frown from her sister.

"It is quite alright, I have been told by a lot of my classmates that I am a boring person. Some of them don't even read the same things that I do...H.G. Wells has piqued my interest recently, did you know he is thought to be the father of Science Fiction?"

"Really?" Takumi asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"Indeed, he wrote various short stories, with science fiction being the most popular genre. I find myself reading a lot of his work during the late hours of the night. One can only read Moby Dick so many times before the book becomes repetitive."

"Moby what?"

"It's a book about a captain who wants to capture a huge white whale. Perhaps you should read it some time...I could...let you borrow it, if you'd like." Mitsuhide said, giving Caroline the faintest of smiles.

"I..guess...I don't read much. Since you are a bit nerdy I think I'll trust your judgment."

"Caroline, it isn't nice calling someone nerdy." Justine scolded firmly, earning a giggle from the girl in question.

"I can tell you two care for each other a lot. Both of you have contrasting personalities, it's like you complete each other. Filling in the gaps in the personality of the other twin. The psychology of twins is a subject I'd like to study in the future, would you be interested in being part of my thesis?" Mitsuhide asked. The twins looked at Takumi, who shrugged at them, too busy with his food to give a proper reply.

"I'm not sure if we would be a good subject. Besides, we are often times...busy with...other stuff. Our master only gives us an allotted window of time to ourselves, not enough for us to be of beneficial use to you."

"Oh...that's fine. I wouldn't want to pressure you into anything you wouldn't be comfortable with. I suppose an initial observation shall suffice, I do know another pair of twins who might be willing to help." the girl replied, focusing back on her food.

" _Gee...this is the most awkward outing I have ever been on."_

" _ **Perhaps it would have been wise to bring one of your friends. Maybe the blonde girl who wears the spandex."**_

" _Why do you say that Eric?"_

" _ **She seems like the outgoing type. Having a female companion to help you deal with three girls would be a lot better. Wouldn't you say?"**_ Eric asked, causing the boy to purse his lips.

"Even though this is rather simple, I must say it's quite delicious. Is this a staple in all amusement parks?" Justine asked curiously.

"I suppose...they usually have Takoyaki and various variants at parks and festivals. Me and Ayumi used to eat these a lot when we were younger...when my father was still married to Erica." he replied.

"Do you hate your father?" Caroline asked curiously, causing the boy to choke on his drink. He coughed a few times, grabbing one of the napkins on the tray.

"Um...that was a...sudden question."

"One that requires an answer I'm afraid. It will help in understanding your...situation." the blonde girl replied. Mitsuhide looked up from her food, having set the picks that had been skewered through the Takoyaki balls.

"Is you must know how I feel about that detestable man, than I shall tell you. He is the worst kind of human on the world, he abandoned my mother, knowing that she was pregnant. Not only that, he supposedly set out an account for my future, and then retracted it without another word. He is a disgusting roach who values money more than family, as if money will buy him happiness. He went as far as ruining my brother's acting career. I wish him nothing but misfortune for the rest of his natural life. I detest him, and I never wish to meet him, ever." the girl said, venom lacing each word.

"Hatred isn't a good emotion to convey Mitsuhide. Yes, he isn't the best father in the world, in fact he is a scumbag in my eyes. But the first step toward achieving true happiness is to forgive him. Not for what he did, but for you...you have to forgive him, so you can let go of it. I fear if you keep holding onto these feelings, they will contaminate you for the rest of your life." Justine said, causing the girl to look at her.

"That is something I am not ready to do yet. If anything he should apologize to me, for abandoning me and my mom. For not caring about any of us, for practically ruining our lives. He was the cause of my mom's misfortune for the last six months and the one that almost lead her to death. Why the fuck should I apologize to him?" she snapped angrily.

"Mitsu, calm down. It's alright, I'm sure Justine didn't mean to work you up like this. But she is right...I don't think you'll be able to accept yourself if you don't let go of him. Trust me...I was able to realize a lot of things once I realized I was just his tool. If you cut those ties, then you'll be much happier." Takumi said.

"My apologies, I seem to have lost my calm there. I do not have what it takes to let go of that right now. I hate him...but I also love him, he is my father, I cannot fully detest him. Yes, I detest his actions...but he is still father." the girl replied.

"Hey, maybe we should go on some rides yeah? We can only stick to the kiddie rides but those are still fun. Wanna go on some bumper cars? Or through the house of mirrors?" Caroline asked, doing her best to cheer the girl up.

"I would like that...perhaps I could give you a recommendation for some books."

"Sure, you like manga right? Sometimes our master let's us read some when we're helping him. There's this really good one about vampires that I am totally into." the blonde girl said.

"Is it about a boy that's a werewolf and he's in love with the queen of vampires, a blonde girl named Mina?"

"Yes that's the one. Oh, I've been dying to talk with someone who's read it. Don't tell my sister, but she has zero taste when it comes to literature...she carries a bookmark around but doesn't bother buying a book. Like what's up with that?" she asked, earning a small smile from the ravenette.

"Well, there's some progress I guess. Would you mind hanging out with my sister whenever you two wanna spend time here?"

"Yes, I believe interacting with her will be beneficial for us. There is something in her that strikes out to me. She has potential for greatness, I sense the power of the Moon within her."

"The Moon...you mean an arcana? She's a potential confidant for me?" he asked. Justine gave him a nod.

"She still has a mask over her eyes...until she is able to rip that mask off, she will be unable to tap into that power. If you keep bonding with her, you might be able to rip that mask off herself. If not, you shall do it for her." she said. The boy glanced at his sister and Caroline, who were both avidly chatting while waiting for the Bumper cars.

"I'll be sure to help her, it's the duty of a big brother after all."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Are you having fun today Mitsu?" Takumi asked, earning a shy nod from the nine year old. Justine and Caroline had left them back at Dome Town, saying they had to return to their master. Justine seemed content with her experience in the amusement park, and Caroline was happy to have a friend in Mitsuhide. He could tell both their demeanor had changed in just the four hours they had spent together.

But once they had left, Mitsuhide had returned almost to her shy reclusive self. He remembered what Justine had told him, that she had the potential to become one of his confidants. He didn't exactly know what she could contribute to his double life as a Phantom Thief, and he didn't want to tell her about that life. She was intelligent, so he knew that she could teach him things, including how to make potential infiltration tools. He was still a bit disappointed in his friends not having actual smoke grenades. The stuff that Joker carried around was something called Stealthinol, which lowered a Palace's security level when they were spotted. But it didn't aid in losing a shadow once it had spotted you. He needed something like that in case he was seen, especially because he was the scout and he was ahead of everyone. He frowned, knowing he couldn't exactly broach the topic with his sister.

"Big brother...why are we going to Akihabara? I thought you didn't want me to go to the bookstore?" Mitsuhide asked, genuine curiosity on her face. He ruffled her hair, giving her a smile.

"We're gonna meet with Kanami today. I haven't seen her since before what happened with that bastard Kaneshiro. You guys spent a couple of weeks with her and I didn't visit her or Rise once, so I wanted to hangout with them."

"Oh...will we have to eat Rise's food?"

"Absolutely not...just try to avoid that topic with her. If she offers you anything, politely refuse. And if she insists, use the plastic bag I gave you when we boarded the train." he said, earning a nod from his sister.

" _ **Akihabara Station, Next Stop Akihabara Station. The doors will open on the left."**_ the announcer called out, causing the boy to stand up. Mitsuhide took a hold of his hand, grabbing it tightly as the train came to a stop. They followed the stream of people all being dumped into the station.

Once outside, they arrived in Electric Town. It was lively as always in the Anime Capital of the World, but today he didn't have an interest in anything. He just wanted to keep walking ahead toward his sister's apartment. He remembered, the last time had been in Akihabara had been for his meeting with Ryoutaro Shimizu. The man who would be directing the movie, When Idol's Fly, a romance movie starring Kanami Mashita and Akihiko Shouji. He still reeled knowing that he prideful young man had taken his role because of his venture into the Metaverse. While he was disappointed, he was also kinda glad he was saved from that. There was something off about Shimizu, something that he didn't like but he had no information. Now that he knew how the MetaNav worked, he knew that the man had a palace. He had filled two of the three keywords for entering it. But he didn't know what the palace was or if it was even a mistake. The man looked outwardly friendly, but behind that mask there was something odd, something he didn't yet understand.

He had heard rumors about a director being a bit too harsh on his actors. But nothing really stood out to him, the industry was filled with hardened directors. He remembered an interview with an American actress, Tippi Hedren, being tortured by the director of _The Birds_ on set with actual seagulls and crows, so much so that she developed a fear for them. There were some allegations of sexual harassment too but he wasn't sure if that was true at all. He didn't want to jump to conclusions, being a Phantom Thief meant he couldn't ignore it, especially because of what he had discovered already. If he wanted proof he would have to wait until the Change of Heart with Kaneshiro before making an actual move. He would have to run it by Joker of course, but with Finals being so close, he doubted he could get the approval to search for another palace. He was on his own on this front, at least on for now.

He reached his sister's apartment complex not long after. He had been texting Rise for the last half hour, telling her that he would be arriving soon. He waved at the receptionist as he walked toward the elevator, leading his sister inside since it was still open. He hit the fourth floor button and the doors slid closed. Mitsuhide started tugging at her sweater, still struggling to undo the knot, but she just couldn't get her fingers under it. Takumi smirked as he saw his sister struggling, patting her head.

"Sorry sis, but that's an Alpine Butterfly knot. There's a trick to getting it free, but I'm not telling you. You aren't wearing that until we get home."

"Big brother, we are in an air conditioned building. You know Kanami likes seeing her own breath inside her house. I do not have fur like her cat Juvia, so I require this sweater to keep my arms warm. You are the one who insisted I wear this sleeveless shirt."

"You look cute in this outfit and that sweater will throw it off. Come on sis, why is it that you hate wearing stuff like this?" he asked, just as the doors slid open. He walked past the a package delivery man, who bowed his head as he walked past, earning a nod in return from the boy.

"I...do not feel warm in these clothes...this sweater makes me feel like I'm being hugged. I only met grandfather a few times before he passed away, I feel like he's hugging me whenever I wear it." she said in earnest, earning a frown from the boy.

"I...wasn't aware sweetie...you should have told me. Still you can't wear the sweater all the time. Especially in the summer...tell ya what...if you are inside, you can wear it. But when we go outside, you gotta take it off okay?" he asked.

"I agree to those terms...I suppose it does get too toasty when I am outdoors." she said. He smiled, grabbing a hold of one of the sleeves. He gave it a firm tug, grabbing a hold of the other sleeve as he pulled, undoing the knot.

"There you go...want help putting it on?"

"I can manage." Mitsuhide replied, quickly putting the sweater on, pulling her long raven locks from inside. She smiled contently, wrapping her arms around herself.

" _ **She's quite fond of that sweater."**_

" _I was like that at her age, I had one of my mom's nightgowns with me all the time. I couldn't wear it, but just holding it made it feel like she was with me. It's shame that my dad tossed it, the asshole."_ he thought, heading down the hall, finally reaching Kanami and Rise's apartment. He rung the bell a couple times, stepping away from the door.

" _I really hope Rise doesn't insist on making lunch. That shit will kill me."_

" _ **I surely doubt it...hang on a second...this is strange."**_

" _Huh? What's wrong Eric? Do you sense something nearby? The Metaverse? A shadow?"_

" _ **Indeed, I sense a familiar power...the Power of the Empress and the Power of the Lovers...but they are unlike the two you have met."**_

" _But that means...a Persona user? It can't be...Kanami isn't a Persona user...is she?"_ he asked, before Eric could reply, the door opened...and he was pulled into a tight embrace, his face buried in a soft pair of breasts.

"Oh my god, Takumi look at you! You're all grown up!" the sweet voice of Rise Kujikawa cried. The boy pushed himself back, taking a deep breath.

"Jeez, you certainly grew since the last time we saw each other." he said, panting a big. The auburn haired girl giggled, shaking her head.

"Sorry, you know how I am with hugs." she replied.

Rise looked just like she had the last time he had seen her. Her hair was still in it's normal style, two high ponytails and side swept bangs. She was wearing a sleeveless orange shirt with some sequins around the collar, and some white flower petals around the hem. She was also wearing a pair of dark brown Capri pants and brown sandals. It was a casual look, one that he hadn't seen in awhile.

"Yes, I remember...as I said, I brought Mitsu with me. We just came from Dome Town and thought we would pop in."

"Well, I'm glad you did. Hey there Mitsu, I'm happy to see you again, how's my favorite little sister doing?"

"I'm quite well, thank you for asking. I see you are still as peppy as usual, you must be happy about something." Mitsuhide said, earning a grin from the girl.

"I am happy about something, one of my friends from Inaba managed to get a week off from work. So she's spending it here in Tokyo with me...I've had some recent issues with someone dear to me so I'm glad she's here. Come on in, we can't keep talking out here after all." she said, allowing the two inside.

"Holy shit, are you trying to make it snow in here?"

"Yeah, that's all Kanami's fault. She broke the thermostat so now we have to deal with 45 degree cold air blasting 24/7. Thankfully since I'm from a mountain town, I'm used to the cold. The same can't be said for Yukiko however." she said, pointing toward the couch.

A shivering young woman sat there, her entire body being wrapped by a blanket. She had a beautiful complexion, bright eyes and lovely features that would melt the hearts of anyone who looked in her direction. Her long black hair was being held back by a crimson ribbon, as that was her favorite color. Her focus had been on the flat screen mounted to the wall, but as soon as she saw the brown haired actor, she shot to her feet, giving the boy a hug.

"Takumi, it's been forever since we last saw each other. Look at how tall you are now!"

"Hey Yuki, it has been awhile. Still a fan of red I see." he said, gesturing to the crimson sweater she was wearing. She was wearing a black pleated skirt and long black stockings, which did nothing against the cold.

"Red is my color, you know that better than anyone. Who's this? Your little sister perhaps?" she asked, causing Mitsuhide to shy behind her brother.

"Yeah...this is my half sister Mitsuhide. Mitsu, this is Yukiko Amagi, she's one of my friends from Inaba. Remember? Her Inn was featured in Fleeting Angel 2, that's actually how we met." he said.

"I do recall that...you are very beautiful, far more beautiful than in the pictures I have seen." she said, now being a little more confident. The girl flushed a bit, rubbing her neck in embarrassment.

"Thank you sweetie, I've never been called beautiful by someone so young before. You're so cute though, and you're wearing a sweater too, do you hate the cold?"

"Indeed, I just detest the freezing temperatures...and it's an aspect of Kanami that I truly despise. It seems as if she enjoys physically torturing people with the cold, while she mentally tortures us with her dry sense of humor." she said. Yukiko burst into laughter, clutching her sides as she fell down on the couch, her voice echoing throughout the house.

"Nice one, you got her into one of her laughing fits. It's gonna take a minute for her to settle down. In the mean time, there's something I'd like you to try."

"Is it food? Because if it is, we already ate." Takumi said, trying to dodge the metaphorical grenade the idol had tossed at him.

"Aw...but I made your favorite. I know you like curry so I pulled all of the stops and made some. Come on, at least try it...it isn't that bad." she said, giving him a pout.

"I agree, you should try her food...well her curry at least. It's the only thing she's improved on." Yukiko said, finally recovered from her laughing fit. The boy faced her, quirking a brow.

"This coming from the girl who put corn starch in curry and made an assassination attempt on her two friends?" he asked.

"Hey, I just wanted to thicken it up."

"Yeah, well it does that on its own. That's what the curry mix is for, corn starch shouldn't be anywhere near curry. Before I start, let me go through the rudimentary list, did you add corn starch?"

"Nope and before you ask, no there are no hot peppers, coffee flavored milk, salt, pepper flakes, black pepper, sea cucumber, octopus, squid ink, chocolate powder and there are no snails in it either." she replied.

"Anyone eating that would be lucky to survive the nuclear bomb that curry would be. How you could think those things sound remotely delectable is beyond my comprehension. Making curry with those ingredients is a crime against nature."

"Don't be so harsh Mitsu. I assure you, she didn't add any of that stuff either, trust me. We've been working on her cooking skills, mine have improved quite a lot since I graduated high school. Just try it would you?" Yukiko asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Fine...Mitsu, be ready to dial 119 if something happens." he said, earning a nod from the girl. She flicked her phone open, her thumb hovering over the numbers. The boy followed Rise into the kitchen, where she plated the curry and rice she had made for him. She handed it to him along with a spoon.

"Well, here it is." she said.

"Hmm...no dark toxic cloud...alright, I'll give you the benefit of the doubt." Takumi replied, setting the plate down on the counter. He took a deep breath, muttering a prayer before shoveling some curry and rice into his mouth.

He had been expecting nothing more than the dark oblivion and death exploding over his tongue. But instead, he was greeted with the sweet and spicy taste of the most amazing curry he had ever had. Everything was perfectly balanced, it wasn't too spicy, or too sweet. The fact that he went in for a second bite was surprising. He'd usually be convulsing on the floor, but he had to admit, this curry was the best thing he had ever tasted. He finished it after a couple of minutes, setting the spoon down on the empty plate, turning to face the idol.

"I don't know what to say, it was just so...indescribable. All of the flavors were well controlled. The sweetness balanced out the spiciness. It wasn't too salty, and it wasn't bland either. All of the vegetables were perfectly sauteed...it was honestly one of the best dishes I have ever tried. So, where did you buy it?"

"I didn't...I made this myself. While I was recording Sapphire, I wanted to learn some new skills. I can't be an idol forever and I wanted to be a good future house wife. So I got myself a cooking instructor and he taught me the best he could. He had to develop a special plan for me, in the end I didn't learn anything new, except for making the best curry in all of Japan, according to him." she replied, a proud smile on her face.

"It's become a staple back at the Inn. Last time she was in Inaba, we were understaffed, and she volunteered to make the curry. I was scared of giving the guests a plate of death, but she surprised me. So much so that she had to leave the recipe behind so that mom could make it. It's a huge hit now." Yukiko added.

"Huh...that's so weird...so you suck at literally everything else except making curry. I dunno if I should laugh or pat you on the back...still this is amazing. What does your boyfriend think of it?"

"About that...I'm not sure if you've heard, but I've taken another hiatus from recording. I know I just came back from Inaba not that long ago, but my last visit wasn't easy. My grandmother isn't as young as she used to be, and she's been bedridden for awhile, so mother had to step in to watch the store. On top of everything else, I was hired to star in some commercials and was planning a world wide tour. But I had to put it all on hold for now." she replied, bowing her head a bit.

"I'm sorry to hear that Rise...I know how much you love being an idol. I'm sad to hear Grandma Kujikawa is sick." the boy said, placing a hand over hers.

"It's just how life is...she's getting close to her nineties now. The doctors are saying she may recover from this, but there's a chance that she'll succumb to the sickness. Me and Yu have been having a rocky relationship for awhile, since he can't visit so often due to his work."

"He's an Interpol agent right? Along with Detective Shirogane, solving cases all over the world. He's a busy man." Takumi replied, leaning back against the counter.

"Rise wanted to settle down and start a family. She and Yu had been talking about it, but he didn't want to quit his job. He said there are too many people suffering in the world and he didn't want to abandon them. It's a noble gesture, but a trying one as well. The last time we were all together in Inaba, all they did was argue, so much so that Chie had to step in, and lord knows what happens when she gets mad." Yukiko said, making the boy shudder.

"Yeah...she beat up that camera man because he panned up your skirt too much. I know all too well." Takumi said.

"So...what happened to Yu then?" Mitsuhide asked curiously.

"Well...I asked him if there was a chance he could settle down in Tokyo and work for the regular police. They are investigating the Phantom Thieves after all, his help would be greatly needed. But he didn't want too...so we had a falling out."

"You broke up?" the brown haired actor asked, shocked at the news. She gave him a nod, a frown on her face.

"We just couldn't see eye to eye. We love each other, I'm not gonna deny the last seven years weren't the best ones in my life. But between me being an idol, and now potentially having to take over my grandmother's tofu shop, and him being gone from Japan, we just couldn't make it work. I hear he's dating Naoto now, so I'm happy for him. I just want to heal from all of this before considering anything for the future." she replied.

"Oh...Rise, I'm so sorry. I know how much you loved him, just know that if you ever need to talk, I'm there for you. You're like my sister, anyone who can handle Kanami is part of the family too. Speaking of, where is she?"

"Jadis and Associates, where else? She had to film some more scenes for Shimizu's movie." the girl replied, causing the boy to look across the dwelling, out the panoramic windows. He could barely see the building from where he stood.

"She was acting a bit odd about it too...saying something about being late again. I have no idea what happens to her if she's late, but she's been acting a lot more...anxious. Is that the right word?" Yukiko asked.

"More like nervous and anxious. Kanami never bites her nails and recently she's been doing that a lot. I even caught her smoking the other day, _smoking_ **.** Can you believe that?" Rise cried, sweeping her bangs out of her eyes.

"Perhaps it's the stress of filming? It is well known that actors sometimes have trouble dealing with the pressures of a filming schedule." Mitsuhide suggested.

"Even then, I doubt it's that. She's been in movies before, remember the one she was in last year? She seemed super happy with how that one came out. I guess I'm gonna have to talk to her when I get the chance. I haven't checked to see if her ribs healed."

"Huh...what are you talking about?" Rise asked, looking a bit concerned.

"You...never noticed? The way she clutched her side? I stayed here for one night after I came back from Japan. As I was walking to the bathroom, I passed by her bedroom and she was changing. Yeah, call me a pervert if you want but it was just a glance, I saw a bruise on her side...it was pretty big too."

"She said that was from a table...I haven't noticed anything new though."

"Whatever the case, we should talk to her about this. If she gets hurt on set then she has to tell Shimizu that she can't go to work. After all, he is the director of that film." Yukiko added, causing Takumi to narrow his eyes.

"I dunno...there's something off about that guy. He was so outward and friendly when we met, but when I was late to set, he screamed at me. Not just that, he threw a prop orange at a girl for getting his coffee order wrong."

"He was probably stressed...for someone who makes two movies a year, and films them in a single month, it has to be stressful, right?" Rise asked curiously, earning a shrug from the boy.

"Yeah, I heard he films everything in as few takes as possible. It's also what makes his films so amazing. The fact that everything is well scripted and acted out with such passion, all in one take."

"I suppose...maybe the nice and friendly aura he displays is just a persona, a mask that he wears to hide his true form." the boy said, rather seriously. The two girls shared a look, surprised to hear him say something like that, something that didn't go unnoticed by the boy.

"Maybe...anyway, you came to hang out right? Go wait in the living room while I get some snacks ready. You and Yukiko can catch up, tell her about your boyfriend Yukiko."

"What? The Princess of the Amagi in finally has a man in her life? No fuckin way."

"We've been dating for a year now, I thought you already knew this? Come on, you already met him. Don't you remember? That boy Alex who worked at Junes?" she asked, causing the young actor to pause for a moment.

"Hmm...you mean the kid from America? Who joined Yasoinaba High when you were a third year...that kid? Isn't he like too young for you?"

"Not really, he's only four years younger than me. He used to skate around town and always tried his best not to bump into me. He had a loner vibe to him so I got to know him and well...the rest is history." she said.

"Ah...so you finally found the right man to be with. Does that mean you'll be engaging in adult activities soon?"

"What? Takumi have you been telling your little sister naughty things?" Rise cried, almost slamming the refrigerator door closed.

"She's a child prodigy, smart and wise beyond her years. Do you actually think she doesn't know about adult situations? Besides it wasn't mean, she was the one who started reading sex ed books." he said, brushing the girl off. Yukiko fought the fierce blush that had formed on her face.

"A proper young lady shouldn't ask things like that. Besides, I'm too young to start thinking about marriage. He wants to go to college, so he's been saving up for that. I'm just trying to spend all the time I can with him, before he decides to leave Inaba. It's gonna be rather lonely without him."

"Aw come on Yukiko, let's not all start getting depressed now. Alex will still love you and visit you whenever he can. In fact, I think he's going to study here in Tokyo. So whenever you get a week off or can make the trip, you are welcome to visit." Rise said, setting down a tray on the coffee table. She handed Takumi a blue bottle, a smirk on her face.

"You're giving me a big boy drink? You know how much trouble you could get in giving me this?"

"Are you gonna snitch?" she asked, giggling a bit. He twisted the cap off, taking a sip from the drink.

"No...I guess not. Don't tell mom about this okay Mitsu? And I'll buy you the second series for Dance in the Vampire Bund." he said.

"Okay, I shall withhold this information from all prying ears. None shall learn this secret, for I shall keep it until the end of time." she replied, wrapping her pinkie around his.

" _ **This will be good, I can still sense power from them. Try to extract information while they're inebriated. But try not to loose yourself, I'll see if I can identify something."**_

" _Alright I guess...this has been bothering me for awhile now, ever since you brought it up. Okay! Time to get these two good and drunk."_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday June 29**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Central Street(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **xxx**_

In the end, Takumi failed in getting Rise or Yukiko to the point where they'd start giggling at the dumbest thing possible. He figured it was due to Mitsuhide being there that they held back. But there was a nagging feeling in his mind. There was something Rise and Yukiko were hiding from him, something that his Persona was able to pick up on. If it felt exactly like the Priestess and the Lovers arcana to him that meant that the two of them were Persona users. It was a theory, but if it was true, then that meant the two could be potential Phantom Thieves, or even the Criminals Kaneshiro's shadow had alluded too. He didn't want to think of his two friends being criminals, they just didn't fit the bill. Yukiko and Rise had been friends with him since Fleeting Angel 1 was being filmed, and he never got a feeling of evil from either.

He'd have to figure it out at some point. What was more worrying was what Kanami was going through. She had been acting weird, but since she was too busy at work, he hadn't been able to probe her for information. If she was acting anxious or nervous around her friends, then something was definitely wrong, but he didn't have time to figure anything out. He just had to put everything on the back burner and focus on Kaneshiro for now. He was growing annoyed and stressed with how everything was flowing along, but he would have to wait.

Mitsuhide had gotten rather tired throughout the day, and he had decided to bring her home. Of course, she just made an excuse to go home and start reading the sequel manga to Dance in the Vampire Bund. He had decided to buy her the series as a reward for going out and breaking out of her normal routine. She did promise to go out more whenever she had the chance, for now it was progress. She wasn't exactly different, but she wasn't the same either and even making friends with Caroline and Justine was better than being alone. He just hoped the twins could get along with Mitsuhide and become real friends with her, which was why he had gone through the trouble of getting the two of them cellphones so they could speak with her whenever they had the time. He was sure that was going to make the two more easy going, or at least Justine, who in his opinion was the calm and rational twin. The boy was currently in Shibuya's Central Street, waiting for his friend Ren who he had called there after his meeting with Yukiko and Rise. He had a few things to discuss with Morgana, and the cat couldn't get to Shibuya on his own. He had been waiting at the diner, having taken the time to study for the upcoming finals. He glanced up, seeing his frizzy haired friend making his way to his table.

"Hey...I got your message. So you just wanted to study?" the boy asked, sliding into the seat across from him.

"No...I need to speak with Morgana, I have some things to do afterwards which is why I couldn't go to Yongen."

"It's fine, I had to step out while my maid handled some house work." he said.

"You...have a maid?"

"Let's not get into that right now, it's kinda weird. Anyway, what did you wanna talk about?" Morgana asked, sticking his head slightly out of Ren's bag. Takumi set aside his work, placing his hands on the table.

"It's about our personas. I know that they are the insecurities within us, that we have accepted, and lend us power. I also know that each one of us has a particular arcana attributed to them. I wanna know...is it possible for more than one person to have a persona of the same arcana?" he asked curiously.

"Um...I'm not exactly sure. Why do you ask?"

"Well...I may have met someone who might be a Persona user...two of them in fact. It's hard to explain, but the Phantom told me that they had the power of the Empress and the power of the Lovers." He replied. Morgana and Ren shared a look, both of them confused.

"I'm still a little new to this...as far as I know, Morgana was the first one with a Persona, but I awakened to mine on my first day of school here. Soon after, it was Ryuji, Ann then Yusuke, you and Makoto. I am aware about the attributed arcana to each of our friends. Sadly I don't have a lot of information on the subject."

"Damn it...I was hoping that wasn't the case...I only ask because this ties into that criminal Kaneshiro's shadow talked about. If Phantom was able to sense the power of Personas on other people...does that mean this criminal can also use the same power? And if so, how long have they been in the Metaverse, messing with people's palaces?" Takumi asked.

"That's a good question...for as long as I remember, I was the only one in the Metaverse. But that doesn't mean people haven't ventured inside, especially if they got the app on their phones. You and your sister managed to make it into Mementos the same way, after all. Ren and Ryuji are the same, they just stumbled into Kamoshida's palace." Morgana replied.

"That is rather dangerous...that means anyone anywhere could go into a palace. I believe...whoever this criminal is, he or she might be the one responsible for the Psychotic Breakdowns and Mental Shutdowns. Think about it, if you kill someone's shadow, they lose all desire, meaning they'll die without proper medical care. This all started two years ago, who knows how long this place has been around?"

"You have a point...we have to be careful inside those palaces. We could be followed or worse, even killed in there. You know how cognition changes inside a person, if fake guns work as real ones, there is a risk of death inside. Let's hope nothing like that happens." Ren said earning a nod from the boy.

"I guess I'll just keep searching around for clues. Maybe I'll be able to find more people with the potential, the more help we have, the easier traversing through palaces it'll be. And we'll have more people in case that criminal has friends. I don't think it's a single person, it might be more than one. Too many variables, too many palaces, too many targets. One person alone cannot handle that on their own." Takumi said, leaning back in his seat.

"Hey Takumi...do you think if we keep exploring palaces and solving the riddles of Mementos, we'll find the answers we're looking for?"

"Sure, Mementos is the biggest enigma right now. It's because if your amnesia right? You wanna know who you are? I have some advice for you Morgana...try not to worry. I know you are scared, because you want to know who you are, or what you are. But worrying about those memories will only make you sick, they'll come soon. We just gotta press on okay?"

"I know...but I just want to be human again...so I can tell her exactly how I feel." he replied. Ren rolled his eyes, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"I don't wanna be a pessimist but, what if you are just a cat in the end? Will you...be okay?" Takumi asked. Morgana glanced down at the table, ears twitching a bit.

"I know deep down that I am human, but I can't discard that possibility too. If...if I am just a cat, there is nothing I can do. I'll just continue trudging on, besides once a Phantom Thief, always a Phantom Thief, I always say. Just as long as we all stay friends, I'll be fine." he said, a smile on his face.

"No worries then...even if some people find it odd, I'll always be your friend, for as long as you have me. People will just have to get used to me talking to a cat all the time. I've decided to be a Phantom Thief, all the way to the bitter end, so I'm going to help you regain your lost memories and become human again. We'll discover the secrets of Mementos together, so as long as you navigate me and everyone else, I'll do my best to fight off the shadows."

"I appreciate that Takumi, thank you...I'm glad that we're friends!"

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Magician Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Magician)xxx**_

"Hey Takumi, you have pretty good judgment on certain things. What would you get the girl you like as a gift?" the black feline asked, earning a curious look from the young actor.

"I dunno...it depends on the girl. Flowers and chocolates are a classic way of telling a girl you like them. But it makes more of an impact if you make the chocolates yourself, I happen to be quite good in that department. As for flowers, Roses aren't a bad choice, but I like to make it vary. If the girl I like has a bright personality, I'll get her some sunflowers...that way it'll brighten up their day, and if they're really bored, they can eat the seeds." he said.

"Hmm...not bad, I shall commit that to memory! I'm sure Lady Ann will appreciate my gesture! Ren, let's stop at the flower shop before we go home, I wanna look around!"

"If you say so." the frizzy haired boy said, earning a chuckle from Takumi.

"Come on, get anything you like, my treat." he said, a happy smile on his face.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 2)**_


	19. Await the Change IV: Kaneshiro

**A/N:**

 _ **Ahem**_ **...well..I just finished my first and second playthrough of a little gem called Doki Doki Literature Club...let's just say this game fucked me up, beyond what I was expecting. I had heard rumors about this game, but I never bothered trying it, I wholeheartedly recommend this game...10/10 would play again, and I have too because I'm not done with it...but if you like cute dating sims...it's for you...I'm not gonna spoil anything, it's best if you play it yourself, it's free on Steam, so hey, you got nothing to lose, except your sanity...  
**

 **I officially welcome you to Chapter 19 of Codename Songbird! This will be the last filler chapter in the Kaneshiro arc, as we will start moving on toward the Medjed arc of the story, you will also start to see the stuff for the original palace that will be simultaneously explored with Futaba's Palace. I'm still not going to reveal who it is, but I have left subtle hints as to who it might be, hell even back as early as chapter five I dropped the hint, so you'll finally get to see that stuff start. You also get to see me put Kanami through hell as she will be a major part of this arc. I have also decided to introduce a character much earlier in the story, though they will only be in this arc for a little while as they won't come back until the next palace infiltration.**

 **Yes...I have been struggling on deciding who Takumi will date, I don't want to make all my characters seem scummy for dating two girls, because that shit never happens in real life and when it does...let's face it...it doesn't happen to you. And if it does, fuck you...but yeah...it's been challenging...so this is going to work similarly to my Through the Looking Glass story, where every love interest will get their confession chapter...they will also get Christmas, Valentine's Day and another special day where more kinky stuff will happen, though that will most likely be on Christmas...I'm most likely not gonna add anything to differentiate characters from the main pairing in the main story...but so far I have two characters that will be paired up with Takumi, despite me trying my goddamn hardest not to make it that way. I just can't avoid it, they fit too well with Takumi for me not to pair them up, but all the other confidants that are female, minus Mitsuhide and Erica will be available to romance...that's right review section, everyone...including Ayumi and Kanami and eventually Lavenza...I'm a sick fuck aren't I? Well...they aren't blood related to the FBI can't do shit!**

 **But anyway...I leave you with this chapter...I would like to thank Samantha Vi Tenebris for helping me find a suitable person for the Death arcana, more on that as I write the story, at this point she will not be revealed until after Medjed is taken care of, around chapter forty or so...I just started 37 not that long ago, so yeah, we're getting up there in the chapters...Jesus, 37 chapters and it hasn't even been a month since I posted this...I guess I have a really good work ethic...that or I just have no social life...hehe...that's a life, I have an active social life, just asked my stuffed animals and my cat...they don't judge me...no one judges me...no, I'm not crazy, put the phone down, there's no need to call the Psyche Ward, I know my way there already...**

 **So...here is, Chapter 19 in all of it's uncensored delicious glory...I will now return to the voice, where me and Monika will discuss various topics while she enjoys tea and...I plot to kill myself, despite knowing that I in fact cannot escape, because Monika is my everything now...peace!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 19

Await the Change IV: _**Kaneshiro**_

 _ **Date: Friday July 8th 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Wait For the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi really didn't like morning study hall. It made him anxious, especially due to the unnatural silence in the room. He wasn't up for studying anything, as he had already reviewed what little notes he had from the current term. Thanks to Ren and Ann, he had been able to get everything he had missed since the beginning of the school year, so he was confident he would do fine during his final exams. It was the fact that Kaneshiro's Deadline was the next day that was making him nervous. He was tapping his pencil on his notebook, trying to focus on one of his many doodles. He wasn't exactly the best artist, but with time he could make a near perfect sketch of someone. The sun was shining outside, and he had the urge to ditch afternoon classes just so he could salvage his sanity. But since he had already skipped a day the week before, he knew Makoto would ride his ass if he tried to ditch again.

The past week was spent with him either focusing on house work with Erica, hanging out with Ayumi or his friends, and reviewing his homework. But as July 9th was approaching, he had dropped everything, his nervousness having gotten the best of him. Some people had started saying that he was jittering all the time because he had run out of heroin to inject and didn't want to go back to rehab. Others were saying he was using cocaine and that's why he was bouncing around sometimes. No one knew that it was because there was a hit on his family, no one knew that everything hinged on a Change of Heart that potentially wouldn't happen. Nobody would know, that Takumi Mashita was a Phantom Thief who was anxious to see a criminal come clean, so he could get some peace of mind. Ryuji leaned back in his seat, glancing over his shoulder, a concerned look on his face.

"Hey man, are you good? You look...well you look nervous." he said softly.

"That's because I am...tomorrow's the deadline man. You can't blame me for being anxious, especially with what's at stake." he said replied. Ryuji nodded, turning himself slightly without the teacher noticing.

"I get it...I was just like you when Kamoshida was gonna get his change of heart. We had until May 2nd, or else me, Ren and Mishima would get expelled. It was nerve racking, and all I could to to focus was play video games or talk with Ren. Trust me, this is the first time jitters, once he has his change of heart, you'll be fine."

"But it isn't assured man...I just don't want to lose my family...or my life. I mean, he did send me all of that money back plus interest, but you know...he could still be acting all like a mob boss." Takumi replied. Ryuji frowned, glancing at the notebook he had been using. He noticed some words written on it, separated into stanzas, at least in his view. He took a hold of the notebook, reading what he had written.

"What is this? Poetry?"

"No...it's a song that I wrote. I'm not a musician or anything, but I have written a few songs in the past. Before you ask, no I'm not a good singer and no I'm not gonna sing it for you." he replied. The spiky haired teen rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't gonna ask you to sing it...this isn't a theme song is it? Ann already wrote one for us and it's kind of embarrassing."

"No...it isn't a theme song. It was just...a song about betrayal, being backstabbed by the one you love...that sort of thing." Takumi replied, glancing toward the window.

"Don't panic, no not yet...

I know I'm the one you want to forget.

Cue all the love to leave my heart,

it's time for me to fall apart.

Now you're gone

But I'll be okay

Your hot whisky eyes

Have fanned the flames

Maybe I'll burn A little Brighter tonight

Let the fire breathe me back to life."

"So? What do you think?" Takumi asked, once the blond had sent the notebook down.

"Not bad, I can tell it's heartfelt. Is this from real life?"

"As far as I can tell...no. This is mostly based on my mom, Erica I mean. She was in love with my father, and she was practically abandoned by him. This is the song a woman would sing if the man of her dreams turned into a backstabber and held a gun to her head, after he was meant to use that gun to protect her." he replied. He noticed a few of his classmates were muttering things among themselves, a few even recording him. He sighed, knowing those videos would end up on social media somewhere, it wouldn't be long until someone was talking about it.

"You sure you aren't lying about having a girlfriend? Because this isn't the kind of stuff you get from someone else. This sounds personal."

"Like I said before Ryuji...I've never had a girlfriend. There was this girl once, when I was thirteen. My father tried to force me into marrying her when we were of age. She was my fiancee, her father would leave her with us for days on end so we could get to know each other. I could tell she was just...miserable with her life. It was pretty sad...she was my only friend during that time. She would always talk about how her mom meant so much to her, and how her father changed when she passed away. We had a lot in common, but one day I told my father that she was just my friend, so he got mad and called the fiancee thing off. That was the last time I ever saw her."

"Was she cute?" his friend asked, earning a sigh from the brown haired actor.

"She was...she had really long hair too, down to her waist. It was pink...was it pink? I don't even remember. We tried to keep in touch, but my father took my phone and deleted all of her contact...what the hell was her name again? Haruna I think?" he said, glancing at the ceiling.

"Haruna...that sounds like such a gross name. She wasn't fat was she?"

"No asshole...and even if she was, so what? As long as a persona has a beautiful personality and an awesome sense of humor, I'll give them a chance. A woman should feel empowered, no matter what they look like. Any man that judges them based on their looks, weight or preferences isn't dignified to be a man, and they shouldn't get a say in how a person should look. That's just objectifying a person and making them feel bad, all because they don't fit a goddamn list." he replied, leaning back in his seat.

"That is a very fascinating view point, Mr. Mashita, but if you are going to talk instead of study, would you mind keeping it down to a whisper? That would be much appreciated." Ms. Chuno said, earning a flush from the boy, who sunk in his seat.

"Sorry Miss, I'll keep quiet." he said, earning a nod from his teacher, who returned back to her work. Or at least that's what he thought, since she had been looking at her phone for half the class instead of grading papers.

"Still though, your father picking a wife for you...that's messed up. It should be up to you who you marry."

"Yeah, but my father is the owner of a multi-million dollar corporation. I'm his only heir, so I'm the one who gets to call the shots when he dies. I hold fifty-one percent of the market shares as part of my inheritance...so realistically, I would need the perfect wife to look good. By the time we were eighteen, he wanted me to have a child of my own, an heir to the company, so that if he passed on, he could leave in peace. The fucker...doesn't even give two shits about anything but his company." he muttered dryly, glancing at the ground.

"Hmm...you said that girl's name was Haruna right? Maybe she's still around, wouldn't it be cool to reunite with a childhood friend? Do you remember her last name at least? Maybe she has a Facebook or something." Ryuji said, pulling out his phone.

"Sadly, I don't remember her full name. I know she lives in Tokyo, her father's company is pretty big after all. But shit, I totally forgot what company it even was...all I know is that he made business deals with my father from time to time. But there are literally too many to name. I doubt she'd even remember me." he said with a shrug, glancing at the wall clock.

"Eh...you never know. Since I'm on the web all the time looking for leads, I'll scope out some information. Maybe you can marry her for real this time."

"Shut up Ryuji." the boy hissed, bowing his head to hide the blush on his cheeks. He doubted that girl was anywhere in Tokyo and even if she was, he doubted she'd even remember him.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Thank you for coming here on such short notice. Don't worry, we can talk quietly without being overheard." Makoto said, earning a nod from Takumi, who sat down across from her. It had been the first time he had stepped foot into the Student Council room. He had met a few of the members in the halls, but they were more laid back than Makoto was.

"Is it hard being Student Council President? I always wanted to join the council." the boy asked, trying to make small talk.

"Sometimes...you need to have high grades to get into a position. Maybe next year you can join, seeing as your grades are pretty high. Let us get to the real reason of why I brought you here. Ryuji told Ren you were a little nervous today...I guess I am the same. Since you and I are newcomers, I thought I would ask you what you make of all this." she said, handing him a foam cup filled with coffee. He gave her a grateful smile, taking a sip from it.

"Honestly, I'm not sure what I think...this entire week has been nerve racking. I've been trying to focus on school, since finals are coming up, but in the back of my mind, I was scared that Kaneshiro would show up. Now, we're literally a day away and I don't know what to think." he replied.

"We're the same then...I trust Ren's judgment. Kamoshida had a complete reciprocation with his personality. One day he was a prideful teacher, the next he was a blubbering mess. All attempts to speak with him only lead to him begging for forgiveness. Principle Kobayakawa tried making sense of it all, but he was unable to get anything out of him." Makoto replied.

"It was the same with Madarame...all he wanted was to apologize to the people he swindled, and the pupils he had abused. He was charged with involuntary homicide, since one of his pupils committed suicide due to what he had done. Those were all so public though, but this one is a hardened criminal, one the cops haven't been able to nab. What about your sister...has she said anything? He is in custody right?"

"Sae hasn't mentioned anything, she's been swamped with work. I did hear that he turned himself in, but he is only one person. His organization is large, and he wasn't the only boss. He was just the boss of Shibuya, his associates branched out into other areas, Shinjuku and Ikebukuro too."

"Jesus...I guess all we can do is wait until tomorrow. If anything, I got you something, just in case anything bad happens, you'll be able to bail yourself out." he said, sticking his hand inside his bag. He pulled out three stacks of Yen, sliding them toward the girl.

"Wha...money? I can't accept this." she cried, eyes widened in shock.

"Don't worry, this is in case something happens and you have to pay them back. Just as a failsafe, I've already decided what to do if someone comes to my house. My mom is confident nothing will happen, but you can never be too prepared." he replied.

"I suppose but...are you sure about this? Don't you need this money?"

"Hehe...not really. If anything about this case sticks out to me, it's that money is only a source of misery. It can make you happy, sad, angry, glutenous...and everything in between. So I'd rather give what I can away...once I'm sure Kaneshiro isn't gonna do anything, I plan to donate half of what he gave me to charity." Takumi said, earning a surprised look from the girl.

"C-charity...fifty million yen? Oh my, Takumi that's so kind of you...so many people will be able to benefit from something like that. You've changed quite a lot since we met a month ago. You were brooding all the time, and now you look so much happier."

"That's because I decided not to let people turn me into society's shit stain. I'm gonna fight, and prove to the world that I am an honest hard working person. That I love my acting and use my money to help people, instead of using it to buy drugs. The rumors will still exist sure, but as long as I know who I am, they won't matter. Besides, I'm not the only one who's changed. As far as I can tell, there's another woman who walks her own path now, instead of the beaten path everyone else treads." he said, taking a gulp from his coffee.

"You're right...I'm done walking the road most traveled. From now on, I'm going to walk down that abandoned street, right toward the sunset. I know what I want to be in life, I want to be just like my father. Someone who can help those in need, to solve crimes that others simply can't handle. Social reform is shouldn't be something we should resort too, but times are desperate. If anything, I wish to solve the biggest riddle if I can, the cause of these Psychotic Breakdowns and Mental Shutdowns. I theorize that the Metaverse is the key, but I haven't arrived at the one doing it. If we discover who it is, we might be able to see that criminal Kaneshiro's shadow spoke of." Makoto said, earning a nod from the boy.

"I agree, as long as we can remove those blemishes from society, I'll be able to breathe easy. Since the Phantom awakened within me...I feel lighter. I have friends, my family and I are becoming more tight nit and everything is just...so much better. It's like a movie...one that I don't want to end, but everything comes to a conclusion at some point. So let's work to make that ending a good one."

"I couldn't agree more...well, we should go. I have some student council affairs to handle, so I should let you get back to class. I would say study hard, but I know how intelligent you are. Just...make sure Ryuji studies...okay?"

"I'll try, no promises." he replied, giving the girl a wink.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday July 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Await the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Come on Takumi! You promised you'd give me chance, how are we supposed to get to know each other if you don't wanna hang out!?" Toni cried, earning a sigh from the boy. The brown haired girl had caught him trying to leave the school for for the last few minutes, he had been trying to leave the school, but she was unrelenting.

"You've been staying at my place for a week, we hang out all the time." he replied, frowning.

"Ugh...I meant just us two...I love Ayumi, she's my bestie but she can get annoying sometimes. Plus she's working with Erica in the store, and I got plenty of free time. Come on, we can go anywhere you want!" she said, a pleading look on her face.

"No...we'll go where ever you wanna go. What does Kotone Otonashi like to do for fun?" he asked curiously, earning a grin from the girl.

"Well, if you come back home with me and let me change, I'll take you to an awesome spot. Do you like parkour?" she asked curiously.

"I've never tried it, I used to skate a lot."

"That won't do, looks like I'm gonna teach you the tools of my personal trade. I'm not sure if Ayumi has told you this, but I'm a bit of a thrill seeker, so come on! Let's go before the Aoyama/Shibuya train leaves!" she cried, grabbing a hold of his hand, pulling him along. He sighed, deciding to follow along.

After fifteen minutes, they had arrived in Shibuya, practically running back to the Music Emporium. Once home, Toni went into Ayumi's room for a change of clothes. The boy decided it would be wise to change out of his uniform as well, going for his casual look. He decided not to bring his backpack, not knowing what the girl had in store for him. He went back to the kitchen, grabbing a drink as he did.

"Um Toni...what exactly do you have planned?" the boy called out, once he had finished his drink.

"Don't worry about it, you'll know when we get there!" she cried out. He frowned, knowing that didn't exactly answer his question. After a few more minutes, the girl left his sister's room, having changed out of her school uniform, and into a more casual outfit. A sleeveless black shirt, blue jean shorts and high top sneakers. He noticed she had put on a pair of fingerless gloves on her hands, and had tied her hair into her normal side ponytail with a black ribbon instead of her usual red polka-dotted bow. She had a fanny pack around her waist, which he wondered what was for, but decided not to ask. Around her neck was a black neckerchief, which had white markings on it, that he couldn't exactly distinguish.

"So...are you gonna tell me where we are going?"

"Sunshine City, sheesh...why do you wanna know so much? I wanted it to be a surprise." she replied, giving him a frown.

"Sorry, I just wanted to make sure I had enough pocket change. It has been awhile since I went to Ikebukuro though...I'm not gonna ask anymore questions, I'll just let you lead the way." he said.

"Awesome, bring your backpack. We're gonna need a place to store snacks and stuff." Toni replied. He nodded, walking back into his room, grabbing his backpack. He took out all of his notebooks and school supplies before placing it on his back. He was curious as to what they were going to do in Sunshine City, but if Toni knew what she was doing, then he would let her decide.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday July 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Sunshine City(Ikebukuro)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Await the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

Sunshine City was one of the biggest locations in Ikebukuro, located west of Shibuya. It was the third busiest city within Tokyo and one of the most visited by commuters daily. It was a place that had various anime themed specialty shops and cafes. Tall sky scrapers could be seen rising from the ground, spanning several stories. Sunshine 60 was one of the most well recognized buildings, and at the time of it's construction, one of the tallest in Tokyo. It was built upon the lot that was once occupied by the Sugimo Prison. Within Sunshine 60 was a popular shopping mall, containing various attractions, cat cafes, an aquarium, even a Pokemon Center. One of the most popular areas with young adults was the small pleasure district located in Nishi-Ikebukuro.

Of course, Takumi wasn't there for the shops, he was just following Toni around. She hadn't said a word, but since she had mentioned parkour, he figured they were going to whatever area she liked running through. They had been walking away from Ikebukuro station for at least twenty minutes, passing various stores along the way, including the Sun City cinema, which was showing a few anime movies he had been interested in for awhile. They had been doing a RWBY season 1 complete season viewing, and had wanted to go in to buy tickets, but had been rapidly shutdown by his companion. Finally, after several minutes of walking, they arrived in an unfamiliar place, or rather unfamiliar to Takumi at least.

"Well here we are...this used to be the old Destiny Land, before it moved locations. It isn't as big as the other park, but this place is still pretty cool. Some of the local school kids like hanging out here, of course you have to be ready to run if you get spotted. Which is why I bought you this." the girl said, pulling a sky blue neckerchief from her fanny pack.

"What's this for?" he asked curiously.

"To hide your face, duh. This will at least obscure part of your face, the last thing you want is to be identified by the po-pos right? We're just gonna stick to the water park. You ready?" the girl asked curiously, giving him a grin.

"I guess I am." he said, tying the neckerchief around his neck, placing it over his nose and mouth.

The girl did the same, walking toward the tall gates, which had been chained closed. She placed her foot on the chain and pulled herself up, easily climbing over it, jumping off when she was over the gates. Takumi did the same, scaling the iron gates with ease. Toni looked around for a few minutes before sprinting away from the gates, heading toward the empty water park. Takumi followed suit, easily keeping up with the girl. The park had been in a state of disarray, the paths being covered in dry leaves and tall grass. There was trash all over the place, from either the previous park patrons or people who had managed to find a way in. Some of the wooden signs had been broken or taken, and some of the rides had been taken apart by the company, most likely to be used in the new location. They reached a chain link fence, which Toni easily scaled, once on the top, she back flipped off of it, landing in a crouch on the ground.

"That was pretty cool." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Being a cheer leader has it's advantages. Have you been to Destiny Land before?"

"Once...their water park was pretty big." he said, following closely after the girl. It only took a few more minutes to reach the water park.

It was huge, bigger than anything he had seen before. There were tall water slides coiling in various directions. The pool had long been emptied, being filled with a large pile of leaves and stagnant water. The tallest slide however was one that was about forty-five feet high, and was held up by an iron structure made out of crossing iron beams. Just beyond the water park, the tall castle hotel could be seen, marking the center of the park, along with a large Ferris Wheel, who's baskets were moving slightly in the breeze.

"How's your upper body strength?" Toni asked curiously, glancing at the older teen.

"Pretty good, I do pull ups whenever I get the chance."

"Good, parkour is all about upper body strength. The last thing you want is to fall twenty stories to your death. You see that water slide? We're gonna co climb it, they took the stairs down but the structure is still stable. Climbing it is the only way up...come on." she cried, walking toward the slide, an excited look on her face. Takumi shrugged, following the young brunette toward the slide.

The span underneath it was made out of multiple thick pipes, all bolted together to hold the structure in place. They were painted gray, and some were rusted in a few areas, but looked otherwise stable. Forty five feet above their heads was the platform where one would wait until it was their turn to go down the giant coiling slide. It was a forty-five foot vertical drop that lead into a large tube that circled around the base of the slide and dumped out into the empty pool. There were crossing beams connecting both parts of the structure, which would add strength to the entire attraction. Toni jumped up, grabbing a hold of the beam above her, pulling herself onto it. She grabbed the one above her, and continued climbing up.

"You're pretty good." Takumi said, following her example. He started climbing up, making sure his handholds were firm before attempting to climb up.

"I've been doing this for awhile, since I was twelve...me and my cousin used to come here a lot. That was before they closed this park, even when it was open we used to do it." she replied.

"What happened to your cousin?" he asked curiously. She stopped climbing for a second, glancing down at the boy.

"When my aunt died, he decided to move away from Tokyo. We lived together for a couple of months before he moved to Okinawa. No idea what he went to do over there though." Toni replied, reaching for the beam above her. They continued to climb up, focusing more on the task than talking among each other.

Once they made it to the top, they climbed up onto the platform, sitting down on it to take a breather. Takumi glanced around, seeing most of the park for the first time. It was kinda sad to see it completely barren, all of the rides abandoned. The trees were lush and green, but there were dried leaves all over the place, mixed in with trash.

"It's sad to see this park like this, all dirty and abandoned. Guess that's just another aspect of urban life. When a place isn't popular anymore, it's just abandoned." Takumi replied. He pulled out his cellphone, snapping a few selfies for his album.

"Yup...that's life. You know, this is the perfect place to make out...you wanna?" Toni asked, a familiar catty grin on her face. The boy flicked her nose, a giving her a glare.

"Let's not ruin the moment with your overactive female libido." he said.

"You're no fun...fine, at least let me be in some pics." she said, earning a nod from the boy. She wrapped her arm around him, flashing a peace sign to the camera.

"I like that one, send it to me later. So, you wanna climb something higher?" she asked, standing up and facing the castle in the distance.

"Not really...you aren't seriously considering climbing that are you?"

"I wanna get to the high tower. It was the grand suite of the entire hotel, and it has the only open window. Besides, I hear some bums like to stay inside...we might as well see what's inside. But if you don't want we can wait until next time."

"Yeah...I'm not really up for that kind of climb." he replied, glancing down at the ground, shuddering a bit from how high he was. He started taking some video, wanting to add it to his album.

"This was your first time, so it's alright. Well since we're here, let's get to know each other...what do you look for in a woman?"

"Ugh...straight to it huh?" he asked curiously, earning a grin from the girl. He rolled his eyes, glancing away from her.

"I guess I want someone who's honest. She doesn't have to be drop dead gorgeous, but she can't be overweight either, I want someone who cares about themselves. Because you can't love someone who doesn't love themselves. She needs to be outgoing, ambitious, kind, caring, loving...just a generally attractive person." Takumi replied.

"So you don't care about looks? She could be Quasimodo ugly and you'd still love her?" she asked.

"Uh...well...I guess if she has a good personality."

"Just be honest, I'm not gonna tell anyone. It's not like I'm getting ready to tell TMZ right?" she giggled, causing the actor to nod.

"Yeah, I guess your right. I guess looks do matter, but like I said she doesn't have to be beautiful. As long as you are honest to me, you'll get a chance."

"Fair enough...I guess you and I are the same. For someone lonely like me, any guy will do. He has to be kind, caring, strong, handsome...a person who can handle my wild side." she said, clawing at the boy, that familiar catty grin on her face.

"Wild side huh? Any girl who has the balls to climb a place like this is wild in my opinion. You do have good looks too...some of the guys in your class seem attracted to you."

"Ugh...screw them. They all like me because I'm the stand in squad captain when our captain isn't around. They just like me because I'm flexible and I can flip around with ease. That and Kamoshida told everyone I was easy and a slut so people think they can get it in. That's why I want a mature older man, like you." she said, giving him a wink.

"Sweetie, I'm eighteen years old. Trust me, at your age you should be focusing on something else. I know, you're in high school and relationships are important. But high school relationships hardly last, it's better to focus on school instead." he replied.

"I know that, which is why I'm gonna use my feminine charm to reel you in. Just you wait, by the end of this year you'll be my boyfriend. Then I'll be able to prove you wrong, and the best part it'll be you asking me." she said, a confident smirk on her face.

"Pfft...yeah right. I sincerely doubt that...I wouldn't date someone as young as you and if I did, they wouldn't be immature and perverted."

"But that's what makes me awesome...once we start dating, you're gonna be so addicted to my wild side, that you'll be craving it." she said, earning another flick to the nose.

"Let's get down from here before we get caught."

"Alright, there are some other areas I wanna show you. Let's take the slide down, it's easier than climbing back down...just be careful, the last thing you want is to land in that cesspool down there." Toni said, earning a nod from Takumi.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday July 9**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Await the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

The day had finally come, July 9th. After getting back home from his hangout with Toni, the boy had taken a long shower and had skipped dinner, to tired to actually eat anything. He woke up early and got ready for school, wanting to catch the morning news. He had helped Erica out with breakfast, all while keeping an eye on the news. Aside from some sports and weather forecasts, they hadn't said anything. He was just sitting on the couch, with Mitsuhide by his side. The ravenette was reading the second volume of her favorite manga, having decided to reread it after she finished the sequel series. He was still impressed with how fast she had gone through the series. He glanced at his phone, seeing it was still before seven. School started at eight, so he wouldn't need to leave until 7:35 to catch the train to Aoyama.

"You seem nervous big brother, is something bothering you?" Mitsuhide asked, glancing away from her book.

"Huh? Oh, not really...I guess I'm a little worried. Finals are coming up, and since I missed most of the first term, I'm wondering if I'll pass or not." he replied. She looked into his eyes, two sets of ruby eyes staring at each other. She glanced away from him, turning a page in her book.

"I believe in you. You are my half brother, and smart like I am...I have no doubt you'll succeed in your final exams. Perhaps you'll even be at the top of the class."

"Maybe...that would be cool...I know who's gonna be at the bottom of the class at least." the boy mused, his mind drifting toward a certain spiky haired blond.

" _This just in, late last night the Police received a confession from a man thought to be leading a crime syndicate in the Shibuya Prefecture. 30 year old Junya Kaneshiro, was arrested on June 25_ _th_ _. He stated he had felt immense guilt at the crimes he had committed. It wasn't until last night that he confessed to various crimes. These included extortion of minors, drug trafficking, manslaughter, burglary and various other crimes. He has also confessed to being tied to the burglary in a local music shop. His syndicate, along with all of his partners have all been arrested over the last week, including people in Shinjuku and Ikebukuro. The streets are safe once again."_

" _That's right, for the longest time, this man couldn't be caught. But it seems that someone has claimed this capture. That is right ladies and gentlemen, the vigilante group responsible for reforming Suguru Kamoshida and Ichiryusai Madarame, the Phantom Thieves of Heart, have also been involved in the arrest of Kaneshiro. The day before his arrest, calling cards had been placed all over Shibuya. Could it be that they are tied to this arrest as well? Just how do they change people's hearts? I suppose we'll never know, but it is thanks to them that the streets are once again safe from harm! Let's go back to Sports!"_

"No way...that's the guy that delivered my instruments...and brought back all of our money. So, that's the bastard responsible for all of this shit huh?" Erica asked, a look of anger on her face.

"Wait...you said that two goons brought that stuff back, he was here?" Takumi cried, climbing to his feet. She gave him a nod.

"All he did was apologize repeatedly, asking me to pass his apologies to you. He left those three cases full of money and brought back the instruments, then he called the police and turned himself in, along with his goons. To think, he was the leader all this time...those Phantom Thieves...they truly do work miracles huh?"

"Indeed...though it is intriguing...how do they change hearts? How is it possible to steal a heart when it is an organ beating within us. Is it tied to a change in cognition? Do the calling cards truly do something or are they just for show?"

"Don't think too hard on it Mitsu! The Phantom Thieves are just...people who want to get back at evil doers. Still, nabbing a criminal, this is certainly newsworthy. I'm sure they must be quite proud of their accomplishment this time around." Takumi replied, a subtle smirk on his face, one that didn't go unnoticed by Mitsuhide. The door bell rung loudly, causing him to grab his bag.

"I'm off too school, I was gonna meet up with my friends in Shibuya Station, but I guess they came to me instead. I'll be back later mom, see you." he said, giving the woman a kiss on the cheek. He put his boots on and rapidly tied them, heading downstairs.

"Hmm...what are you hiding big brother...what does that smirk mean really?" Mitsuhide asked softly, wondering how her brother fit into Kaneshiro's change of heart.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday July 9**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Underground Passage(Shibuya Station)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Hell yeah! Kaneshiro finally confessed! People are blowing up all over the internet about it, the Phantom Thieves are finally getting famous!" Ryuji cried, a grin on his face as he held his phone up.

"Keep it down man, we wouldn't wanna get caught, yeah?" Takumi replied, settling his friend's excitement a bit.

"It is a shame however, the confession is being treated like it was acquired by the police. Even though we sent the calling card, they are taking all of the credit." Yusuke said, bowing his head in annoyance.

"Well, that was bound to happen. People are going nuts about the Phantom Thieves though, look at the Phan-Site." Ann said, showing her friend her phone, currently displaying the standings in the site. The Poll was at 35%, much higher than the 20% they had been seeing for the past few weeks.

"It's all coming together for us!"

"We can finally say, the Phantom Thieves is becoming a household name, sort of like Wheaties or that Wack ass Captain Crunch." Takumi added, earning a frown from Ren.

"I hope not, my beautiful face isn't meant for a cereal box." he replied, causing his friends to laugh.

"This is extraordinary though. We've had a turn around, all of a sudden, people are expressing their long standing belief in us." Yusuke said, pointing out some of the comments on the Site.

"So, this was why Makoto told us to post the calling card anywhere it might stand out. I gotta hand it to you Takumi...leaving one on every store front, placing posters over the movie posters and leaving them on the windshield of almost every car in Shibuya...you outdid yourself." the blonde model said, earning a heavy blush from the boy, who quickly looked away.

"Ah...well I was just following Makoto's advice you know. Running in the dead of the night at three am wasn't fun, but I did get a sense of excitement. The cool rush of air on my skin as I ran, the feeling of oppression at almost being caught, the fact that this hinged on life and death, for if it didn't work we wouldn't be able to get the treasure...oh man, I think I might be addicted." the actor said, shuddering with excitement.

"Well when you put it like that, I understand why. It really is fun doing this kinda shit huh?" Ryuji asked, clapping hands with his friend.

"Yeah, it is...say, where is Makoto anyway? I thought she would have loved to be here?" Takumi asked. As if on cue, Ren's phone begun to ring. He drew it from his pocket, swiping his thumb across the screen, placing the device close to his ear.

" _Hello? It's Makoto, my apologies but I won't be able to join you today. I've been called into a meeting with the Principle."_

"Ugh...that gremlin...be sure to let him have it Makoto!" Takumi cried, earning a giggle from the girl.

" _Don't worry I will...did you all see? There's a special on the Phantom Thieves, it's all over TV."_

"Are you serious?" Ann cried, causing Ren to cringe from how close she had been to his ear.

" _Mhmm...we're all the rage. Anyway, I've gotta go...I'll see you all later."_ the student council president said, ending the call right after.

"This just in, step aside Kamen Rider, there's a new team of vigilantes and they're here to steal your hearts. Here come the Phantom Thieves!" Ryuji cried, bowing his head as he dabbed to the left, earning a chuckle from Takumi, who snapped a picture of the boy.

"Still...I hope this excitement doesn't put us on the police's radar."

"It'll be fine Yusuke...I doubt they'll even notice. They'd never be able to figure out anything about that weird other world!" the blond track star cried out, the grin on his face widening.

"True but...do you remember what the fake Kaneshiro said at the end?" the artist asked, earning a nod from Ren.

"Yeah...the other guys using the Metaverse."

"We're not the only ones...which means we'll have to be more careful about how we travel through that world."

"Lady Ann is right...at any time we could be attacked. Takumi's persona already sensed other Persona users out in this world. We're not sure if they're on our side or on the other side. So we'll have to take extra care with how we handle this." Morgana said firmly.

"Whoa really? Do you know exactly who they are?" Ryuji asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"I know who they are, but for their own safety and ours, I'm keeping it to myself. At least until I do some recon, leave it to the Scout. I'll make sure all threats are neutralized before they even appear on Joker's radar." he said, earning a nod from Ren.

"Eh...I'm not gonna let it bother me. As far as we know, Kaneshiro was pulling that shit right out of his ass."

"I...hope that's the case." Yusuke said, not at all feeling comfortable with Ryuji's lax nature.

"Hehe...anyway, in your face Akechi! We totally proved you wrong this time, now it's time for us to pick a new target!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself Ryuji...still though, people are already expecting big things from our next move." Ann replied, earning a sigh from Takumi.

"We can't pick any old rando though...it has to be someone who's doing some grim shit behind the scenes." he said, closing his eyes as he glanced at the ceiling.

" _ **Takumi...perhaps you should clue them into your findings in Akihabara. Something weird is going on there, and you have to share it with Joker."**_

" _Huh? Oh...right...I know about that Eric, but I want to find more information myself. I'm the scout after all, so I gotta have my facts right before I jump the gun."_

" _ **Yes, I understand. But the more time you waste, the more people could be getting hurt. Perhaps you should start by scouting that building you always look at. If there's something odd going on there, I'll be able to sense it."**_ Eric said, earning a subtle nod.

"Yeah...I'll do that."

"Huh? You'll do what?" Ann asked, causing the boy to look at her.

"Oh...nothing, just talking out loud. Anyway, sorry about forcing us to come here. With Toni at home, we can't make my house our base without being found out. I think we're gonna have to switch places soon."

"I concur...for now we should just lay low. Counting Kaneshiro, the Phantom Thieves have claimed three consecutive victories...I believe a break should be in store for us." Yusuke said.

"In that case, let's celebrate. Not just our current victory, but to welcome Takumi and Makoto into the fold!"

"Huh? Oh no...please don't bother...I'm totally alright with hanging out with you."

"Nonsense, we had a party to welcome Yusuke, so we'll do the same with you. We're gonna have to talk to Makoto though, since this does involve her too." Ren said firmly.

"Yup, and that briefcase is worth a pretty penny. Let's sell it and dump our earnings on the party. It's gonna be awesome, on top of that summer is around the corner so we can do whatever we want!"

"Wow...seems like the lay low and wait idea just went out the window."

"So, we can count you out then Morgana?" Ann asked, giving the feline a cheeky grin. He shook his head, turning to face her.

"Wha...what are you talking about? I was just saying we should try and keep our party on the down low."

"Ha! That's the spirit, well...I'm gonna let Makoto know!" she happily replied, searching for her friend's contact.

"Um...this is gonna sound anticlimactic, but I think we should wait for our party." Takumi said.

"Huh? What for? Are you seriously trying to sit out of it?" Ryuji asked.

"No...that isn't it. I like parties as much as the next person, it's just...well.."

"Huh...sure I'll put it on speaker." Ann suddenly said, holding her phone out to their friends.

" _I know you all want to celebrate our victory. But I'm going to remind you that next week, we're having Final Exams. So there will be no partying until after exams are over...is that understood?"_ the voice of Makoto firmly said.

"That's what I was gonna say...we should focus on school work. If we study hard, we'll pass our exams. That way, the party will feel that much more like an accomplishment and a reward." Takumi said.

"Ugh...I didn't think you were such a nerd man. But fine...we'll worry about exams, and then we can party." Ryuji said firmly, earning a giggle from their council president.

" _Glad to hear it...I have to go now, I'll let you know how my meeting went later. Remember, you have about three solid days to study. Don't waste them."_ she replied, ending the call right after.

"And thus, the life of a student prevails over the young minds of our heroes. Study they shall, and pass they will...for the sanctity of their celebration hangs in the balance. A single letter can spell the success or failure of their venture. Will it be a successful victory? Or an overwhelming failure? We shall see on the next installment of, Dragon Ball Z!" Takumi said with a smirk.

"That was pretty good."

"Tis but an act my friend...come on. If we're through with our meeting, we can head to my place and study. At least we'll be able to do that there." the brown haired actor said, grabbing his backpack from the ground.

"Pardon my intrusion Takumi, but I saw some pictures on her profile yesterday. We're you in Ikebukuro perhaps? There was some scenery that reminded me of the old Destiny Land located there." Yusuke asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah...the two of us were practicing some parkour. I figured if I learned some, it would make scouting a lot easier. After all, a sniper is way better when he has a good vantage point...why do you ask?"

"I was wondering if I could accompany you on your next outing. I wish to expand my art a bit, and painting something like an abandoned park might help. It will help me to convey the feelings of abandonment in my art." he said.

"Uh...alright, sure. I don't mind...just be ready to run...we almost got caught by the police yesterday and it wasn't that easy of an escape." he said, shuddering a bit.

"Why...what happened?"

"We had to climb a building to get away from them. It was only five stories, but still looking down is...I don't like thinking about it. Toni though...she's fucking insane...there was this three foot gap between buildings. Not just that, the other one had once less story, and this crazy bitch did a front flip over it. I thought she was gonna die." he replied.

"Oh...do you have video of it? I wanna see!" Ann cried, earning a reluctant nod from the boy, who pulled his cellphone from his pocket.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

It had been a little difficult for her to sneak out of the house without being seen. Thankfully, Ayumi had left with Toni, and her mother had been too busy to notice. Walking through the streets of Shibuya on her own was something she had done many times. She had never left the city without an adult, but getting a ride on a train wasn't that hard. She came home from school by herself whenever her mother was too busy to pick her up. Sneaking into Shujin Academy was something else entirely, thankfully, people had stuck to the practice building, so being able to walk around the Classroom Building had been rather easy. With her small stature, Mitsuhide had gotten quite far.

She didn't know why she felt the need to come to the school, but there was something nagging at her. Her brother had been acting rather weird as of late, especially with everything concerning the Phantom Thieves. Whenever there was a report, he would pay close attention. He hadn't noticed her paying extra attention to his actions. But she had wanted to confirm something before potentially revealing her knowledge to him. So, she had searched the school for any sign of him or his friends, but hadn't found anyone. Anyone except the Student Council President, Makoto Nijima. She had come home with Takumi and his friends a couple times to hang out or study, and it was rather odd to see her. The girl had only visited once to get Ayumi, when she had asked her for some Aikido lessons. But seeing her befriend her brother was a bit odd in her opinion. So she silently followed her, as she lead her toward the Principle's office. She knocked on the door a few times, before stepping inside, closing the door firmly.

"Hmm...a she didn't seem quite content with being up here, judging by her body language. She seemed sort of...nervous?" Mitsuhide muttered. She glanced around for a second, moving quickly toward the closed door, making sure to muffle her steps as much as possible. She pressed herself against the door, opening it just a crack, peering inside.

"Now, let us discuss the true purpose of this meeting, care to explain your actions?" Kobayakawa asked, earning a nod from the brunette.

"I believe in what I wrote, the Phantom Thieves are just." the young woman confidently replied.

"Did you find anything about them? They're identities perhaps?"

"No, I am nowhere close. However, after considering all of the facts, I concluded there are no errors in their acts or principles. Thus, upon deeming them on the side of justice, I have decided to conclude my investigation."

"Investigation...what is this about?" Mitsuhide muttered to herself, narrowing her eyes a bit. She steadied her breathing, glancing over her shoulder to make sure she was still alone.

"But...but that's impossible!" he exclaimed, earning a curious look from the young woman.

"Impossible...? May I see the evidence you have that leads you to believe so?" she asked. The man sighed, shaking his head.

"I was just speaking to the director of a prestigious college, about your letter of recommendation too..."

"There will be no need to that...I plan to enter a college of my choosing with my own merits. Please excuse me."

"Hey, we're not done here!" the man cried. Mitsuhide quickly moved, opening the door to the nearby closet, closing it as quiet as she could. Makoto let out a sigh, a small smile on her face.

"Bastard...using a letter of recommendation as a means of blackmail. With my power as a Phantom Thief, I'm going to change the hearts of rotten adults like you. I'll walk my own path...now and forever." she said confidently, making her way down the hall. Mitsuhide waited until she disappeared, going back to the office door, opening it slightly.

"Yes, I am making progress but I have come across some difficulties. But still, why would someone like you want to focus on a pity case like this? No...I will invest all of the resources I can to bring you all this information...yes, I will let you know soon enough. I'll...dammit!"

Mitsuhide frowned, backing away from the door. She quickly turned around, heading toward the nearby fire exit. She looked around for a few seconds slowly pushing it open getting access to the fire escape. She let out a sigh as she swept her hair out of her eyes, making her way down the iron steps and down to the street below. She spared a glance back at the academy she was set to study at the following term, a frown on her face.

"Blackmail huh? So this school has more than one dirty secret...the Olympic medalist who abused his students, the principle who blackmailed his student, and now the student council president who turns out to be a Phantom Thief...does that mean that Takumi really is responsible for this?" she asked, reaching into her sweater, pulling out a glossy card from within, a calling card she had found in her brother's room.

"Sir Junya Kaneshiro...the money devouring sinner of gluttony...big brother, what have you gotten yourself into?" she muttered softly, a frown on her face.

"Mitsuhide, is that you?"

The girl jumped a bit at the sound of her name, and quickly turned around, placing the card behind her back. Makoto Nijima was standing in front of her, a curious look on her face.

"Hello Miss Nijima...fancy running into you here huh?"

"Well...this is my school. What are you doing here though? Shouldn't you be at home? It isn't safe for a little girl to wonder around on her own."

"It's alright, I am more than capable. I was just looking for my brother, I couldn't find him at home so I thought he had stayed after school. But I don't think he is here either. Do you perhaps know where I might find him?"

"Well...he was with our friends in Shibuya Station. Why didn't you call him? It would have been much easier going there instead of coming all the way here."

"Yes...but I like to search the far off places first, just in case he happens to be there. It seems I made in error in my judgment this time around. I shall be heading home now, it was nice seeing you." she replied, giving the older girl a bow.

"Oh no, I'm taking you home. Don't worry, I'm not gonna rat you out or anything, but this will come with a warning. Don't go anywhere by yourself, a nasty evil man just confessed. He was targeting minors, people like you."

"I am aware...he was convicted of committing a sin against society. A deadly sin, he was known as the money devouring sinner of gluttony. It's quite a poetic description, wouldn't you say?" the little girl asked, earning a blank look from the girl.

"Y-yeah...I take it you saw one of those calling cards huh?"

"Yes...I had my fair share of them while traversing through Shibuya. It is getting late, let us be on our way." she said, turning toward the opposite street, walking toward the station. She quickly shoved the calling card she had in her pocket, glad she had put on her sweater before leaving home.

" _I need to be more careful with my investigating. The fact that I am still nine years old will indeed benefit me. I just hope my own inquiry hasn't stirred suspicion within Makoto Nijima...that's the last thing I need right now."_ she thought to herself, eyes narrowed in thought.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 2)**_


	20. Laying Low I

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter 20 of Codename: Songbird. Now that the Kaneshiro arc is over, we will start moving toward the Futaba arc of the story. As I have been saying for awhile, this arc will contain an original palace, that will be explored side by side with Futaba's. I know I might be giving more time to the original palace and not Futaba's, but since those that played the game already know what that palace is about, I figured I could include more information on the original palace. Both treasures will be stolen within days of each other, as both dates will be rather close. Kanami Mashita will be a big part of this next arc, and I am going to be talking about a rather sensitive but very realistic topic and subject matter. So I am going to handle it with the utmost respect I can as an author. I normally try not to write stuff that is overly dark, but after writing Danganronpa for awhile, you get used to writing really fucked up stuff, but I promise it isn't at all that dark, and there is no imagery either...I will be talking a lot about that stuff, but I'll let you all reach that part of the arc before I speak more in detail about it.**

 **The beginning of this chapter might confirm who Takumi will be paired up with. As I said before, he will be paired up with two girls, I tried not to make it so, but these two girls were my personal favorites from the game. He will also be getting alternate chapters, mostly the Christmas and Valentine's Day events, but nothing too overly major, unless I get requested to do more risque stuff, which the only one I will confirm is Toni since she is the risque Devil Arcana after all, but for everyone else it'll be tame stuff. I will also reveal the girl I have paired Ren up with and no it isn't Makoto, so sorry for you Makoto fans, but I personally don't think she's a good girl for Ren to be paired up with, sue me if you feel triggered. Futaba is best girl anyway.**

 **The nest few chapters will contain a bit of filler, but it is story driven filler, everything that happens will be either to push the story along or to raise confidant ranks and the like. But we will start moving along with the story. Right now, this arc is the longest one in the story, I tried not to make it so, but since it does have original content and I do go day by day instead of skipping days, it makes everything look longer. I guess it makes the story more engaging that way. That's all the news I have for now, so look forward to my next update, which will be on Tuesday...well tomorrow since it's past midnight where I am.**

 **I hope you have a great day and remember...Just Monika...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 20

Laying Low I

 _ **Date: Unknown**_

 _ **Time: Unknown**_

 _ **Location: Unknown**_

 _ **Weather: Unknown**_

 _ **Objective: Unknown**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Damn, we're surrounded from everywhere." Songbird muttered, glancing at the edge of the alley. Joker had been apprehended, but the entire perimeter around the casino had been completely blocked. They had successfully retrieved the briefcase, the treasure they had to steal, but now they were gridlocked.

"I don't understand why! We should have been clear of enemies!" Oracle cried, rapidly typing at her holographic monitor, her eyes never leaving the screen.

"I'm sorry...perhaps if I stayed with Joker, none of this would have happened." Crow said, bowing his head in shame.

"Don't not fret, the past is the past. Still, I cannot surmise how it was that the police discovered the Metaverse. Could it be that they have an inside man?" Fox asked curiously.

"Pfft...someone with the same app as us? I doubt it...still, this is really starting to scare me and piss me off. I wanna get outta here, Joker is trusting us!" Skull cried.

"Stay calm Skull...if we start screaming now, we'll definitely get caught down the road." Queen said, earning a nod from the spiky haired blond.

"What if we fight them off? We have our personas with us, and all they have are batons and firearms."

"Real fire arms Noir...we can't risk it. All we have are models, and while they fire real bullets here, I believe our target's cognition may have changed. If Joker is in custody, and she's interviewing him, then that is a definite possibility. Besides, I'm starting to feel my connection to my persona weakening." Songbird replied.

"That means...we don't have much time before we all revert...god, why are they all following us?!" Panther snapped with annoyance. Songbird sighed, lowering his rifle as he walked over to the blonde model, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright sweetheart, calm down...we'll just figure it out as we go. Joker trusts us, we we have to make a sound decision, something that he himself would make."

"Easy for you to say...he left you in charge didn't he?" Skull asked curiously.

"No...he left Queen in charge...after the last blunder, there was no way I wanted to be a leader. I almost got the person I care about killed after all." Songbird replied, glancing away from Panther.

"It was one mistake Songbird, we've all forgiven you for it. It wasn't even your fault." Noir replied.

"If a man makes a mistake and doesn't fix it, that's his second mistake. That's why I declined his offer to be the leader if he was caught. I'm under Queen's direction...no matter what anyone else says." he replied firmly.

"Shit balls...I figured out why they're after us. There's a tracer on the treasure, I should have scanned it before we left! Ugh...this is such a rookie mistake!" Oracle cried, tugging hard on her lengthy orange locks.

"What do you mean there's a tracer? I checked it before we left the palace, before I handed it to Joker. How can there be a tracer on it?" Skull cried. Panther knelt down, opening the briefcase in front of her seeing several questionable things inside. She dug around for a second, finding a small black device with a flickering bulb on it.

"Oh my god...we really are being traced...and that's not it. It looks like there are several of them here."

"They found our position, we gotta go!" Oracle cried.

"But the treasure!"

"Leave it! We can't risk all of us getting captured right? Queen by your call!" Songbird cried, reaching into his pouch for a sky blue canister. She nodded, walking toward the edge of the street, seeing all of the police cars heading toward them.

"Now!" she cried. He pulled the pin on his grenade, throwing it into the open street, followed by several other canisters. They all burst into a myriad of colors, causing the police to stop in their tracks.

"Don't fire! We risk injuring or even killing them!" one officer shouted. The Phantom Thieves broke into a sprint out of the alleyway, running for their lives as the rainbow colored smoke covered the entire street. Songbird grit his teeth in anger, glancing back at the alley where the treasure lied, having been forced to leave it behind.

"We're splitting up, rendezvous location Alpha Zero Niner won't do. I will contact you all later on, good luck everyone." Queen said firmly.

It was at that moment that the Phantom Thieves all split up into pairs running in different directions. Songbird held onto Panther's hand tightly, not wanting to look over his shoulder, he was scared of the police catching up to them, the last thing he wanted was for her to be captured. That was one thing he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for, he only hoped Joker was doing fine, where ever it was that he was taken. Even though he was running, he couldn't help but think back, to the time where he almost lost the person who would later steal his heart. All because of his own selfishness and pride, two things that had almost gotten her killed.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 10**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Leblanc(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Survive Finals**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Good idea calling a study session here Ren. This place is really relaxing, so it makes it easier to study." Takumi said, earning a nod from his friend.

"It's kinda sad that this place doesn't get much business though. The coffee is amazing, and the curry just as much." Ann said, earning a chuckle from the owner, Sojiro Sakura.

"Yes, it is a shame. But it also makes it a rustic place for people who just want to relax in a quiet place. If more young people see you hanging out here, they might get an interest."

"Indeed, as long as I can see the Sayuri, I will always have a reason to come here." Yusuke said happily, glancing at the portrait near the counter.

"Ugh...this is all just so boring...when are we gonna even use English anyway?" Ryuji muttered, setting aside his pencil. Takumi smirked, turning to face the man from the booth adjacent to theirs.

" _ **You tell me Ryuji. When are you going to need English? I hear we're going on a trip to Hawaii this year. The last thing you wanna do is be called a tourist by the cute girls that live there."**_

"What the hell did you just say?"

"And that's why you need to know English." Ann replied, giggling to herself. She bumped fists with Takumi, who took a sip from his coffee cup, a smirk on his face.

"I have to say Takumi, your English is very fluent, and you don't have an accent either. When was it that you decided to learn it?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Well...I heard from my friend Rise that there are more chances of scoring movie parts if I went abroad. What better place than Hollywood right? So I bought myself a Rosetta Stone set and went H.A.M. for about six months. I was still struggling, but I spent another six months in Hawaii with my uncle. In order to fully learn a language, you have to immerse yourself in a place with that language." he said firmly.

"It's not a bad system...I'm sad that you didn't get any movie deals though." Ren said, earning a shrug from the boy.

"It's alright...I did commercials whenever it was really dry. You just...gotta put yourself out there. Acting is like a steady girlfriend, in order for her to be happy, you have to constantly make her happy. If you want to get her a gift, you gotta work for it, and in order to work you gotta put yourself out there. Even if that meant running down Venice Beach shirtless while enjoying the cool refreshing taste of Pepsi Max, now available in Diet." he said.

"Oh my god, that so cheesy." Morgana said, earning a grin from the boy, who finished his coffee.

"Ah...that hit the spot. Hey Boss, mind making me another House Blend? This one was amazing." he said.

"Coming right up, though I do have something I'd like you to try. You lived in Hawaii yes?"

"Yup, and their coffee is amazing...wait, you wouldn't happen to have some Hawaiian Extra Fancy Beans would you?" he asked, eyes lighting up a bit. The man nodded, grabbing the bin from the top shelf.

"Indeed I do, and I just happen to have a steady hand when brewing it. I'll make you a cup right away." he replied. The young man pulled out his wallet, handing him his payment for the coffee.

"Those beans are expensive so it wouldn't feel right to get it for free. Thanks a lot Boss."

"No problem kid, you really do know how to pick them don't you Ren?" Sojiro said, earning a smile from the frizzy haired boy.

"We have a lot in common...making friends with Takumi was just...natural." he replied.

"Anyway, we shouldn't keep wasting time. I came here to study, not for lively chatting, so let's all buckle down and finish all of this work." Makoto replied.

"What do you do if you already finished?" Takumi asked, holding all of the packets his teachers had given him to review. Her eyes widened in surprise when he handed them over. She flipped through each one, comparing his answers with her own.

"Wow...you really are like your sister. Intelligence must run in the family huh?"

"I guess...I've always had a knack for academics, but I'm not an overachiever, I'll leave that to our Student Body President." he replied with a wink, earning a slight blush from the girl.

"Hey, if you're done with your stuff, then can you help me with mine? You're good with English and History so I need a hand." Ryuji said.

"Sure, I don't mind."

For the next few minutes, nothing but quiet scribbles and talk about their work filled the cafe. The scent of fresh coffee in curry was quite relaxing, and Takumi found himself craving some curry. He wanted to see if the curry the Boss made was better than Rise's, who he had begged for the recipe afterwards. The idol had happily given him the recipe, but only as a trade, since she wanted to learn how to make chocolate like he did. He had to admit, it had been quite a long time since he had made chocolate, so his skills had gotten a bit rusty. As Sojiro served him his coffee, his phone started to ring, bringing everyone's attention to him. He took the call placing the device up to his ear.

"Hello, is something wrong? Huh? What do you mean it's the wrong printer? That was the model that you told me. The guy at the store said it was the latest one...not good enough? Hang on a second...I'll be right there." he said, ending the call. He glanced at Ren, a frown on his face.

"I've got to step out for a moment. I'll leave the store to you while I'm gone, I've taught you well so don't sully my good name." he said firmly.

"Will do, I'll try not to poison anyone." the frizzy haired boy replied, earning a glare from the man. He grabbed his fedora and blazer from the coat rack, quickly leaving the store.

"Whoa...think Boss has a woman in his life? He left here in quite a hurry." Ryuji said.

"Why do you assume it's a woman?" Yusuke asked.

"Because no man would literally run out of a place unless it was to deal with a woman."

"Bruh...you give a bad name to men world wide. If one of you needed my help, I would drop what I was doing to lend a hand. It doesn't matter if your a man or a woman." Takumi said, setting his cup down on the small plate. Makoto giggled, setting down her pencil, glancing at the young actor.

"Spoken like a true gentlemen, how come you don't have a girlfriend yet? Or rather a real one? I've heard rumors about you and Kotone Otonashi spending time together...perhaps you should ask her on a romantic outing?"

"Oh, Jesus...parish the thought. I would never date someone like her...she's just so...so unladylike. I feel like she would punch me harder than I would punch someone else." he replied, shuddering at the thought.

"Hey, I have a question...if you punch yourself and it hurts, are you too weak, or are you too strong?" Ryuji asked.

"Neither, you're just a moron trying not to study." Morgana snapped, earning a chuckle from Yusuke, who looked up from his drawing. Since he had already finished his Final exams, he was content with sketching his friends while they studied.

"Morgana is right...we should take this time to study and not to lollygag." Makoto scolded, earning a groan from the boy.

"I know that but...oh, we should talk about the party."

"What did I just say?"

"Hear me out, I'll study more if I have something to look forward too. It'll be like...my motivation. Kinda like what an actor needs to portray his role in his film." he said, glancing at Takumi who paused mid sip, pulling the cup away from his lip.

"I dunno if I should be impressed with you saying that, or disappointed that you are using me as an example." he replied.

"No need to take it that way man...but you know I got a point."

"I suppose...so what are your suggestions? We had a hotpot last time, I think we should do something different. Since this is Makoto and Takumi's welcome party, we should let them decide."

"Oh, Akihabara...my sister told me they were opening a Nekopara cafe! There are gonna be cats everywhere along with cosplayers and even people dressed like the characters! Come on, it'll be the perfect chance to get Morgana his own kitty girlfriend!"

"Screw that! I'm human damn it!" the cat replied.

"Hey, isn't Nekopara an Ecchi game? I heard there was some R18 stuff in it." Ryuji asked.

"Only if you acquire the correct patch for the game. You could bypass all of that by buying the complete edition straight from the maker of the game." Yusuke replied.

"Uh...you play H games?" Takumi asked curiously. The young artist chuckled, leaning back against his seat.

"As an artist I must explore every facet of art, it just so happens that anime and visual novels are quite popular. So I do have my own collection of games in my dorm."

"You fricken perv, and you aren't safe either Takumi, I didn't know you liked to play that sort of game." Ann snapped, earning a quirked brow from the boy.

"I haven't patched my games with the R18 scenes. All of my games are on my desktop, on my Steam account. I just like the anime style and the characters. Besides Panther, you wouldn't look too out of place in that cafe, seeing as you are already a cute kitty cat."

"Don't make me slap you!"

"Sorry, but if you want to check out that cafe, you'll be on your own. I'm not into anime or video games, I spend a lot of time on my academics after all. Perhaps we should do something we could all enjoy, like seeing some fireworks?" Makoto said.

"Fireworks? Oh yeah that's right...the Festival! It is the season after all, there should be a fireworks festival the week after finals." Ryuji said.

"Hmm...not bad. Seeing some fireworks wouldn't be a bad idea, it could be like our own personal celebration. Seeing a myriad of colors will be enough to reignite my love of art."

"Oh that means you'll wear Yukatas right? Will you wear a yukata Lady Ann?" Morgana asked.

"I don't own one, but I suppose I can buy one. Maybe Makoto can accompany me."

"Sure, I don't own one either and I've been meaning too purchase one. What about the guys?"

"Nah...I know it's traditional and all, but I just don't like them very much. What about you Takumi? You gonna wear a Yukata?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"I'm not sure...I might have to get one if I do decide too. That also reminds me, since it's a fireworks festival, I'm sure my mom will want me to take Mitsuhide with me. Ayumi and Toni will most likely go on their own, do you guys mind?" he asked curiously.

"I'm okay with that, she should be able to enjoy the fireworks too. Oh, I'll buy her a Yukata, she'll look so pretty in it, like a little geisha!" Ann cried.

"Good luck with that. Do you know how much I struggled getting her out of that sweater? Sheesh, it was like the end of the world for her."

"I'm sure Ann can handle it, anyway, we should focus on our studies for now. I'm sure Ryuji will find the perfect festival for us to go to." Ren said.

"Damn straight, this is going to be an event worthy of the Phantom Thieves. After all, it's our celebration and welcoming party for our newest members, and for spiking in popularity. I will not let you down!" the boy said.

"Good, because if you don't pass these exams with at least a C, I'm not letting you come along with us." Makoto said.

"And just like that, Makoto Nijima has Ryuji Sakamoto by the balls. How will he counter?" Takumi said, holding his pen out to the boy almost like a microphone.

"Shuddup!"

Takumi let out a chuckle, shaking his head. He felt a sudden shudder go down his spine, and turned to look over his shoulder. His eyes were scanning the area just beyond Leblanc's entrance. He started looking around the entire cafe, eyes narrowed as his eyes traced every single area he could see.

"Something wrong Takumi? You're acting a little weird." Ann said.

"Heh...acting, he already is weird."

"Shut up Ryuji. I just had this odd feeling like...we're being watched."

"Eh? Don't even joke about that, whenever someone says something, I can't help but think of ghosts!" the blonde model cried, earning a smirk from the boy.

"Ghosts huh? I see we got a believer."

"I don't believe in ghosts! It's just...with shadows and stuff I can't help but think about the supernatural."

"You don't believe in ghosts? But...what about that hand on your shoulder?" Takumi asked, pointing to the girl's shoulder. She let out a scream, jumping out of her seat, much to his amusement.

"It isn't funny you asshole! Shit!" she cried, slapping his arm.

"You are so gullible...but still, that was an odd feeling...I guess it's nothing to worry about. Maybe the Phantom felt something." he said with a shrug.

In a nearby house, a young orange haired girl smirked. Her room was lit up by the glare of her computer monitor. She reached for the box of Pocky sticks on her desk, pulling one from within, munching on it slowly. She had been quite entertained by the teenagers who had befriended her guardian's charge. Quite interested indeed.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday July 11**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Survive Finals**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _Hey Takumi, you aren't busy are you?"_

"Not really, sis is out with her friends, Mitsu is napping and mom is handling the store. Why, is something wrong Makoto?" the boy asked, glancing away from his paused game. He heard the girl sigh on the other line.

" _Not really...but I do wish to discuss something pressing with you. Me and Ren went to Shinjuku the other day, and saw someone from our school there. After what happened with Kaneshiro, I just want to make sure there aren't any others getting into trouble. Mind accompanying me?"_

"Sure, do you wanna meet there or in Shibuya?"

" _I'd rather meet up in Shibuya...after last time, I don't trust myself going there alone. Thanks again, I know we have to study and all but I'm confident you'll do fine. Well, I'll be seeing you."_

"Bye Makoto...see you soon!" he said cheerfully, ending the call. He grabbed his controller, glancing at the screen, sighing in annoyance. He had been playing one of his Blazblue games and a person with the handle Alibaba had just whooped his ass with his favorite character, Rachel Alucard. He had tried defending against them, but he just couldn't.

" _Damn, you must be really good eh? You've just earned the right to message me personally. I've sent you my chat ID, so if you wanna chat or play against me again, just drop me a line, I gotta go for now."_ he typed, sending the message. He didn't wait for a reply, turning his system off.

He walked to his bedroom, exchanging his basketball shorts for a pair of dark blue jeans. He donned a sky blue shirt with a cup of coffee on it. The words, _"A Yawn is a Silent Scream for Coffee"_ was written on the front. It was one of his favorite shirts, one that he wore a lot during the summer. Once he was ready, he grabbed his beanie and put it on over his head, making sure his hair was out of his eyes. He grabbed his backpack and headed down stairs, telling his mom he was meeting with a friend before he left. The trip to Shibuya Station was much shorter than normal. He had wanted to venture into Mementos, to practice against some shadows and teach his teammates more about their weapons, but Ren had thought against it, wanting to focus more on the exams than anything else. He found Makoto after a few minutes, seeing her standing by herself in front of the JL Shinjuku line. She glanced up from her phone, giving him a small wave as he approached.

"Hello, sorry for calling you like that. I'm sure you have better things to do."

"Nah...I was just playing some games online...the usual. I was most likely gonna go to Akihabara to check out that cafe I mentioned. But since you called me, I decided it would be better to hang out with a friend."

"My apologies, you had your heart set on that cafe, and I was one of the ones who suggested something else." she said, bowing apologetically. The boy laughed, shaking his head.

"It's fine, I can head to Akihabara any time I want. My older sister lives there so I like to pop in every once in awhile. Now then, let's get going, before we miss the train." he said, swiping his commuter pass. Makoto curiously wondered why he had one, but thought it would be rude to ask. Once inside the train, they found some seats by the doors and sat down.

"You never mentioned an older sister...what's she like?"

"My sister? She's...well she's a little odd. She usually likes making a lot of cow centered jokes. She likes calling herself a cow too just because her breasts are a bit big for her age. She likes anime, and can sometimes be a shut in. But when she's on stage, she's a different person entirely."

"On stage?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Yep...I think I told you this before, though you probably forgot. The older sister I am speaking about is the leader of the idol group, Kanamin's Kitchen. Simply put, my older sister is Kanami Mashita." he said.

"Huh... _that_ Kanami is your older sister? You share last names...I never even picked up on it."

"It's alright, not many do. Mashita is a common name after all...we're not blood related. My father married her mom while she was pregnant, and he thought Kanami was his daughter. But after three years, he found out that he was in fact not her father, so he divorced her mom and married my mom. I popped out nine months later. Since my father legally adopted Kanami, we share his last name, but we got no family ties." he replied.

"I never would have guessed something like that...the way you make it sound though. It's as if your father didn't care at all about her."

"That's because he didn't...the bastard left Rika just because she withheld information. She told me once, that she caught him cheating on her with my mom. My mother never met Rika so I'm sure she didn't know about the divorce or Kanami either. She died never knowing the truth of what a scumbag her loving husband was." he said, glaring at the opposite side of the train. Makoto frowned, deciding it was time to change the conversation.

"Um...one of the reasons why I wanted you to come to Shinjuku with me is because...well. This is a hard topic to broach but...is your sister allowed to leave home alone?"

"Ayumi? I guess...she's used to being alone. Though these days, Toni is with her more often than not. Whenever she's not running across rooftops that is."

"Running across...I should have a word with her. What she's doing is dangerous and...no wait, this isn't what I meant. I was talking about Mitsuhide...I didn't want to say anything to Erica but...a couple days ago, I found her standing outside of Shujin Academy, by herself." Makoto said, earning a surprised look from Takumi.

"What...you're kidding right?"

"Sadly I'm not. She was just standing there, muttering something to herself. She seemed pretty off guard when I called out to her, and she acted oddly when I brought her back to Shibuya. I was gonna walk her home, but I lost her in the crowd. I asked Ayumi about it, and she told me she had been sleeping there the whole time, so I'm sure she didn't know she had left." she replied. The boy sighed, taking his glasses off, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Dammit...what the hell is she thinking? Doesn't she know it's dangerous for her to wonder around alone? Especially in Shibuya? That bastard Kaneshiro may be off the streets, but that doesn't mean there aren't people like him still around!"

"It was pretty worrying, which is why I needed to tell you. Some of the council members spotted her walking through the halls. She was trying not to be seen though. She said she was looking for you, but I'm sure that was a cover." Makoto replied.

"A cover huh? Wonder what she's after...I'll have to talk to her later. The last thing I want is for her to get hurt or worse. Thanks for letting me know about this Makoto. I love my sister dearly, and I would hate for something to happen to her."

"You're welcome. I can tell you love your siblings very much, you even spoke about Kanami of all people. I wish my older sister was more...laid back."

"All work and no play?" he asked.

"You don't know the half of it...she's upset because the Phantom Thieves cracked her case. She used to care about the people she helped, but know it's all about promotions. She's changed a lot...I believe our father's death is a contributing factor."

"I'm sorry to hear that...I know she might seem stiff but...she still cares for you. Being a prosecutor must be tough, the destiny of millions is in your hands alone, whether your with them or against them. Must be tough being in her shoes." Takumi replied, glancing at the ground.

"I know...I know what we do will make her life harder, but I don't intend on quitting. I've finally found a place where I belong, and I'm never losing sight of it again. I've finally made friends, people I can share things with. Someone who understands the perils of having older siblings."

"Hehe...I feel the same. Well, I'm the only one among our group who has an older sibling, so if you wish to share your woes with me, then I'll lend an ear. We can trade war stories whenever you want...but this thing you said...students of our school in Shinjuku, it's kinda worrying."

"It is...I saw one girl, a classmate of mine. She went into this odd looking Salon."

"A salon...you mean that After School Salon right? I passed it last time I was there looking for clues about Kaneshiro. It's right next to a Go-Go club...don't ask how I know that, I just do." he added quickly, earning a glare from the older girl.

"It doesn't matter...being close to such a place...I don't want her to be influenced by that place. We're just going to stake it out okay? No going in or anything. I don't want to risk driving her away, because then I won't be able to figure out what she's doing." Makoto replied.

"Oh...a scouting mission, just what I like doing. I guess I'll be under your direction, Queen."

"Hehe...that's right Songbird, today you'll follow my orders. First order of business, is finding a place where we won't get caught." she said.

"That's easy, there should be an access door on the building across the street. So we just climb onto the roof and stake it out from there. We won't be able to hear jack, but we can at least see what kind of people go in there. Do you know when she's set to start her shift or something?" Takumi asked curiously.

"4:30, I believe...are you sure we should be going into a building like that?"

"Not really, but as long as you don't get caught, it should be fine."

"Heh...spoken like a true Phantom Thief."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Heart)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday July 12**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Survive Finals**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Ugh...these finals suck ass! Takumi! Take me out to dinner, please?"

"Toni, if you keep complaining and not studying, then you'll never pass! Focus on your work and it will make the exam week fly by. That goes for you too Ayumi. If you get below your grade level, I swear I'm going to spank you." the brown haired actor cried, earning a vigorous nod from his sister.

"Gotcha! What I learned in boating school is?" she exclaimed, her eyes focused on her paper. He sighed, shaking his head as he put the finishing touches on an Italian sub. Normally, such a delicacy would be reserved for only himself and the closest individuals in his life. But today, this was for his little sister. He was going to do a bit of probing, hoping to get an answer to what Makoto had shared with him the day before.

"Hey Taku, what are you doing on the 18th? There's a fireworks festival I want to go too and I sort of wanted someone to go with. Are you free?" Toni asked, causing the boy to stop, his sweet tea almost spilling on the platter he was holding.

"Sorry, me and my friends already made plans on that day. I'm free on Tuesday though, if you wanna go do so some parkour."

"Uwah...fine. We're going to a different place then, but this time I'm not telling you where we are going." she said, giving him a wink.

"What I learned in boating school is?!" Ayumi exclaimed, squeezing her pencil so hard it snapped. Takumi decided then to just leave the two first years to their own devices.

He stopped in front of the closed door, which had a keep out sign on it. He frowned as he knocked lightly on it, hoping his sister wasn't asleep. Thankfully, she wasn't. Her door slowly opened, and she looked up at him, squinting a bit due to the difference in light. He gave her a smile.

"Hey, thought you'd like a snack. I made a couple subs and figured I'd share one with you. Could I come in?" he asked politely. She quirked a brow but allowed him in regardless. Her room, much to his surprise, was almost entirely dark, with only a single lamp and some candles being the source of light. She sat down in her beanbag chair by her desk, grabbing the book she had been reading. He set the tray down, taking a seat on her bed.

"What can I assist you with big brother? Are you perhaps struggling with mathematics like my elder sister? I heard her shouting something about boating school just now."

"She's just being an idiot, don't mind her." he said firmly. She shrugged, grabbing her plate off the tray, placing it in her lap, holding her book in her other hand.

"What are you reading now?"

"It's just some light reading...mother said I should read less educational stuff and more romance. So I took her copy of Fifty Shades of Gray, I'm not exactly convinced how this woman is still in love with this man, despite all of the horrid sounding things he has done to her." she said.

"You shouldn't be reading that sis! That book is something for adults to read only, maybe you should put it down." he said.

"My apologies big brother, I like finishing each book I start. Worry not, I'm not interested in the series, but I want to see this through to the end." she replied. The boy frowned, taking a bite from his own sandwich, glancing at the floor. It was odd being inside a candle lit room, considering the fact that the only time he used candles was when there wasn't any power.

"There is something on your mind, so say it. You shouldn't beat around the bush with me big brother." Mitsuhide said, setting her book down. She started eating her sandwich, giving the boy her full attention.

"I'll be blunt then, why were you at Shujin by yourself?"

"Ah...so Miss Nijima told you? As I told her, I was looking for you...there was something I wished to know, so I searched for you. It wasn't until after I met with her that she told me you were in Shibuya station." she replied.

"Okay...you could have just messaged me. Are you gonna tell me your phone is broken?"

"I have no excuse for my actions...and neither do you. I've been keeping my eye on you recently. Ever since Kaneshiro turned himself in, you've been walking on eggshells. You were nervous, but last Saturday, you were even more so. It was as if you were waiting for something to happen."

"Of course I was waiting for something to happen. Kaneshiro had a hit on mom, and the ninth was the deadline. I just wanted him to confess so that we could be 100% sure he wouldn't do anything. I was scared, because mom could have died, because you and Ayumi were in danger." he replied.

"Yes...my preliminary investigation yielded such a result. I thought it was just a case of anxiousness and nervousness caused by the fear of Kaneshiro taking action. I was about to leave it at that, when I noticed one of my fountain pens was missing. I recalled letting you borrow it, and went into your room to get it. I found something rather peculiar sticking out from under your keyboard." she said.

"Huh...what?" the boy asked, swallowing hard. The girl dug her hand into her sweater pocket, pulling out the crimson calling card he had saved, a firm look on her face.

"Sir Junya Kaneshiro, the money devouring sinner of gluttony. You indulge in scamming others with horrendous methods that target minors exclusively. Attacking the innocent, swindling children, exploiting them for your own nefarious schemes, these crimes cannot go unpunished...the peace and safety of Shibuya has been disturbed for far too long. Exposing your crimes and bringing you to the light will finally set those victims free. We have decided to make you confess all of your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail...from, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts."

"Yeah...that's what it says. I picked one of these up when I was in Shibuya, this stuff was everywhere. How could I not? I am a big fan after all."

"Then explain this." the girl said, pulling another piece of paper from her pocket. She handed it to him and he looked it over, seeing it was a piece of notebook paper, covered in graphite. She had taken a pencil and used the lead to reveal the imprint of what was written on the page above. He face palmed, almost dropping his food.

"I'm such an idiot."

"Yes, I'm inclined to agree...what world have you stepped into big brother? Do you actually believe I wouldn't start questioning things? Especially after Ayumi started talking out weird dreams in a Distorted Shibuya? How you and your friends were acting and talking about cognition after Kaneshiro had turned himself in. What do you have to say for yourself?"

"Nothing, nothing at all...sheesh. I can't believe I'm getting a third degree from a kid." he muttered, focusing on his food for the moment.

"Listen, this world that you've _discovered_ is dangerous. You remember that thesis I was reading, the one written by Wakaba Isshiki? It was talking about cognitive psience. Another world that lies side by side with this one. It was all just a theory, it was never stated if it existed or not. Mental Shutdowns, Psychotic Breakdowns and suddenly Phantom Thieves triggering changes of heart, what do you have to say about all of this?"

"I'm not saying anything...anything except the fact that I'm not stopping. Mitsuhide, I love you...but for your own safety, don't get involved with my business. I wouldn't want you to get hurt alright? This stuff that I'm getting into...it's nothing more than me getting back at rotten adults, like Kaneshiro. I'm going to ask you once, keep this to yourself." he said firmly.

"She was getting blackmailed by someone."

"Huh? Who're you talking about?"

"Makoto Nijima...I was in the school and I listened in to a conversation between her and Principle Kobayakawa. She said something interesting too, about her finding a place to belong, and never losing sight of it. That she wasn't going to stop being a Phantom Thief either. I'm not going to tell anyone anything...but I'm not letting you fight alone. Whatever it is you are doing, let me in on it."

"Absolutely not! You are just a kid!" he cried.

"Just a kid huh? Everyone thinks I'm just a kid, what's the point of being a genius if I'm still treated like a child? Does my brain truly mean nothing if my body doesn't serve to support it?" she cried back.

"What are you talking about? I don't treat you like a child!"

"You forcefully dressed me in clothes I didn't like, told me what to do and took me to a place to hang out with kids my age. My apologies, but that is the very definition of being treated like a child!" she countered, crossing her arms in annoyance. The boy frowned, taking a gulp of his tea, sad that the ice had made it a little runny.

"What do you want?"

"Straight to the point...it is obvious that this "Distorted Shibuya" is part of this...cognitive world that Dr. Isshiki spoke of. I am not venturing there, but if you are then you'll need stuff to aid you. I saw some of the lock picks you hid under your bed, in that model gun case. Let's just say, you had the right idea but...in your terms, it was a shit job." she replied.

"Yeah...I'm still learning."

"Indeed, which is why I took the liberty of making you this. This lock pick is a lot stronger and it only took me a few minutes to make. This one will last you for a long time, instead of those single use ones." she said, handing him the silver pick set. It looked like she had made it out of a wire hanger, and was rather detailed as well.

"Whoa...this looks better than what I made."

"Yes, I tried my best. Next, is something else I have crafted out of some oil pastels, ammonium nitrate and newspaper." she replied, handing him a sky blue tube. Upon close inspection, he noticed that it was a re-purposed Easy Off can, which had been sawed in half. He saw a plastic cover on the top, held by duct tape. He also saw what looked like a fuse sticking out of it.

"What is this?"

"A smoke grenade...I saw your plans of making one out of ping pong balls and bottle caps. Mother doesn't mind if I buy things for science experiments. In fact, I have my own chemistry set in the basement with the necessary tools. This is a simple one, I had to melt a lot of oil pastels and mix it with the ammonium nitrate to get the right color. Let me know if it works." she said earning a nod from the boy.

"I...wow Mitsu. How did you even come up with this stuff?"

"You aren't very good at hiding things...I found some notes explaining shadows and magical elements. Going by what Ayumi mentioned, she said something about people turning into shadows, and brainwashing spells. If you are in that world, I assume you fight these shadows. If you get ambushed, this will buy you time. If you require more, just ask and I shall provide. But remember, you have to bring me what I need in order to produce what you need. This deal shall work for us now yes?" she asked curiously.

"I guess...but why do you want to do this? Why do you want to help me?"

"Why not? I wish to be treated like the adult I feel I am. Not as the child I physically look like. Besides, I want you to bring me back information, Wakaba Isshiki's work has been a part of my studies in general psychology. How we view the world through our cognition is a subject of interest. As long as you let me know what kind of shadows exist in that world and who you'll be facing, that is more than enough. Perhaps, with this research...I will finally feel like I...nevermind. Is this sufficient?" she asked.

"I suppose...if information is what you want, then information I'll bring. Just keep this secret to yourself. My friends will ride my ass if they find out my nine year old sister caught me because of my own carelessness." he said. The girl let out a dainty laugh, giving him a nod.

"Alright big brother...we have an accord." she said, shaking hands with him. He sighed, laying back on her bed, having put his empty plate back on the tray.

"I can't believe you caught me though...I should be more careful. I'm not gonna say anything to my friends though, it's too embarrassing."

"It wasn't hard to figure out. Especially when Ryuji shouts everything whenever something Phantom Thief related happens. How you haven't been captured by the authorities is beyond comprehension." Mitsuhide replied, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Yeah...you've a point there...thanks sis...I appreciate everything you're willing to do for us. But I feel like you aren't getting enough out of this."

"It is alright...information is all I need. It will help me write my own thesis on the matter. As long as I can become a psychologist and a philosopher, I am content with this. I'd like to thank you big brother, for making me this delectable sandwich. Even though it was just bait to get information from me. Although, I feel like you got the short end of the stick this time." she replied, giving him a wink.

"Yeah...and I'm sure I'm gonna get hooked more times as I go along." he said, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Moon Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Moon)xxx**_

"So then...allow me to satiate my thirst for knowledge...is it alright if I take notes?"

"Sure Mitsu, take all the notes you want. Just make sure neither Ayumi nor Toni can get to them. I don't want those two to figure this stuff out, and hide that calling card would you?"

"Understood."

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 2)**_


	21. Laying Low II

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to the next chapter of Codename: Songbird! I am glad you are all enjoying this story, because I am having fun writing it. So This chapter is going to be one of those necessary filler chapters, that will slowly start moving the plot along. I do hope you dont mind these, because it gives me a reason to explore the characters a bit, raise ranks and all of that jazz. It won't be long until the next arc starts, if you are all intelligent sleuths, you will already know that we are heading in that direction. So do pay attention to everything in these chapters, because I always leave clues about what is about to happen in the following chapters...more often then not they will be clues about the future of the story as well, and other times they will be references to pop culture, memes, the illuminati and debates about their existence, stuff like that. You see, when you are a night owl like me, and spend six hours looking up dank memes you tend to start adding said memes to stories. But I'll try not to let my dank speak in these chapters...you know...maybe.**

 **Anyway, I'm not gonna make a particularly long authors note today. I've been a little lazy and took two days of from writing to think about the ending of this arc. Normally, I would have already planned the events of the next arc by now, but this one has been challenging, writing two palaces is tough especially when you want to give equal attention to both of them. I don't want it to seem like the original one is superior to Futaba's or vise versa, since both of them are equally important. Also, to my guest, I mean all the female confidants, minus Erica and Mitsuhide will be available to romance, that includes Ayumi and Kanami as well.**

 **Now then, something for all of you writers out there struggling with grammar, I just tried something that a friend recommended, I'm sure you've heard of it, but if you haven't, here it is. It is something called Grammarly, it's a program you can install directly onto your browser, Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Netscape if you still use that, it will help you check your grammar. It is free and it is a boon, I didn't know I made so many mistakes that I didn't catch, this thing caught them all and made changes for me that I wouldn't have considered. So if you wanna make your writing visually pleasing and nod word soup, or you are struggling to find your own style because you have dislexia, something I myself suffer from greatly, then this is the program for you. Give it a try, it might just make you a better writer.**

 **And now for the shout outs, I don't give these out often but I want to show my appreciation for you lovely readers. BloodyDemon666 and G King, my writing bros in arms, you two are always welcome in my little nook of fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy this chapter. I will read your stuff when I can, I've been super busy with stuff. ReallyLazyReader, I'm happy to see you as well and I hope you are liking the stuff so far, let me know what you think. And finally, one of my newer readers and or reviewers, RosyMiranto18 who was a total boss and ended up finding the kanji for the names of every oc I have added in this story as well as their meanings, this chapter is dedicated to you specifically, I will be adding those kanji below for you all to see. It was well thought out and gave more insight to the characters. I know more often than not it is hard to visualize someone without drawing them, but this adds loads of depth to them. We already have their VA's, so why not add this too? Thank you once again for actually taking the time to do this, you are awesome my friend!**

 **So, I do hope you like this chapter, leave your thoughts in the reviews. I hope to see you awesome readers in the next chapter, feel free to PM me if you have questions and the like, I'm always here to answer them. See you all on Thursday!**

 **Mashita Takumi: 真下 匠 (You know, i secretly hoped that his name is an Initial D reference)  
Mashita Takarou: 真下 隆朗 (His name means Prosperous Bright, referencing his desire to only keep his company prosperous, ignoring everything else)  
Mashita Rika: 真下 理香 (Her name means 'Always Strong')  
Mashita Naotarou: 真下 直太朗 (I don't understand why did her name is Naotarou. While it's named after a Pop Singer-Songwriter, it's still a male name regardless)  
Isoshima Billerica: 五十島 ビルリカ  
Isoshima Ayumi: 五十島 歩実 (Her name means 'Walking Truth', referencing that she's the only Non-Persona User to have entering the Metaverse (until Sae is involved, but it's a necessity for her))  
Isoshima Mitsuhide: 五十島 光秀 (Akechi Mitsuhide, too obvious, nothing more)(References Akechi Mitsuhide, a samurai general from the Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan)  
Otonashi 'Toni' Kotone: 音無シ 琴音 (It is ironic, both her name and surname contain Kanji for 'sound', yet her surname means… soundless)  
Shimizu Ryoutarou: 清水 瞭太郎 (In this case, Ryou means 'Obvious')  
Shouji Akihiko: 晶司 晶彦 (You see, i gave the same initial kanji for both name and surname, also the Shouji part is taken from Segawa Shouji, a Shougi player)  
Akashibi Ayane (the Sixth Kanamin Kitchen member who broke her leg): 赤鮪 彩音 (Akashibi literally means 'Red Tuna'. The surname is referencing the members of Kanamin Kitchens who having edible meats as their tagnames (with Ayane referencing Fish in this case) Ayane itself means Colorful Sound. Her name is also a reference to Hirata Junko, whose stage name is Ayane.)**

 **Fujisaki Kagura:** **不二咲 神楽  
(Fujisaki references Danganronpa's Ultimate Programmer, Fujisaki Chihiro. While Kagura is... well... a Gintama reference.)**

 **Credit for the above goes to RosyMiranto18, once again thanks for this, you are awesome!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 21

Laying Low II

 _ **Date: Saturday July 16**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Akihabara**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Survive Finals**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Finals week was finally over. Takumi was confident that he was going to pass them with flying colors, but Ryuji was a different case. He had made it blatantly obvious that he hadn't studied at all, despite hanging out with Ren and asking him to study. Ann had been the same, English was the only subject she was good at, and she hadn't studied at all. The young actor had finished rather early, and had been let out by Ms. Chuno, who had been impressed with the speed he had finished his exams in. Usually the entire day was given to the students, but for those that finished early, they were allowed to go home. Since only two exams were taken a day, it left the students with quite a lot of time. Which was why he had gotten in contact with some directors and asked them if they had any open roles. Much to his surprise, there was one who was currently holding auditions for a new movie, as well as a director for a new soft drink commercial.

It was also why he had invited Ann to go with him. This would be the perfect way for her to learn about acting. Ren was coming along for the ride, curious as to how a commercial was filmed. So after each of them had finished their final exams, they took the train to Shibuya and switched to the Akihabara line. Electric Town was as lively as ever, but he lead them down another route, away from where his older sister lived, to a more lively area of Akihabara. They passed by the GiGO arcade, one of the most famous landmarks in Electric Town and one that he frequented a lot when he was younger. If you were a fan of Sega this was the place to go. But since Takumi was a man on a mission, that meant he had a place he needed to be at and that place was Don Quijote, a discount store chain on the level of Junes. It was a tall building consisting of grocery and specialty stores, toy stores and the famous AKB48 theater, where the idol group AKB48 did daily shows, and where most of the idols associated with that group started out. It was also where he was meeting the director of one of the commercials he was going to film.

"I've never been to this part of Akihabara...you know this place like the back of your hand don't you Takumi?" Ren asked curiously.

"You could say that...this was my favorite place when I was growing up. I used to spend all of my pocket change at GiGO trying to get some high scores on the machines there. I just feel at home here, plus some of the more interesting acting gigs take place here. If we finish early, we can stick around for one of AKB48's shows."

"You know I've always wanted to see one of their shows live. How exactly did you get this gig again?"

"It was Kanami, she put a good word in with the director. It's just a short commercial for some new soft drinks. Apparently some of the idols are gonna have specialty drinks and they needed someone to drink out of the can." he said jokingly, earning a chuckle from Ren.

"Poor Takumi, surrounded by pretty idols and all he gets is a free soft drink."

"Eh...shuddup! Now remember Ann, I called you here so you could take notes on how to act. I'm going to be surrounded by a group of the most famous idols in Japan, hell the world. While I am a big fan of their work, I am going to be a professional about it. So remember to pay attention, got it?"

"Sir Yes Sir! I shall follow your orders to the letter!" the girl cried, giving him a salute.

Once they arrived at the correct building, they stepped into the elevator, going straight to the eighth floor. It was here where the AKB48 theater was located, and where he would have to meet the director of the commercial. He could see various people walking around with cameras, cables, tripods, lamps and various other things. On stage were various cardboard cut outs of the soft drink they were advertising. There were a few idols on stage that he hadn't seen before, mostly around his age, so they were probably the new girls. The director that he had spoken too had told him he was doing this commercial just to get attention to these girls, so it was a good way to get himself recognized as well. AKB48 was a national icon, so if he did commercials with their girls, he would definitely bring more attention to himself. He looked around for a few seconds, spotting the man near the stage.

"There he is, this man is an American director, I heard he came to Japan to get his brand of directing recognized here." he said, leading his friend's down the aisle toward the stage.

"Does that mean he's here to film the next Godzilla movie?" Ren asked earning a laugh from the actor.

"Maybe, and if we're lucky we'll get hired as extras."

"Hey, that would be pretty good. I heard extras get paid a lot per scene." Ann said.

"It depends what kind of extra you are. Some even have a couple speaking lines so you might get lucky...well, wish me luck."

"Good luck Takumi, you've got this in the bag!" Morgana cried from within Ren's bag. He took a deep breath, adopting a confident look as he walked up to the director, a man in his early thirties, wearing a pair of glasses on his face, dressed rather casual for his role.

"Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Ah, Mr. Mashita! I was wondering when you'd be coming, oh you're dressed in uniform, school just let out didn't it?" the man asked curiously.

"I had finals today, I didn't want to be late. The last time I was, the director ended up shouting at me. So I made sure to be extra punctual, I've got another meeting in Asakusa after this, so I couldn't really change." he said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"It's totally fine, in fact I think the student look will be perfect for our commercial. This young woman is Clara Morita, she's a new idol for AKB48, so we need to get her face out there." the man said.

"It's nice to meet you Mashita-kun! I hope we can get along well together." the girl said happily, shaking his hand.

She looked to be around Takumi's age, with light hazel colored hair, styled into twin drills, and held up by white ribbons. Rather than wear the usual get up the idols wore, she was wearing a French Maid outfit, which was black and white in color, with short puffy white sleeves. She wore a white apron over it, which had a name tag sown onto the side, in the shape of a heart, which was pink in color. She wore white stockings and formal black shoes. It was a rather odd style for an idol, but AKB48 was known for having different sister groups, each with their own unique style, so he didn't question it.

"You look familiar...have we met before?" he asked, after a few seconds.

"I don't believe we have...ah...wait...I might have handed you a flier once. This isn't my only job, I work at My Own Maid, I'm sort of klutzy, so I don't get many shifts. I needed a source of income, and I'm a good singer, so why not right?" she asked, her eyes twinkling a bit. The tone of her voice betrayed her look however, which made the boy rather suspicious.

"I suppose...you must be a rather patient person, getting a job like this and all."

"It pays the bills." she replied, glancing back at the director.

"Well, I should explain...we've already got some scenes filmed. This one is rather short, all you have to do Takumi-kun, is stand on stage and drink out of this. Clara-chan will walk up to you, read her lines and you just reply with, Oh this is the new cherry flavored mineral water Sakura-Mizu, you take another drink, and that's it. Simple right?" he asked.

"I suppose...how many of these do I get to drink?" he asked curiously. The man chuckled, handing him a few cans of the drink, in various flavors.

"We have plenty, this commercial isn't just for the idols here. It's also for the grocery store and for the company. They're small, but they wanted to start with something small like soft drinks. I promise they're really good." he said. Takumi shrugged, cracking one of the cans open, taking a gulp from it. He turned to his friends, having handed them some of the drinks he had been given.

"Ah...you're right, this is pretty good. Now then, pay close attention to how it's done Ann. This is a learning experience after all." he said, walking up onto the stage, along with Clara. Ren and Ann backed away from the stage a bit, allowing one of the camera men to set up where they had been standing.

"Alright Takumi-kun, just stand in front of that vending machine we set up. There's an unopened can inside, all you have to do is reach into it, open it and say the lines we gave you." the director said, earning a thumbs up from the boy. One of the make up artists walked up to the young man, looking him over for a second before applying some make up to his face.

"Don't worry, this stuff isn't harmful for your skin." she reassured, earning a groan from the boy. Ann and Ren couldn't help but laugh quietly to themselves. Once done, Takumi took his position. The cameraman started rolling.

"Rolling."

"And action!" the director cried.

Takumi reached into the machine, just as he had been told, grabbing the can from inside. He cracked it open and pressed it to his lips, drinking from the contents, turning around to walk away. Clara started walking toward him about to read her lines when she stumbled on her own feet falling hard onto the stage. Somehow she had grabbed a hold of Takumi's hand, sending the drink he was holding to the ground, spilling it all over the place.

"Ow!"

"Cut, Clara-chan are you alright?" the director called out.

"I'm fine." she replied, sounding muffled due to her face being pressed against the floorboards. Takumi knelt down in front of her, holding his hand out.

"You didn't even get a line out...usually people get tongue twisted, not leg twisted." he joked, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Like I said...I'm a little klutzy...can we take it from the top again?" she asked.

"Yes...put a new drink in the machine." the director said. A man from the prop department placed a new can within the machine. Takumi got back into position, earning a nod from the director.

"Rolling."

"Okay, with feeling this time! Action!" he cried.

Takumi sighed inwardly as he grabbed the new can from inside the machine. Just like last time, he opened it taking a gulp from it. He turned around, slowly walking away from the machine waiting for Clara to enter the scene. She didn't stumble this time, instead she stood in front of Takumi, a blank look on her face. He stood there awkwardly, waiting for her to say something.

"Um...s-sorry to bother you s-sir...what might t-that be in y-your hand?"

"Oh this? This is a brand new soft drink called Cherry-Mizu. It's cherry flavored sparkling water with zero calories. Would you like to try it?" he asked.

"S-sure...I'd love to."

"Cut...Clara-chan, honey, you aren't reading your lines right. I like the stuttering though, it makes you look like an innocent maid. If you wanna keep that, go for it. But just read the right lines. Places everyone." the director called. Takumi frowned, taking another drink from his opened can, handing it to one of the stage hands, who replaced it with another unopened one.

"I don't think Takumi is having fun up there." Ann said from her seat.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well look at him, he looks a bit...disappointed? Like he wanted a little more from this. Plus that Clara girl is kinda klutzy."

"As if you could do a better job than her Lady Ann." Morgana said.

"What is that supposed to mean? Of course I could do a better job than her. It isn't hard to read some lines you know!" she exclaimed, catching the attention of the director.

"Oh, you're an actress?"

"Huh? Not really." Ann replied.

"Hmm...I have an idea, how about you take a break Clara-chan, we'll let this girl handle it. Don't worry, you'll still get your chance to shine." he said. Clara frowned, giving the man a nod as she got off the stage.

"I can't go up there...I'm not ready for something like this!"

"Come on Ann, it'll be fun. This is a learning experience after all, and you fine. Give it a shot, I promise it's a lot less nerve racking on stage." Takumi said cheerfully. The girl sighed, giving him a nod.

"What do I have to say again?"

"All you have to do is ask Takumi-kun what he's drinking, and he'll in turn reply with the name. It should be easy enough right?" the man asked. Ann nodded, walking past Clara onto the stage, fixing her hair slightly. One of the make up artists checked her over, giving the director a nod.

"Take three, rolling." the cameraman cried out.

"Action!"

Takumi mentally sighed, reaching into the machine for the soft drink, opening a new can for the third time. He took a drink from it, walking away from the can, just as Ann excitedly ran up to him, causing him to stop in his tracks.

"Hey there, I couldn't help but notice that drink in your hands. Would you mind telling me what it's called?" she asked, her voice sounding a bit ditzy as she spoke.

"Huh? Oh, this is a brand new drink called Cherry-Mizu! It's cherry flavored sparkling water. Do you wanna try it?" he asked, holding the can out to her. She gratefully took it, downing the rest of the drink, wiping her mouth with her arm.

"That was awesome, oh but I drank it all. I know, I'll buy you one since you let me drink yours!"

"Hehe...okay."

"Cut...that was brilliant! It was so normal, like two teenagers just hanging out. Miss are you sure you aren't an actress because that was perfectly well done." the man asked.

"Um...I'm not really an actress or anything. Takumi has been giving me lessons, but that was something simple. I acted like I would in school." she replied, giving the man a smile.

"Well it was perfect, we're gonna keep that take. Don't worry Clara-chan! We've got a restaurant scene in the final act of the commercial, since you work at a cafe that should be much easier for you to handle."

"Okay...whatever works!" the girl replied happily.

"Thank you so much Takumi-kun! That was all we needed you for today, if we need you for another commercial, my secretary will get back to you. Could I trouble your friend for her information? I feel like I've seen her somewhere before."

"I'm a model, I was in last weeks cover of Vague magazine. I guess this stuff just comes natural to me." Ann said.

"Ah yes...I knew you looked familiar. Ann Takamaki-san, my name is Albert Martinez, I came all the way here from the United States to learn more about foreign film and to teach some directors here how Americans handle filming. It would be an honor if you could be in more commercials for me."

"Huh...I guess I wouldn't mind that but...I'm really not that good of an actress." she admitted, giving the man a sheepish look.

"Nonsense, you did great in that one scene. It looked really natural, like a normal conversation between friends." Ren said, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shared a look with Takumi, who gave her a similar nod.

"This young frizzy haired lad has a point. If you have the time, I'd love to invite you to be in more commercials. Who knows, perhaps you'll even be found and be put in movies all around the world...here's my card, call me if you're interested." the man said, handing her a glossy business card. She reached into her skirt, pulling out her wallet, drawing one card from inside, handing it to him.

"Here's all my information, my manager told me to have these ready just in case. I never knew I'd actually have to hand one out. Kinda glad I got them made now." she said.

"That reminds me, I gotta get some business cards printed out too...I'm gonna talk to Yusuke, he'll make them all pretty and junk. Anyway, we gotta go before my train to Asakusa leaves. It was awesome working with you Director. Do you know how long it'll be until my pretty face is on television?"

"Hehe...a couple of weeks at most. We gotta edit it and present it to the CEO to see if he likes it. We'll let you know when it gets a slot on television. Thanks again for coming, I wish you luck on your next outing." he said.

"That was pretty fun...you looked much different when you were acting with Lady Ann." Morgana said, once they entered the elevator.

"Did I? I didn't notice a change." Takumi said, leaning against the wall.

"I agree, I think it was because you and that idol didn't have an chemistry. So you were just reading lines, but with Ann it was more natural and it flowed like a conversation would." Ren said.

"Interesting...I guess even I can still learn something new about acting. Clara has a long way to go if she wants to be an actress. I really hope she's a good singer, because I doubt she'll get any real work if she's that klutzy." he said, sounding a bit worried about the idol.

"I'm sure she'll be fine...still though, that face plant must have hurt." Ann said. Takumi nodded, about to say something when his phone started ringing. He sighed, pulling it out, seeing Rise's picture on the screen. He took the call, pressing it to his ear.

"Hey Rise, what's up?"

" _Hey Takumi, remember how we were talking about Shimizu hurting people on set? I think I have some information that you'll be interested in. When can you get to my apartment?"_

"I'm in Akihabara, in Don Quijote actually. I can get to your place inside of ten minutes. Is it something serious?"

" _I'm not sure, but it is something that I needed to say to you. It doesn't involve your sister so don't worry."_

"Alright...I'll be there soon."

"Who was that?" Ren asked curiously.

"My friend Rise, she needed to tell me something important. I don't wanna sound like a dick or anything, but this is more of a private matter."

"Hey, we totally understand. I gotta go do some modeling later anyway, and I'm sure Ren has some Ren stuff he has to take care of."

"Ren stuff?" the black haired boy asked, glancing at the blonde model.

"Oh you know...stuff that only you do. Which reminds me...we're running a bit low on meds. We can't go to the Metaverse without them, I'll try to buy some at the general store. But the stuff you always gets is the best stuff, think you can manage?"

"Mhmm...leave it to me."

"The way you talk...you aren't buying illegal meds from some back alley doctor, are you?" Takumi asked. Ren and Morgana shared a look, before bursting into laughter, surprising the young actor quite a bit.

"Ah...you're really funny man. Anyway, I'll see you all later...be safe you two." the boy said, once they were outside.

"Okay...see you later!" Ann added, sharing a brief hug with Takumi, before she and Ren left for the station. He watched them go for a few minutes, before heading toward Rise and Kanami's apartment.

He wasn't exactly sure why Rise had called him, but he knew it had to do with Shimizu. The tone of her voice suggested it, and he was quite worried about what was going on behind the scenes. So he hurried toward her house. After moving through the busy crowds of Chuo Dori street, heading toward the apartment. He made it ten minutes after, entering the elevator, pressing the button with the number four on it. Once on the fourth floor, he walked down the hall toward the apartment on the end, ringing the bell a couple times. The door swiftly open, and he was pulled inside, without much warning.

"Ah...Rise, why'd you pull me in?"

"Sorry, I just didn't want anyone to see I was home. Some guy found out I lived here and was sitting outside for hours. I finally got the cops to remove him, but you can't be too safe." she said softly. He noticed she was wearing an over sized tee shirt, over a pair of shorts, her hair being down as opposed to its usual style.

"Let me guess, day off work?" he asked, earning a giggle from her.

"Yup, I'm in between albums so I got nothing to do. It's sort of fun, not having to worry about concerts and junk. Though my manager said he would be scheduling some performances nearby. But my idol career isn't what I called you here for, it's about Shimizu." she said, leading him to the kitchen.

"What...what did you find out?" he asked.

"Well...it's some heavy shit...according to one of his stage hands, he's pretty abusive. Anyone who doesn't complete a certain task within the time he has given, is fired on the spot. Usually minor characters in his movies. But the big actors are treated even worse, some people say he's in cahoots with the son of the famous actor, Takeshiro Shouji." she said.

"Tch...the son of that man...his name is Akihiko, he's the bastard who took my role in his movie. I'm sort of glad I got shit canned then." he said. Rise pulled a couple drinks from inside the fridge, handing one to the boy. He twisted the cap off, taking a drink from it.

"What do you mean in cahoots though? What does he do?"

"According to this person, quite a lot. Since Shimizu is the reason why his father became famous, Akihiko treats him almost like family. He basically does whatever he wants on set. He gets whoever he hates fired, sexually harasses the women on set and worse...apparently he's hitting some of the interns. Shimizu just stands by, adding to the fire as well." Rise said, earning a frown from the boy.

"This sounds concerning but...one person alone saying this isn't enough. If more people spoke up, I think I would be able to discern its validity."

"Huh...why do you need to know if it's true? If someone is saying it then it is...I mean, Kanami comes here with bruises. So that means either Akihiko or Shimizu himself is hitting them."

"Trust me Rise...you can't jump the gun with only a handful of facts. It's best to have an entire file of proof, it's a lot more valuable. Right now, I only have second hand information, in order to get the truth, I'll have to speak with Kanami herself. Even if she refuses to say anything." he said. Rise set her bottle down, a dry chuckle leaving her lips.

"Good luck with that. I'm sure everything is all just speculation and rumors. I mean I've met Shimizu myself, and he seems nice. But going but what you said before...I just need more information. I'm positive I'll find something." she said cheerfully.

"Can you keep tabs on Kanami for me? I'm worried about her. She's been really busy with this damn movie. It doesn't make any sense, Shimizu said filming starts during the summer, but over the last month, he's been filming stuff. What the hell is he making if it's not When Idol's Fly?" he asked.

"That I am not sure of. Whatever the case, it's gonna be a hit as soon as it comes out. One thing I did find out, is that he treats Jadis and Associates like some sort of sacred shrine. He said in an interview that young people make his movies more impactful. And that he's responsible for starting many actors on the right path. It's through hard work and love that his movies score so highly."

"Sacred shrine? That sounds sick...so he treats that place like a recruitment center...but why go after idols though? I mean, idols do make for good actresses, and the transition is natural. It's just...something is off about him." Takumi replied, finishing his beer, setting the bottle aside.

"I can agree with you there...this almost reminds me of that time. It's been quite awhile since I've done some investigating like this." Rise muttered, eyes narrowed as she lost herself in thought. Takumi glanced at her, a curious look on his face.

"Investigating? What are you going on about Rise?"

"Huh? Oh nothing...nothing at all. I know...how about I become your inside girl? After all, in order to get information on idols and celebrities, you need someone vibrant and cheery to squeeze information from them. I know you are technically a celebrity, but with your career in shambles how it is now, I doubt you'll get anything from anyone."

"Hey! My career isn't in shambles! It's just...an uphill battle. But you do have a point...having someone as cheery as you would be a benefit. Okay then, Rise Kujikawa, your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to get deep inside the bowels of Jadis and Associates, and bring me back information. Not just that, you'll aid me with getting information from celebrities as well."

"Why? I get the first part, but why the second part?"

"I got my reasons...what do you say?" he asked, holding his hand out. She gave him a nod, giving the boy a firm shake.

"It's a deal!"

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Sun Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Sun)xxx**_

"Huh...Kanzeon?" Rise muttered, once she let go of Takumi's hand. She shook her head, looking a bit dazed.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're a light weight."

"Absolutely not. I just felt a little dizzy there for a second."

"Hmm...you shouldn't drink if your pregnant, that could be harmful for the baby you know." he said, giving her a cheeky grin.

"I am not pregnant...anyway, I'll get you some information later. I'm set to pick Kanami up later, we're going out to dinner. She's been trying to meet someone for the past year and hasn't been successful. So I'm gonna be her wingman, see if I can get her a good man."

"Good luck with that, anyone who can handle Kanami's cow jokes, her lust for meat and bouncing personality at five am is worthy of being a god. If not you could always marry her, I wouldn't mind having two big sisters."

"Screw you Takumi, you know I don't swing that way. Gee, that's the last time I give you Bud Light Platinum. We're getting you something else."

"Oh, Four Lokos!" the boy said cheerfully.

"Absolutely not...Jeez, what the hell is wrong with you?"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday July 16**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Sunshine City(Ikebukuro)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Survive Finals**_

 _ **xxx**_

"I was quite surprised when you invited me here. I had thought you were gonna be busy in Asakusa for quite sometime." Yusuke said, following Takumi deeper into the abandoned park.

"Nah...as it turns out, I was late to my meeting there. The director was pretty pissed and told me I wasn't needed. It's like every time I want to audition for a movie, there's some force preventing me from succeeding. I guess I really am the Tower arcana huh?" he said, muttering the last part.

"Worry not friend, I'm sure you will get that role soon. Perhaps you should focus on aesthetics, to stand out more. That way, you'll get more roles coming your way."

"Maybe...so, is this a good spot? I know you wanted to sketch some stuff." Takumi said, leaning back against a nearby stall.

They were currently in the biggest part of the park, in front of the Destiny Land castle. It was a large street covered in abandoned booths, surrounded by various attractions, with the castle right in the middle. The entire place was full of trash, leaves and broken parts. A few people were walking around, snapping pictures while others were content with breaking even more stuff. Most of them were vandals, others were homeless and some were just there because they had nothing better to do. He had seen Toni among them earlier, but she hadn't noticed him, which he was rather thankful for.

"Yes, this spot is perfect. It conveys just what I am looking for, a once beautiful park, filled with people, now devoid of most life. Only a few still stay back to explore the once bustling area. This will be the perfect piece for my end of the year project." he said, opening his sketch pad, pulling one of his pencils from within.

"Ren told me you were in some sort of slump. That you painted something based on the Metaverse and some guy in Ueno was harsh about it."

"That is correct...I wanted to convey the unsteadiness of the human heart. How cognition changes it into a dark and twisted place...I thought I had conveyed that through my art. But the man who viewed it didn't think it was perfect at all. In fact, he said it was the opposite." Yusuke replied, glancing up for a brief second before continuing his sketch.

"I don't really get art critics but there is one thing I do get. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. You can't really appeal to everyone, so you can't say your painting was a total failure. But I am happy to know that you aren't letting that get you down. Drawing more human stuff like this will show both sides of the heart. The real side, and the cognitive side." Takumi said. Yusuke looked at him, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Yes...I feel like that isn't a bad idea at all. In fact, you have given me quite a lot to think about. Have you ever considered drawing? I find it to be quite a relaxing thing from time to time. It's natural to let the mind wonder after all."

"I'm not that good of an artist, if I'm being honest. I guess with time, I can draw something really good, if I put my heart into it. Mostly anime stuff." he replied. He glanced to the path ahead, seeing some teenagers doing flips from the statue, while others filmed. He could see Toni from a distance, preparing to scale the side of a tall building, being urged to do it by the ones already on the roof of it.

"Perhaps that is your true calling in life. You seem to be quite fond of anime and video games. Maybe you should become a voice actor, if real acting is giving you trouble."

"I've thought about it...and I have voiced anime characters before but...it's just. I don't wanna give it up you know? It isn't about my acting, I love it. But now, it's just about recovering my career, to show the world that I'm not what my father said I was. If anything, I want to soar with my acting, so I can tell him that no matter how many times he kicks me down, I'll rise above it and be the better man." he replied.

"So, it's resentment toward what he did that fuels your passion for acting. I suppose you and I share something else...after what Madarame did, I couldn't help but ask myself why. Why would he abuse all of those people for personal gain? I realized that he and your father have quite a lot in common. Both would do anything in order to ensure control over people, to a certain degree. The plagiarism was how he controlled his pupils, and how he gained money. Ruining your career was how your father gained a subservient heir."

"When you put it that way, it really makes me wanna punch him. I'm not sure who's worse though...my father ruined my public image sure. But Madarame drove someone to suicide...I think that's four times worse than what I'm going through. I wonder what he was thinking about, you know? Before he pulled the trigger." Takumi said, causing Yusuke to stop.

"Life is a beautiful thing...we wonder through it, wanting to make something of ourselves. But when what we love and cherish most is gone, we lost ourselves. Perhaps he was thinking about his art, and how what he loved once made him happy, and then started making him sad and depressed. I heard he had lost everything, his job, his art career, his fiancee and their child, which was a miscarriage. All of that coupled by what Madarame did...he didn't stand a chance." the blue haired artist said, bowing his head in shame.

"I didn't think it was that bad."

"I blame myself...if I had spoken out, and told someone about what Madarame was doing...perhaps it wouldn't have ended that way."

"It isn't your fault Yusuke...you were being oppressed by him too. He was in control, and you couldn't do anything about it. You defeated him, and that's what matters...this is exactly why Goemon came to you...because you and him share that. Both were oppressed, both wanted to do something. The only difference is, Goemon was killed for what he did, and you had a chance to blossom from your experience, so don't waste it."

"Hehehe...you are quite insightful for your age...might you secretly be a psychologist like your younger sister?" he asked curiously.

"Me? A psychologist? Ha, that's a joke...I don't think I could ever handle that stuff. I'm just...talking from experience I guess. I understand what people are going through...which is why I'm happy to be a Phantom Thief, because I can be myself around you all." Takumi said, a smile on his face.

"Yes...it is quite something, to be part of a group that will change people for the better. I am finished sketching, I will complete this back in my dorm. I'm glad you invited me here today Takumi."

"Well...you asked me to hang out here so I couldn't let you down. Besides, I had a bit of a request for you, if you can handle it. I'm in need of some business cards, and since you draw some awesome calling cards, I figured you could come up with a design. I only need one, I can handle getting them reprinted." he said.

"I believe I can handle that. I'll come up with some designs and bring them to you when I can. When do you need them?"

"There's no hurry. Maybe by Tuesday, like I said I'm not going to be needing them for a bit. After this latest blunder in Asakusa, I think I'm just gonna stick to filming commercials for now." he said, giving the boy a sheepish grin.

"Then I shall take this time to come up with some designs. Perhaps watching the fireworks festival shall give me some inspiration for both this and your cards. Speaking of which, are you planning on wearing a Yukata to the event?"

"Nah...I just wouldn't look right in one. I'm just gonna go casually, though I am looking forward to seeing the ladies in Yukata. Some designs are quite beautiful, and I want to see them dressed in traditional clothing."

"I agree, they do bring out the beauty of a woman don't they?"

"Takumi, is that you? Why didn't you tell me you were gonna be here?!"

"Run!" Takumi cried, urging his friend to head toward the gates. He didn't want to hang out with his sister's perverted friend, especially when someone like Yusuke was with him.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: Late Night**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Await the Fireworks Festival**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Come on dammit, get me up! We're right there!" Takumi cried, clicking the keys on his keyboard. The clicks coming from his mouth were audible, as he continued to shoot the mob of undead surrounding him.

" _Don't worry Firewire, I got you!"_ a cheery voice said. Suddenly, a character started bashing the undead from around him with a baseball bat, before quickly reviving him.

"Oh god, thanks Alibaba, I thought I was gonna die there for a second. Let's get to the chopper, quick!" he cried, quickly using his Adrenaline shot, giving himself a boost. The two characters quickly jumped into the chopper, where the rest of his teammates were waiting.

" _Nice game guys...wanna play Swamp Fever next?"_ one of the other players asked.

"Hell yeah, I'm down. I don't got anything to do tomorrow anyway, what about you Alibaba? You game?"

" _Of course I am...you know, it's really weird to be playing a game with someone so famous."_ the girl said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Hey, I'm just Firewire on here okay? Let's try advanced this time around, normal mode is for pussies." he replied, picking his character for the game.

" _Just don't make me carry you. I whooped your ass with Rachel Alucard, don't make me leave you behind."_

"Ah...what did you bring that up for?" he asked, grabbing a hold of his drink, sitting back against his chair, waiting for the level to load.

" _Sorry guys, but I'm gonna bail on you. Mom is telling me to go to sleep, I'll play with you later."_ the third and last player said, leaving the game. Takumi frowned, earning a groan from Alibaba.

" _I'm just gonna make this game for the two of us. I don't want any randos in this lobby."_

"Alright, I'll let you handle it. Hey Alibaba, how much of a gamer are you?"

" _Eh...that's a random question. Well, I guess I can indulge your curiosity, mwehehe! I have quite the collection, but Left4Dead2 is my favorite out of the bunch. It's always interesting."_

"I agree...been playing this since I was in the States. I'm just glad my version of the game works on the Japanese servers. I didn't want to buy the localized version of the game, it makes the mods look dumb." he replied. The level started, and he ignored the beginning of it, waiting until he could move. Once he could, he grabbed the MP5 from the top of the table, leaving the train car right after.

" _Oh...now I'm curious about what mods you got. I would ask you to list them, but it's much easier for me to see them. Too bad I can't do that."_

"Why not? You live anywhere nearby? We could meet up somewhere and share mods. I promise, I'm not a creep."

" _I'm...not allowed to leave home."_

Takumi frowned, wondering why she couldn't exactly leave. She sounded a bit sad when she spoke. As he was about to ask why, she ended up changing the conversation.

" _What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?"_

"That's a random question...but I'll bite. I think their the necessary justice...you know, like Batman. He isn't the hero Gotham deserves, but it's the one Gotham needs right now. The Phantom Thieves get shit down, so as long as they take creeps off the street, I'm totally for whatever they do." he replied.

" _Interesting reply...does that mean you support them?"_

"Yep...I'm 100% on the Phantom Thief express. Why so interested? Are you against them or something?"

" _Not really...I just needed someone's opinion...I think I finally got an honest one. All of the ones online are kinda crappy...anyway, I'm most likely gonna have to leave after this campaign. But I have one more question for you."_

"Okay...what is it?"

" _Can I spam your chat with dank memes later? I got some really good ones."_ she said, earning a laugh from the boy.

"Yeah, that's totally fine. I've got my own share of dank memes, let's out meme each other. Whoever delivers the worst meme has to file for dankcruptcy and just leave the world of memes for a week."

" _I would hate to file for dankcruptcy...you are on, Firewire! Bring on the memes!"_

"Hehe...let's finish this campaign first." he said, his attention back to his computer monitor.

He and Alibaba continued playing Left4Dead2 for another hour, speaking mostly about memes and video games. He was curious as to who this girl was. She sounded a bit young, meaning she was most likely his age, probably beginning her summer vacation. She ended up quitting the game at around 1:34 in the morning, promising to play another round when she had time. He was curious as to what it was she was busy with, but he didn't like prying into people's lives. She did end up sending him the first round of memes, which he ended up laughing at for a good ten minutes. He sent some of his own, decide it to call it a night.

"Aw...man...I'm so glad exam week is fucking over. Now all I have to worry about is summer vacation. And all of my failures in acting." he muttered to himself, glancing at his ceiling. He shivered a bit from how cold his A/C was, but he didn't feel like turning it down. As he was about to fall asleep, his phone started buzzing loudly. He grabbed a hold of it, wondering if Alibaba had replied with more memes, but it was actually Ann who was calling him. Growing concerned, he took the call, holding the device to his ear.

"Hey what's up?"

" _Did I wake you? I'm sorry if I did."_

"Nah...I was still up...I was looking at dank memes. Why are you still up? Did you take a shot of espresso or something?"

" _No...I was a bit restless. I was thinking about that commercial I filmed, and I was a little excited to see it. Anyway, I heard there was this new movie out, and since you're an actor, I figured I could use this as an experience. You know...watching a movie and then analyzing it, I just had to call you, you know?"_

"I guess...so you want to go watch a movie and ask me for my opinion, while also focusing on the actors. That isn't a bad idea...you're really into this, aren't you?" Takumi asked. He could almost see the sheepish look on her face.

" _Hey, when I'm into something, I like going in hard. I've...been having a lot of trouble with modeling. Mika has been upstaging me a lot, so I've decided to focus more on it. I used to see it as a hobby, but I wanna take it seriously, just like with acting. That's why I had to call you, even though it's almost 2AM."_ she replied.

"It's fine...I'm sorry to hear you're having such a hard time. If I can help you take your mind of it, then I'm glad you called me. So, what's the name of this movie?"

" _It's called Love Actually...it's a chick flick...I know, I've wanted to see it for awhile. But I couldn't ask someone like Ren or Ryuji to come with me. It's a bit sappy."_

"Ugh...I hate chick flicks...but alright, wanna meet at the theater in Shibuya at like...uh, Eleven?" he asked curiously.

" _That works. Since I'm inviting you, I'll pay for the tickets...thanks again for agreeing to go with me."_

"No problem, I'll see you tomorrow...bye Ann." he said, ending the call right after.

"Love Actually...ugh...sounds like something I'd watch when Ready Player One is sold out. Fuck me...I hope you know Ann, you are literally the only woman I would go to a chick flick with. I don't know what that says about our relationship, but I'll be damned if it makes me look bad." he said to himself, his eyes closing right after.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 2)**_


	22. The Fireworks Festival

**A/N:**

 **Hi guys, welcome all to Chapter 22 of Codename: Songbird! Now then, this chapter is gonna start moving things along, introducing us to the next arc of the story, the Futaba Sakura arc. I must say this is the longest arc of the story, for various reasons, mostly because the original palace I have been talking about is going to take place side by side with this arc. On top of that, it is long because I make use of every calander day which makes it that much longer. I guess you all get to see this story go on for awhile. Anyway, several things are going to start taking place after this, including some stuff with Takumi. I have sprinkled hints on this new palace throughout this story, but only one person was able to guess correctly who the palace belonged to, if you already know or want confirmation, do PM me. I don't want to see guesses or anything in the reviews or they will be deleted, I wanna keep this as spoiler free as possible. Though I do sprinkle hints in the Authors Notes sometimes. this is not one of those times.**

 **Takumi's pairing will be confirmed in this arc as well, and like I said he will have two girlfriends, so yeah, the second girl will be confirmed after Sae's palace, so it's gonna be awhile. Um...that's all the news I have on this story for now. Maybe if I finish the chapter I am currently working on before ten in the morning, I'll post a second chapter. I have a good amount saved up so I don't mind posting two chapters today, this is all for the fans after all..for the fans...for the fans...Just Monika...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 22

The Fireworks Festival

 _ **Date: Sunday July 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Central Street(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Await the Fireworks Festival**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Even though it was just an outing with a friend, Takumi decided to dress for the occasion. He knew it was just a movie, but he was hanging out with a girl so he wanted to look nice. It was just something that any man would do. You wouldn't want to look like a slob when you are going to hangout with a lady. Unless you were at home and even then he dressed normally when he was at home. He was still a bit tired since it was early in the morning. But he didn't want to stay at home knowing Toni was still there. He wasn't going to underestimate her ever again, she had managed to catch up to them with ease. Yusuke had been impressed with her parkour skills, and had been conversing with her for a few minutes, as she explained some of the skills. She had been really into it too, even saying she'd gladly model for him, naked if he so chose. That's when Takumi stepped in, using a perfectly timed flick to the nose to control her. Takumi was rather impress with her forwardness, but she honestly had to control that side of her. He knew that wasn't going to be happening any time soon.

Takumi had decided to wear something a bit more hip, in his opinion. He decided to wear a black tee shirt, which had the image of Daryl Dixon on it, from the show the Walking Dead. Over it, he was wearing a sleeveless red flannel shirt, which he had left unbuttoned, deciding to use it mostly as a vest than a shirt. He wore a studded silver belt around his waist, which held up a pair of blue fitted jeans, which were faded around the knees. On his feet, he wore high top red sneakers, with the laces tucked inside. The final thing he added to his look was his black beanie, which kept his hair in place, and also kept him cool. He looked rather casual, and almost unrecognizable, which was a blessing for him.

He wasn't exactly the most popular person, but there were people still snapping pictures of him. He was still in the news, though the reporters were talking mostly about him searching for movie deals or talking about other things. He wasn't exactly interested in listening to what they were saying, so he didn't follow up on it. The Phantom Thieves were still the most talked about story, and many experts were talking about it, even Akechi couldn't help but speak about it, though Takumi could tell he wasn't happy to speak about them. It made the young actor smile whenever the young detective looked uncomfortable or annoyed talking about the Phantom Thieves, it was a silent victory in his eye.

Takumi left the arcade about an hour after he had gone there. He had wanted to play one of the shooting games, but they were all taken. There was one kid with a red hat that was playing of the games. A few people were complaining about him cheating, but he didn't really react to their comments. Takumi had spent most of his time on the Pac-Man box, trying to beat the high scores that were left there. He had at least made it to a million points, getting to fifth place in the standings, so now the name Firewire was on the machine forever more. The rest of his time was spent on the claw machines, grabbing several plush toys and other prizes from within, which he placed inside his backpack. It was five minutes to eleven, so he decided to leave the store and go to the movie theater.

He saw the poster to the movie _Love Actually_ on the front, along with the posters to Ready Player One and A Wrinkle in Time. He wondered why there were American movies currently being shown, but he didn't complain. As long as they had good dubbing, he would be fine, though he liked to watch foreign movies in their original language, as long as they had subtitles, he would be fine. He leaned up against the post, watching a few others walking out of the theater, talking avidly about some of the movies they had watched. A few people glanced at him, and thankfully didn't recognize him. His phone buzzed, and he reached into his pocket, opening his chat.

 **Alibaba:** _Here's a new batch of memes, I think you'll be pleased with them. This will put me one step ahead of you._

 **Takumi:** _We'll see about that, I'll look at these and then send some fire your way. Be back in an hour..._

He started looking at the memes Alibaba had sent him, laughing quietly at some of the memes he had been sent. He had to admit, this girl was good with memes. He nodded to himself knowing he would have to step up his game if he was going to compete with the dankness he had just gotten on his phone.

"Hey Takumi, have you been waiting long?"

"Not really...I've been in Central Street since nine. I couldn't stand being at home, just needed to get out of the house." he said, glancing up at his friend.

Much like him, Ann was dressed really casual. A bright red tank top, with bright blue and yellow hearts printed on it, along with matching blue jean shorts, and a blue flannel shirt tied around her waist. She also wore sneakers, high tops with bright colored laces. She had her purse with her, and her sunglasses were hanging from her shirt. Even though she was wearing something so casual, she knew how to fill it. It also brought her quiet a lot of attention, as many guys that passed by them looked for more than a few seconds, something that bothered him a bit.

"Something wrong? You look annoyed, like you didn't drink your coffee this morning."

"It's nothing...just a lot of guys looking at you. I can't really blame them, you look nice." he said.

"Oh...thank you. Honestly this was just casual, you should see the Yukata I bought last night, I can't wait for these fireworks. It's been forever since I went with friends."

"I've never been to a fireworks festival. I mean, back in America there were a bunch because of the Fourth of July. I usually just looked out the window toward the beach where some people shot some off. I've never been to a traditional festival like the ones here. Even if I did go, it would have been boring going by myself." he replied, a frown on his face.

"Aw...that's so sad...well this year it'll be different. Because this is practically your welcome party. That reminds me, there's a store in Harajuku that I want you to come with me to. Mitsuhide needs a yukata right? I remember her sizes from last time, so I can pick something out for her." she said.

"Alright, you're the model so I'll let you pick her clothes for her. I just hope she doesn't give me shit, she told me she didn't want me to treat her like a child...she's just...too adult like sometimes. Anyway, let's go watch this movie."

"Right, I almost forgot. I'll buy the tickets, that means you pay for the popcorn." she said, earning an eyeroll from the boy.

Once they were ready, they walked to the correct theater and found some seats in the middle. The movie had already started when they found their seats, thankfully the row they had picked had several empty seats inside it. Takumi laid back in his seat, placing his drink in the cup holder, holding his popcorn in his hands as he glanced at the giant screen.

"What's this movie about again?" he asked softly. Ann glanced at him, placing her drink down beside her.

"If I remember correctly, it's about a guy who struggles to tell the woman he loves that he loves her." she replied, turning back to the screen. Ann didn't speak much afterwards, her focus firmly on the movie.

Takumi was honestly really bored, he was never into chick flicks but he wasn't going to complain. Hanging out with his friend was much better than sitting alone in his room or being bothered by someone. He found himself glancing at Ann thought our the movie, her sniffles were making him worried. He didn't know how many tissues she had used, but he was sure she had emptied a few pocket packs. He finished his drink, shaking his cup a bit rattling the ice that was inside, frowning a bit.

" _ **You just don't understand. What a person looks like doesn't matter to me, all I care about is my love for her! She has a beautiful personality, and makes me happy, what more could I want?"**_

"Maybe someone who isn't a basic bitch." Takumi muttered, making the guy next to him burst into laughter, which was quickly muffled. His girlfriend glared at Takumi, making him shrink into his seat.

"I gotta pee so bad you asshole, don't make me laugh again." the guy beside him whispered, earning a smirk from Takumi.

"Me too...good to know someone else suffers my pain." he whispered back.

It wasn't much longer that the movie ended, making the brown haired young man run to the bathroom. He met up with Ann outside of the ladies room, she had insisted on fixing her make up. She was still sniffling a bit as they walked, being greeted by the hot July sun. Ann sighed contently, turning to her friend, a small smile on her face.

"That was great movie...sorry if you were bored throughout it. I could tell you were a bit restless."

"It's fine Ann...chick flicks aren't my forte but as long as you're enjoying yourself, I'm fine with it. Just make sure not to wear mascara the next time we go see a movie, kay?" he asked. She gave him a nod.

"I'll make sure to put make up on afterwards. Anyway, wanna head to Harajuku now? The JR Line should be at the station right now." she said, glancing at her phone.

"Yeah sure...I've been wanting to see what stores are in Harajuku. Seeing as I'm an actor, I have to make sure I'm fashionable for each one of my shoots. So I'll let you lead me there, you are the model after all." he said.

"Alright then, today you're my student then...come on, it'll be fun." she cried, taking a hold of his hand, pulling him along.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Ichigaya (Fishing Spot)**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Await the Fireworks Festival**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi flicked his wrist, the clicking of the reel filling his ears. Beside him was Ryuji, who had asked him to go fishing with him. Since he had never gone fishing in his life, he decided to take him up on his offer. He had spent most of the morning shopping with Ann, buying some new clothes for himself, and his siblings, including the Yukata he wanted Mitsuhide to wear. He found the experience rather enjoyable, though he felt a bit odd. He had kept staring at Ann most of the time, as she tried on various clothes and asked for his opinion. He didn't know why, but it had been the most fun he had clothes shopping, something that any other man would absolutely detest. But after walking around through Harajuku and entering various stores, he wanted to relax so he was somehow roped into fishing with Ryuji.

"So...what did you do today?" Ryuji asked, glancing away from the water, a bored look on his face.

"I went to the movies with Ann and then Harajuku to buy my sister her Yukata. What about you?"

"Nothing...just play some games...I just couldn't stay inside you know? Whenever it's really sunny, I gotta go outside. Especially with the crazy weather we've been having recently."

"Tell me about it, it's been sunny over the last few days. Exam week was horrible with the damn heat and the fuckin rain. I just hope it doesn't rain tomorrow, that would suck ass." Takumi replied. He felt a tug on his line, and he pulled on his pole. Once he reeled it in, he pulled out a decently sized fish, watching it flop on the line before he pulled the hook off.

"Whoa, how'd you do that?" Ryuji asked, glancing at the fish.

"Well man, you gotta see the pole as an extension of your body. The key is not to move, once you feel a strong tug, just pull back. It isn't that hard, despite this being my first actual time." he replied, baiting his hook, flicking it back into the water.

"Beginners Luck...so, you and Ann huh? Going out for real?"

"Not really...we went to see that movie as a learning experience. She's really gotten into acting lately. She wants to take it seriously, as she would with her modeling. She showed me the last Vague issue with her on the cover, and I have to agree, she looks amazing on it." he replied.

"Something tells me you've got stirrings...so, is Ann the type of girl you like?"

"I'm willing to date any girl. As long as she has a good personality, is ambitious about her goals in life, and is just an overall fun person to be around, you'll get a chance." Takumi replied, pulling a second fish from the pond, unhooking it.

"Any girl huh? What about Makoto, would you date her?"

"Given the chance I would. She's had a tough life, and needs more life experiences, so I wouldn't mind taking her out. Maybe showing her around Akihabara, or taking her to Ogikubo or Inokashira Park. You know, places where a nerd wouldn't be caught in." he replied.

"I guess you are right about that...as long as you have the chemistry, it should go well."

"What about you, what do you look for in a woman?"

"Me? Any personality will do, she's gotta have a nod bod though." he replied.

"So looks are what matters, I guess that isn't bad. You wouldn't want to be dating a Butt Ugly Martian after all. But you also gotta remember, love hits you like a train, bam! So you can't just pick and chose, often times you love the person who finds you, not the other way around." Takumi replied, dropping a third fish into his basket.

"I suppose...I dunno, my old lady has been asking me when I'll bring a girl home. I'm telling her that I don't want a girlfriend right now, but come on let's be real...I sort of do. I mean, I'm a Phantom Thief, it sucks that I can't tell anyone. I would be drowning in chicks if I could tell people."

"So you want a woman to look you because you're a Thief? Ryuji bro...you can't go about it like that. I would rather have one special girl, one _real_ girl in my life, than a bunch of fake ones. I hate liars, and I hate people who lie to you to get what they want. They act like they love you but all they want is your damn money. I don't mind spending my money on friends or the person that I love, but when you make it obvious that you love my money, you're getting left swiped right out of my life." he replied, pulling a fourth fish from the water, this time it was a rather big one, which almost snapped his line.

"That's true...I work at a convenience store man...definitely not the job I want, but hell it makes money. I can't not work especially with the work we do. You're lucky, even if you graduate from high school, you don't have to worry. You'll be fine with what you got until you make it big on the silver screen, then you'll have more."

"Eh...money isn't everything in life. As long as I have a job that I truly love, then I'll be happy. It doesn't matter that I'm the heir to Mashita Industries Incorporated, or that I'm an actor. I love being in movies, I love acting...it's my calling. The money is just a bonus." he said with a shrug.

"Mhmm...hey, remember that girl we were talking about? The one that you dated as a kid? I was doing some research on some Tokyo based companies. I found three big ones, not counting yours. Two of the CEO's have daughters our age. Does the name Himejima mean anything to you?"

"Himejima? Not really...my dad might've made a deal with someone that had that name. Hell if I remember it. What's her first name?"

"Kiara, she's pretty cute too, but if you aren't recalling her name, then it isn't her. The second girl is this chick, she's a year older than us...well a year older than me since you two are the same age. Her name is Haru Okumura, the daughter of Okumura Foods CEO, Kunikazu Okumura."

"Okumura...that name does ring a bell. I remember my dad being in a business meeting with him. Something about making billboards for Okumura Foods...they own Big Bang Burger right?"

"Yup, they're currently doing the Cosmic Burger challenge. But yeah, Okumura happens to be quite the nerdy girl. Apparently she likes spending her time studying, and funnily enough, likes gardening. It doesn't say what school she goes too though. All the pictures of her are far away so I can't really show you one." Ryuji replied, earning a sigh from Takumi, who flung his line back into the water.

"Oh well...I knew finding her was going to be a lot harder. I'm not interested in her romantically of course. But I do worry about what happened to her. She spent an entire year living with us under the pretense of being _engaged_. I tried contacting her a few times, but her father was a total dick. Any social media?"

"Nope, no Facebook, no Twitter, no Instagram, no Snapchat, hell I even looked her up on Kik and Tumblr, but nothing. This girl is off the damn grid, and if she's on it then she's fuckin private. Guess it makes sense since she's an heiress to a big company." the boy replied, finally feeling a tug on his line. He pulled it up, an excited look on his face only to be greeted by a small fish, about two inches in length.

"Looks like you're going hungry tonight." Takumi joked, pulling out a fifth fish form the water, five times the size of Ryuji's.

"You're one of those guys are you? One of those assholes that always one up their friends in everything."

"Not really man, I just know the fish and how they act."

"Fuck you."

"Dah...don't be like that...come on, I'll buy you sushi on the way home." Takumi said cheerfully.

"That's fine by me...thanks for paying for my lunch."

"Yeah yeah."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 17**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's Home(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: Early Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Await the Fireworks Festival**_

 _ **xxx**_

It was peaceful moments that Takumi enjoyed. Moments where he could sit in his room, playing video games or reading a new series he had picked up, or just watching a movie. That was exactly what he was currently doing in his room, midst the meme war he currently had with his new online friend Alibaba, who was ever elusive. She had been kicking his ass during most of the day, but he had saved some of his more fire memes for the night, not wanting to give up. He didn't know if he had one over her or not, but her memes were hilarious. He was trying not to go into the offensive or racist memes, having just gotten out of the political memes they had been sending, but now she had sent him a rather offensive meme, so he wasn't going to hold himself back either. They were probably both going to hell afterwards anyway. All was quiet, at least until his little sister Ayumi came into the room.

He glanced up briefly from his phone screen, wondering why she had walked into the room in the first place. She shivered a bit from the cold air, having only been wearing a sleeveless shirt and a skirt. She looked directly at him, a small smile appearing on her face.

"Mind if I chill here? Toni is out with some of her other friends, Mitsu is sleeping and mom is closing a deal downstairs."

"Sure, feel free to play whatever you want, read whatever you want...anything but eat in my bed. I don't want crumbs on my sheets." he said. She nodded, walking to his game shelf, after a few minutes she picked Gravity Daze from it and slipped it into the PlayStation 4, turning the television on. Once she grabbed the controller, she jumped into the bed, leaning up against the wall next to him.

"It's been forever since it was just the two of us. I missed you big brother."

"I've been here for over a month and a couple weeks though." he said, glancing away from his phone. She looked at him, sweeping some hair out of her eyes.

"No...I meant before...when that evil man divorced mom, and we had to leave. I was so sad...remember, I was crying and I didn't want to let you go?"

"Oh...yeah I remember that. I was crying too, my little sister and only friend at the time was leaving me. He always told me that you didn't mean shit to me, that you weren't my real sister, and that I shouldn't worry about you. It was one of the reasons I wanted to be away from him, what lead me to acting. It was so that maybe I could make enough money one day and be able to move out of his house."

"But that didn't happen, the asshole forced you to stay with him. You became an actor and that was just a burden to him. When you were old enough to move in with your grandmother all he did was spoil your career. Despite all that bullshit...I always hated him. I wanted to see you, but mom said that it wasn't a good idea. She didn't want me to accidentally run into him."

"I don't blame her...after what he did to her, and how he abandoned Mitsuhide like that...what a terrible evil man...I detest him. But now I feel a little lighter...besides, I have both my sisters with me, an amazing mother, and great friends. I've gained something that he will never take away from me." he said happily, giving Ayumi a side hug, which she happily returned.

"You know...I was really hopeful about one day meeting you. I looked at the stars and wished every night for a chance to meet you. Then one day, I hear on the web that you left America for Tokyo and mom told me you were staying with us...to say I lost my shit is an understatement. I was just so happy to see you, there's so much I wanted to tell you, and so many things I want to do. But school and real life interfere...so I hope you don't make too many plans this summer."

"I won't, I promise. I can't leave my cute little sister in the dust, though what is it that you wanna do. I want to know so that I can plan around my schedule, depending what me and my friends too." Takumi replied, glancing back at his phone.

"Why is that? Oh are you exploring that weird other world with your friends? I got ya. Don't even worry about it, whenever you have the time, just tell me and I'll gladly hang out with you. But you better not make your little sister do perverted things!" she cried.

"Why would you assume I would?" he asked curiously, a frown on his face.

"Because you are an otaku, and there are manga out there about older brothers falling in love with their little sisters. We aren't blood related, but that isn't a free pass to do that weird stuff. That's what Toni is for, so love her, and give me babies got it?"

"No...I'm not going to procreate with your best friend, she is perverted, annoying and offered herself on a platter to my friend Yusuke. Oddly enough he didn't turn her down, that one is weird. Of course he was talking about art, and I know for a fact Toni was talking about something else. Seriously, how do you meet someone like that?" he asked, earning a giggle from Ayumi, who stretched her arms above her head, leaning back against the wall.

"Me and Toni met in second grade, this was after momma and your dad split up. She was ignored by everyone and really shy. She didn't speak, she didn't play, she just did her work. So I walked up to her and asked her to play Four Square. She turned me down at first, but I kept poking her stomach until she agreed, we've been besties ever since."

"That's a fitting meeting for someone like you. You tend to be really annoying, like a Gamestop employee, but once they get to know you, you become that awesome friend no one can do without."

"Aw, thanks big brother...I'm happy to be your friend and your sister. Hey, I know Toni is taking you out and teaching you parkour but is she teaching you how to do flips and stuff?" she asked curiously.

"Not really, I'm just running and climbing. She's the one that does all the crazy flips and shit. She front flipped from a five story building to a lower building like it was nothing, I was impressed and scared for her life."

"Yeah, she's insane. I've been on an outing with her and did climb pretty high, but I'd rather stick to the ground. If you want to get better at it, I'll teach you how to do flips. I'm a cheer leader after all...in fact I'll give you a training session. I can't have you become all flabby."

"Training session huh? I guess someone who's soon to be head cheer leader knows how to stay fit. Alright, this is something not just I'll benefit from. I'm sure Ren and Ryuji would benefit from this too, I saw them coming out of the gym in Central Street a couple days ago." Takumi said.

"I kinda wanted this to be just us two...but I don't mind your friends tagging along a couple times. Just as long as we can have fun okay?"

"Sure thing...thanks sis. I love you."

"Love you too, now time to kick some Nevi butt."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Star Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Star)xxx**_

"Have you played the sequel yet? It's really good." he said.

"No, I haven't had the time. I know you own it, but it's been forever since I played the first one, so I'll just do a play through and then pick the second one up. So I hope you don't mind me invading your bedroom."

"Hehe...It's fine...just as long as you don't eat stuff on my bed. I'll even let you sleep here if you want."

"Just as long as you keep your hands to yourself. Hey, are you going to the fireworks festival tomorrow? Momma told me you bought Mitsu a Yukata."

"Yup...me and my friends are going, you can tag along if you want." he said.

"Thanks, but me and Toni are going with the rest of the Squad. It'll be the last summer with some of the older cheer leaders. The squad captain is going to choose who will take her place for the next year, they're even bringing the baton. Legend has it, if a cheer leader drops it, the squad will have bad luck for the rest of the year."

"Then you better not drop if you get picked butterfingers." he joked, elbowing her side playfully. She giggled, giving him a grin.

"Trust me, the first thing I'll do as squad captain is not drop that damn baton. I've been working really hard all year for it and I know that position is mine. Of course I'll have to wait until next term to know the captain's final choice. As part of the celebration, they squad captain let's the new captain handle the first game of the fall. Shujin's Football team isn't the best, but hey we're pretty good."

"I know you'll do great as the Squad captain sis...you'll be a beautiful and amazing cheerleader. So make sure you bring out the best in your squad, I'll be there every game cheering for you." he said.

"Hey, if you wanna cheer you can totally join the squad. There are a few guy cheer leaders. They usually help us throw the flyers in the air, that was me last year, but I just didn't like being tossed. Not just that, when we were doing the pyramid, one girl fell and busted her knee, it was so gnarly, her leg was all out of place and shit. She passed out when she hit the ground so she didn't feel anything. But still, I just don't want that happening again."

"And it won't...come on, let's play the game. If you die pass it up."

"Alright, we should totally order some pizza, so mom doesn't have to cook."

"Okay...I'll order in a few minutes, just let me tell mom." he said, giving her a side hug before walking out of the room, a smile on his face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday July 18**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Station**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Go to the Fireworks Festival**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Oh man, where the hell are they? They are taking way too long." Ryuji groaned, leaning back against one of the billboards in Shibuya Station. He was dressed in casual attire, as were Ren and Takumi who were waiting beside him. The only one who was dressed for the occasion was Yusuke, who was wearing a navy blue Yukata with small white stars on it.

"Sorry man, they're probably trying to get my sister ready. The fact that she agreed to come is impressive, but I'm sure she assumed she'd be wearing normal clothes."

"Don't apologize for it, I get how your sister acts. I was like her when I was a kid, I had this tee shirt I never wanted to put away. It was my favorite, because my mom bought it for me, so I wore it every day. Eventually, it got ruined and I had to get rid of it."

"I didn't know that about you Ryuji...I suppose we all have that one thing that we can't let go of." Ren added.

"Indeed, that one article that makes us feel comfortable. For me, it's a gold bracelet that had belonged to my mother. I found it with what little things she had once Madarame was arrested. I've grown quite fond of it." Yusuke said, showing his friends the golden bracelet he was wearing around his wrist.

"That must be worth a pretty penny. It's so shiny and golden." Morgana said, his eyes sparkling.

"Down boy, down...this isn't the treasure you'd find in a palace. This is a family heirloom...it's much more special than any old trinket." Takumi replied.

"What about you Ren, do you have anything like that? Something special that you can't part with?" Ryuji asked. The boy shook his head, a frown on his face.

"I never had something like that, I didn't care much for toys growing up. I liked reading manga and studying as a kid...being a good student was always my goal. Then of course I try to save someone and get shafted, but I'm having a lot of fun here. I don't regret doing it."

"Never regret it, what you say or what you do. It might make you go through some bad shit after you do it, but in the end you ended up saving someone. It's what we do after all." the young actor replied.

"Aw man...I wonder what the girls will look like in yukata. I've seen some really pretty ladies walking by here." Ryuji said, steering the conversation away.

"Indeed, yukata's serve to bring out the beauty and femininity of young women. The colors and styles are just beautiful." Yusuke said, a smile on his face.

"You should have seen Ayumi's, she picked one that was lavender in color and had some hibiscus flowers on it. The sash was sky blue with some birds on it, I have a picture of her and Toni actually, if you wanna see it." Takumi offered, sifting though his gallery for the picture.

"Ugh...come on dude, they're taking too damn long. I wanna go see some fireworks already!" Ryuji cried, squeezing his phone tightly in his hand.

"Um excuse me, are you going to the festival as well?" came the voice of a young woman. Takumi glanced up from his phone, eyes widening a bit at the two ladies that had approached them. They didn't look much older than they were, most likely two or three years. They looked quite alluring in their yukatas, exactly what Yusuke had pointed out a few moments earlier.

"Yes, we're waiting for a couple of our friends." the blue haired artist replied, his smile shifting into a frown.

"Well...we were looking for our friends too, but we're not sure where they went. Would you like to come with us? It would be an honor to go with someone like you." the black haired girl said, causing Takumi to sigh.

"Dude, these girls are smoking, they're taking too long man...this shit literally never happens to us. Wanna just go with them?" Ryuji asked, earning a glare from Ren.

"We're waiting for our friends, if you wanna go then go for it man."

"I'm sorry miss, but I'm not interested. I've been waiting for my friends to put on their yukata, so I'll be going with them." Takumi said, giving the two women a small bow.

"Aw, come on...you and your friend here can come along. I'm sure you'll have fun with the two of us."

"That is enough, you two are disgracing the beauty of your yukata. You aren't bringing out the true beauty of your womanhood." Yusuke snapped, his face being one of annoyance. The two girls shared a look before walking away, confused as to why they had been rejected.

"Oh my god...are you two retarded? Those two girls were fine, and you just let them go." Ryuji snapped, earning a frown from Takumi.

"Dude, I've told you this before. I don't like fake people, that brown haired girl just wanted me there because I'm famous. Didn't you hear her? Saying it would be an honor to go to the festival with me? I'd rather be with a woman that loves me for who I am." Takumi replied.

"And that is what makes you a true gentlemen Takumi. If you'd like to go after those two you can Ryuji. Just know that you'll be alone for the rest of the night, especially when it's time to go home."

The boys all looked over at their friends who had finally arrived. Takumi had to admit, they looked amazing in their yukata. The light blue that Ann had picked went well with her hair and brought her eyes out, similarly, the dark color that Makoto had picked made her looked more relaxed and charming. The two were holding hands with Mitsuhide who stood in the middle of them, an embarrassed look on her face.

Ann had once again been the one who picked out her outfit. The dark blue contrasted well with her long black hair. It had puffy white clouds printed on it, along with some light pink cherry blossoms on it. She was wearing a bright red sash, tied around her back in a bow. The sleeves were quite long, making it look more like a furisode than a yukata. Mitsuhide's hair had been straightened, and decorated with a white ribbon, along with two thin braids that framed her face, laced with white ribbons. The boy smiled, kneeling down before the girl.

"You look beautiful sis...the sneakers through it off though." he said, glancing at her feet.

"Brother, I was already forced into this. At least let me wear normal shoes." she replied, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"It's fine sweetheart...let me take a picture and then we can head out." he said, opening his camera app on his phone. Once he snapped a picture of the three girls, it was time for them to head out into Shibuya.

"Jeez, Central Street is crowded." Ryuji noted, seeing the large crowd in front of them.

"What do you expect, we're in the middle of Tokyo on Marine Day. There's a spot over by Lawson, it's a bit of a walk but we'll get a good look at the fireworks from an open street." Takumi said, tightening his hold on Mitsuhide's hand, so that she wouldn't get lost.

"I'm fine with that, let's just be careful in these big crowds...we wouldn't want anything to happen to Mitsu after all." Ann said, giving the girl a small pat on the head. She flushed, glancing at the ground as she walked.

It wasn't long before they reached the Lawson convenience store which wasn't that far from Shibuya Station. They had a good view of the open street where some people were shooting off some fireworks, but the traffic had been boxes in by gates. It made finding a good spot very difficult, so in the end the ended up being pressed up against the convenience store walls, behind a large crowd of people. The fireworks had already started, large colorful flowers exploding high in the air, though half of them were being covered by one of the many buildings in Shibuya.

"Maybe we should have gone with Ayumi and Toni...they probably climbed a building somewhere and got the best view of the city." Takumi muttered.

"You know, the rooftop of a high building isn't a place for a nine year old." Makoto reminded, earning a nod from the boy.

"I shouldn't have come with you, I'm just a burden to you all." Mitsuhide replied. Takumi knelt down, picking the girl up from the ground, keeping his arms wrapped around her waist.

"You aren't a burden at all, can you see now?"

"Mhmm...thank you big brother." she said softly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders so she wouldn't fall.

He returned his attention to the fireworks, thanks to his height, he could look over some of the people ahead of him, but it still made it a bit hard to see. He glanced around the crowd, eyeing some of the yukata some people were wearing. There were a few women that looked quite stunning in the ones they were wearing, while others looked a little awkward in them. He remembered earlier that day, he had asked Alibaba if she was going to the festival, but she never replied. It made him wonder what kind of girl lied beyond that screen. He glanced across the street for a brief moment, meeting the eyes of a young woman that had been looking right at him.

To say she was beautiful was an understatement. Her ivory colored skin seemed to shine under the pale light coming from the post. She wore a plain looking yukata, but even in that she looked rather nice. Her short curly peach colored hair fell on her shoulders, giving her a bit of a sophisticated look. She was a bit shorter than him, but stood out because she was at the front of the crowd. He titled his head a bit, eyes narrowed as he glanced at her. She looked away from him, her focus being on the fireworks. He briefly remembered there being some people shooting some off on the opposite street. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and glanced up at his sister, who had been watching him for a few minutes.

"Is something the matter? You've been staring at that young woman for the last few minutes. Don't tell me you are infatuated with her."

"Huh...what? No that isn't it at all...she looked familiar is all."

"That's what all men say, then they end up turning into skirt chasing perverts. I will not let you become one of those big brother." she replied, the fact she said with a straight face was what unnerved the boy. He just turned back to the fireworks, deciding to ignore his sister for awhile.

However, a single drop fell on his face, making him shiver a bit in surprise. That drop was followed by a second, and then a third until it had turned into a drizzle. The clouds above them rumbled as it started to rain, much to the disappointment of everyone around them. Takumi backed up, going under the awning above him to stay a bit dry, but that was a little difficult, since several people had the same ideas. He saw Mitsuhide digging her hand into her sleeve, reaching for something. A second later she pulled out a small black umbrella, which sprung open above the two, covering them from the rain.

"It never hurts to be prepared." she mused, a small smile on her face.

"This sucks." he heard Ann said, causing him to glance at her.

She was wringing out her yukata, having exposed a good deal of her leg. He quickly shifted his eyes, finding the moving crowd more interesting, the same couldn't be said for Ryuji and Ren who had been looking at the girl and her now soaked yukata. Makoto tapped her shoulder, causing the blonde to look up. She pointed to the guys, causing the blonde model to look at them. She growled angrily, letting go of her yukata.

"Gee, if you can't stop staring then why don't you do me a damn favor and get me a towel?!"

"Alright sheesh...I'll see if they have one inside." Ryuji cried, making his way into the store.

"I should have brought my backpack, I could have packed some towels in there. Man...I had faith that it wasn't going to rain."

"The weather said there was a high chance of rain big brother. It is the rainy season after all. We should get inside, at least until the crowds clear." Mitsuhide said, earning a nod from the boy. As he turned to go into the store, he locked eyes with the girl from before, just as she climbed into her car. He watched her for a few more seconds, only for the car to drive off a moment later. He shook his head, walking into the store, setting his sister down as she closed her umbrella.

"Goddamn it, we just wanted to get out of the rain."

"I guess everyone had the same idea, it'll be fine for now Ryuji." Yusuke reassured, earning a sigh from the blond boy.

"I was enjoying myself too, of course it just had to rain." Ren muttered, glancing at Morgana who was trying to shake some of the rain out of his fur.

"I can't believe this...I'm soaking wet, cold, my feet hurt...this sucks." Ann muttered, trying to ignore the fact rain water was dripping all around her.

"Don't you have any clothes under that?" Takumi asked curiously. The model looked up at him, an incredulous look on her face.

"What...why are you asking me that?"

"Mitsuhide put on regular clothes under her yukata. You tied her sash didn't you?" he asked.

"Actually big brother, it was I that tied Ann's sash. Makoto was a bit busy with her own, so sensibly, I was the only one capable of doing it." the black haired girl replied.

"It doesn't matter...I didn't...well, I didn't think it would rain. So I didn't wear anything underneath."

"Anything? You mean...you're all...you under there?" Ryuji asked, earning a slap to the face from the blonde girl.

"I'm wearing underwear you perv, just not another set of clothes. Now that I think about it, it would have been a good idea."

"Well...some celebration this was...I couldn't help but look at that girl though."

"Which one Makoto? The one that got in the black car? She's lucky, she gets a ride home." Ryuji replied, rubbing his now injured cheek. Ann's hand print was clearly visible on it, which was why he kept his own hand over it.

"I saw her too...she looked really familiar for some reason. I feel like I've seen her before."

"You might have, she's a student in Shujin Academy, a third year like me. But her name escapes me at the moment, if you wish to know it, I could get a hold of the class roster and find it for you. You seemed rather interested in her, judging by the look on your face." Makoto replied.

"Big brother is infatuated with her. It is perfectly natural for a male of his age and stature to get stirrings at this age. Knowing this, I predict a 49% increase in attraction towards her. If he succeeds in courting her, within a year or so we shall have a set of offspring, twins perhaps."

"Shut up Mitsu, I'm not a damn science experiment! And I don't like that girl, I like someone else!" he cried. He grit his teeth right after, slapping a hand over his mouth.

"Oh ho ho! So you do like someone, this is gonna be great...I'm gonna tease the shit out of you until you tell me."

"You better not asshole, or I'll kick your ass." the brown haired actor cried, glaring at his spiky haired friend.

"I believe the crowds have cleared for not. It would be wise to part ways for now, before the trains become too crowded. Though it was a shame having to end it early, I did quite enjoy myself tonight." Yusuke said.

"Yeah...even if it did rain it was pretty fun. But we gotta do something else you know? Since the fireworks were a bust." Ann said.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it...how about we meet up in Shibuya's Underground Passage tomorrow afternoon? I'll bring you some good news." Ryuji said.

"Alright, we'll hold you to that." Ren said firmly.

"It was nice spending time with you all. Be safe on your way home okay?" Mitsuhide said, handing her brother her umbrella.

"Likewise, it was good to see you come out with us Mitsu. We should do this again sometime." Makoto said, earning an eager nod from the girl.

"I'll catch you all later, if anything comes up you let me know through chat alright?"

"Will do, see you Takumi." Ren said, waving the boy off, as he left the convenience store.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday July 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: ?**_

 _ **Time: ?**_

 _ **Weather: ?**_

 _ **Objective: ?**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi stirred awake, finding himself in a familiar jail cell. He sat up, rubbing his eyes as he stood up from his bed, walking toward the cell doors, peering through the bars. He was greeted by Igor's smiling face, along with the stern look of the wardens, Justine and Caroline. The man let out a chuckle, folding his hands in front of himself.

"It seems you have made quite a lot of bonds these past few weeks. You have been working on them, making them iron clad. That is the type of motivation I like seeing from you. Congratulations, you are on your way to become a fine thief."

"Um...thanks. Honestly, I'm just being a good friend...whenever I do make a new friend though, I get this odd surge of power. It feels familiar too." he replied.

"Those are remnants of your old power, your heart hasn't changed, but your mind has forgotten. These bonds are being reformed, a grand rebirth in a different persona. They shall be the key to power that will aid the Wild Card in his endeavor." Justine said, earning a confused look from the boy.

"Ugh...basically, the friends you are making now, were your friends before. It all has to do with your previous failure." Caroline explained firmly.

"Failure...wait, you mean I've done this before? I've been here before?" Takumi asked.

"That is something that I cannot share with you. For discovering the truth is also part of your rehabilitation. You have finally unmasked yourself, but now it is time to put those powers to the test. The next enemy you will face is an elusive one. It is but a distraction, for your true objective, will be to steal the treasure of a vile person, who does nothing but ruin the lives of others." Igor said, making Takumi frown.

"Ruin the lives of other...it sounds familiar. It...isn't my father is it?"

"Do you want it to be? You wish to change his heart yes? But it is currently unreachable. The cognitive world is but an aspect of our own, one cannot travel the sea from the Metaverse. If you wish to change the heart of that man, you shall have to come to him, or he shall have to come to you." he replied.

"Besides, changing that man's twisted heart isn't your goal. Some of your friends might get hurt, it will be up to you to decide what's right from wrong. Who you want to help, and who you are going to leave behind. Just know that every path will lead to failure if you pick wrong."

"Such is the destiny of the Tower. The higher it is, the more susceptible to falling it shall become. If the next choice is my own...I guess I'll just have to make the right one, even if it puts me at odds with the ones I care about. That reminds me, I got the two of you something." he said, reaching into his pockets, surprised that he had them with him. He slipped his hands through the bars, handing the two girls a cellphone.

"What is this? A gift for us?" Justine asked curiously.

"Yeah...my sister wants to act like an adult, but she needs friends. That much is certain, so I decided to get you these. You can stay in contact with me, and have a way to learn about the real world. You'll also be able to text my sister and make plans whenever you wanna hangout."

"Well...this will be beneficial for us. But don't expect me to text you in the middle of the night you pervert Inmate!"

"Don't worry Caroline, I won't expect a message from you at that time. I hope this helps us become better friends." he said happily.

"This realm is fading, it is time for you to return to the real world. We shall be in contact...thank you Inmate. We really do appreciate this." Justine said, earning a smile from the boy.

"No problem, we're friends right? That's what friends do."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi groaned as he felt his phone buzzing loudly. He reached a hand for it, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. It was four thirty-five in the morning, and he was set to go to school in three hours. He yawned as he grabbed his phone, glancing at the screen seeing he had gotten a message from Alibaba. He clicked on it, opening his chat.

 **Alibaba:** _I need a favor from you..._

 **Alibaba:** _I know your secret Takumi..._

 **Alibaba:** _I know that you are a Phantom Thief..._

"What the hell?" he muttered, forcing himself to sit up. He rubbed his eyes again, reading the messages. He quickly typed a reply, his heart beating hard in his chest.

 **Takumi:** _What are you talking about? I'm not a Phantom Thief..._

 **Alibaba:** _Yes you are...I know about what you do..._

 **Alibaba:** _I know the names of your friends...Ren Amamiya, Ryuji Sakamoto, Ann Takamaki, Yusuke Kitagawa, and Makoto Nijima_

 **Alibaba:** _If you want to protect yourself and your friends, then you will listen to what I have to say._

 **Takumi:** _Fine...what do you want? You know, I thought you were my friend, but I guess you can't trust anyone online nowadays..._

 **Alibaba:** _Hey, don't insult me...I was about to let you win the meme war too. Regardless, there is a group that is targeting you._

 **Alibaba:** _I have the means to take care of them, but I require your assistance. I need you to help me...once I get in contact with your leader, I shall give you more information._

 **Alibaba:** _I know something else, your friend Rise Kujikawa is helping you research Ryoutaro Shimizu...you wish to know more about him don't you?_

 **Takumi:** _I do...but how do you...never mind, you must have hacked my chat. Alright, I do want to get information on him. What do I need to do to get it?_

 **Alibaba:** _Hacking into your phone was easy, you gave me your chat ID, and I managed to send a chain email to your friends to get into theirs. But Ren Amamiya's phone has protection software on it. For some reason I can't crack it. I cannot get in contact with him because of this._

 **Alibaba:** _I shall send you a file, all you have to do is transfer it into his phone. I will send you the information you need...is that an acceptible deal?_

 **Takumi:** _For now yes...but if I do accept this deal, aside from the information, I want one more thing from you._

 **Alibaba:** _If it is within my power..._

 **Takumi:** _Good...I want to meet you, face to face. I want to see who Alibaba truly is. Whatever you want from our leader, I'll do my best to bring it to you...but only if you agree to a meeting._

 **Alibaba:** _That will be difficult...but if you manage to do what I ask...then I shall give you that meeting._

 **Takumi:** _Good...I'll get a hold of his phone and get you in...but you keep your end of the bargain._

 **Alibaba:** _Understood...for now, I advise you to go to the link I'm about to send. It's important that you share this with your friends...I shall be in contact soon..._

Takumi sighed as the conversation ended. He was scared...scared of what was about to happen to him or his friends. He didn't know what to think of Alibaba. He had only known her for a few days, but he didn't know if she could be trusted. She hadn't done anything beforehand to make him think otherwise, but it was odd that she had done something like this. He wondered what it was that she wanted with the Phantom Thieves...it must have been important if she wanted contact with his leader. He knew it felt wrong to do something like that...but he couldn't let her expose his information like that. He received one final message, the link to the website that Alibaba had mentioned. He paused for a second before he clicked it, opening the browser. He was greeted by a bright green background, his eyes focus on the one word in bold white letters.

"Medjed."

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 3)**_


	23. Alibaba and Medjed

**A/N:**

 **Well guys, as I said before, I am going to post Chapter 23 as well today. I hope you guys like it, let me know in the review section or through PMs what you think. This one is going to really get the plot moving, so look forward to various things that will be taking place during the following weeks within the story...or should I say days since this takes places day by day. Eh...whatever...I'll see you all on Thursday...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 23

Alibaba and Medjed

 _ **Date: Tuesday July 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: ?**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi was a bit nervous on the way to school. He normally hung out with Ryuji and Ren on the train, but this time he was focused on something else. The messages he had gotten earlier that morning from Alibaba had been alarming. He didn't know if the young girl was a hacker or not, but the fact that she had been able to get into his and his friend's phones, find their chats and messages was both impressive and scary. He didn't know what her true goal was, but whatever the case was, it was less of a worry than what Medjed had posted on their website. He had been reading the message over and over again since he had seen it, not having been able to sleep right after he had been awoken by Alibaba earlier that day.

Medjed had announced their displeasure against the Phantom Thieves, calling them unjust. They had also said that the people of Japan shouldn't worship them and their false justice, and that if they kept doing it, they would take matters into their own hands. This message had been on the news that morning as well, but it had been entirely in English, so not many were able to read it for himself. He had done some research into the matter, but Medjed was a hacktivist group, one that was in the shadows of the world wide web. They attacked companies and exposed shady business deals. And now they had gotten mad at the Phantom Thieves and were threatening them for no reason. On top of that, Alibaba was trying to get in contact with Ren and he was the key to that meeting happening.

It was rather easy, Alibaba had sent him the file. It was just a link to the Medjed website, but she had explained about the program she had attached to it. Once he opened the file, it would cause the browser to crash, but nothing would happen to his phone. Aside from that Ren's phone would be fine and Alibaba would have a direct line to him. He didn't want to do it, but she had promised him information on Ryoutaro Shimizu, stuff that he hadn't been able to find on his own. His sister Kanami filled his mind, especially with how odd she had been acting around Rise for the last few weeks. He couldn't let anything happen to her, so he knew he had to do it. Even if it made him a bad friend in the end, he needed to get Alibaba in contact with Ren.

"Why are you so quiet today big brother? Worried about your scores on your finals?" Ayumi asked, causing the boy to look up from his phone.

"You're like, wicked smart like Mitsu. So are you really that nervous about scores?" Toni added, causing him to put his phone back in his pocket.

"Nah...it isn't that. Didn't you see the news? That Medjed group just attacked the Phantom Thieves...I heard those guys aren't people you wanna mess with. They've destroyed companies in the past, and exposed a politician's skeletons. I'm worried what would happen to those guys." he said.

"Pfft...Medjed won't do shit...I mean this is the Phantom Thieves were talking about. How would Medjed even find out who they are? The cops can't even do that so they're perfectly fine!" Ayumi said cheerfully.

"That is true...but man I would love to know who they are. I bet you they're all really hot too. Even the girls, if they have them in their squad. Wouldn't it be fun to run around at night stealing stuff Takumi?" Toni asked, earning a shrug from the boy.

"I'm not sure...I guess it would be like being in a comic book. You get to be someone like Catwoman, an anti-heroine femme fatal, looking out for number one. Stealing all of the jewels she can, only for Batman to come in and shut that shit down." Takumi replied.

"Yes, preferably with a barbed wire baseball bat."

"No Ayumi...just no." Toni replied, earning a raspberry from her best friend. The three of them entered the school, stopping at the entrance hall, seeing the large group of students near the bulletin board.

"Time to face the music, as they say." Takumi said, walking toward the posted scores. As soon as some people saw him, they ended up clearing a path for him. He glanced at the scores for the second year students, looking for his name. His eyes widened a bit when he saw his name right below Ren's, who was the top of the class. He turned around, facing his sister and her friend.

"I'm in second place...I got the second highest score in the second year."

"No way, are you serious?" Toni cried, pushing the boy aside, searching for his name.

"This is amazing big brother! Maybe you are a genius like Mitsuhide is, you definitely got that vibe. I did horribly though, I'm thirty-fifth in my class, Toni's all the way at the bottom." Ayumi said, pointing to the list for the First Year students.

"This is bullshit, well at least for me. But for you Takumi, it's amazing, congratulations! Wanna go to the girls locker room and make out?"

"See you later Toni, have fun being the class failure." he said, quickly heading toward the second floor. The farther away he was from the brunette, the better at this rate.

As he made it to the second floor, he decided to stop by room 2-D to speak with his friends. Much to his surprise, Ryuji was there as well, speaking to the both of them. It made it a lot harder for the boy to actually pull off what he wanted to do, but he knew he had to do it. He took a deep breath, plastering one of his fake smiles on his face.

"Hey guys, guess who got the second highest score in the second year?" he asked.

"Not me...I almost flunked...ugh, it really pisses me off. But not as much as this Medjed shit. Do you actually think it's serious?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, I haven't been on their website yet...I heard some girls on the train talking about it. They were saying that Medjed was saying the Phantom Thieves weren't just." Ann replied.

"I got a link to their site, here I'll share it with Ren, since he's the leader and all." Takumi said, sending the boy the link Alibaba had sent him. He also sent Ann and Ryuji the link he had gotten before, which didn't contain the file attached to it. Ryuji quickly opened the link, frowning when he saw it.

"It's in English."

"I can see that...see and you said you were never going to use that language. It makes all of that studying worth it in my case." Ann said.

"What the hell...did your browser crash? Mine just did." Ren said, showing his friends his phone.

"Ah yeah...mine did the same thing. I guess Medjed's website might have some weird shit on it that makes phones crash. It's fine now but I wouldn't trust a website from a hacktivist group. Anyway, I read the message earlier, it basically said that the Phantom Thieves were unjust, and that the people of Japan should stop worshiping them." he replied.

"That's probably a prank, I mean why would they attack the Phantom Thieves? What reason would they have?" Ann asked curiously, earning a shrug from the boy.

"I'm not sure, but after what happened with Madarame and Kaneshiro, people have been wondering if what we are doing is just. Medjed likes to use cyberspace as a way to expose crimes. It's they're own form of justice...but what they do is wrong. They take down companies and ruin lives, we take down criminals and save lives. I'm not saying one is more righteous than another, but I will say this. Be careful...these people are unseen, and at any time any one of us could be found."

"Aw come on man. Don't say shit like that, it makes me think you have zero faith in us." Ryuji said.

"I do have faith in you...we're friends right? Just be careful what you do online, and don't say anything to anyone. Okay?" Takumi asked firmly.

"We'll be safe, don't worry...class is about to start, so let's talk more about this later." Ann replied, giving the boy a reassuring smile. He nodded, turning to leave the classroom, with Ryuji on his heels. He pulled out his phone, opening his chat with Alibaba.

 **Takumi:** _It's done, I sent him the link, the browser crashed, so you should be in._

 **Takumi:** _I hope you keep your end of the bargain..._

 **Alibaba:** _Thank you..._

 **Alibaba:** _The files I dug up for you are in your inbox..._

 **Alibaba:** _I hope they are to your liking...we shall be in contact._

"Who are you texting this early man?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"No one in particular...my mom told me I forgot something at home. She just told me about it so that I could go get it later, but it was insignificant. Don't worry about it." Takumi said, a reassuring look on his face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday July 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Underground(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: ?**_

 _ **xxx**_

"This Medjed shit is pissing me off, it's all people keep talking about." Ryuji snapped, slamming his fist against the railing.

"I know, but right now we don't have much information on them. We don't know what it is they want, or they're reason for this. So let's not dwell on it." Makoto said, trying to calm the boy down.

"I hate to say it, but Makoto is right. If we worry about something that we cannot control, then it will be our downfall." Yusuke replied.

"Yeah but...ugh...fine. I guess we can focus on something else, check this out. That case that belonged to Kaneshiro nailed us 150,000 Yen." the blond boy said, showing his friends the money he had gotten.

"No way! Look at all that cash, we can totally spend that on the party. After all, we need something to do since the fireworks were a washout." Ann happily cried, counting the money Ryuji had in his hand.

"Then might I suggest something simple, sushi would suffice yes?"

"I could totally go for some sushi...I've been craving eel for awhile now."

"Same here, some fatty tuna, salmon, yellow tail...come on, we should go right now!" Morgana cried, urging his friends on.

"I got a perfect place, there's a high end sushi restaurant in Ginza. We aren't that far from it and the fare is cheap. Me and my grandmother used to go there between shoots for _Mayonaka_ , and I gotta say, it's the best place for sushi in all of Tokyo." Takumi said cheerfully.

"We should wait for a couple days though. School is ending soon, so how about we go on Friday, it's the last day of school. So it'll be the last day we gotta worry about that crap. An end of the year celebration." Ren suggested, earning nods from his friends.

"That isn't a bad idea at all...it would be wonderful to end the year with a delectable platter of food, wouldn't you say?"

"Ah...you only say that because you're flat broke." Ryuji said, earning a frown from the artist. Takumi stretched his arms above his head, jumping off the railing.

"Well...I'd love to hangout a little more, but mom is getting ready for the summer sales. She's asked me to handle inventory, so I'll be a bit busy for the next couple days. Feel free to drop by if you want, but I'll most likely be too busy to chat."

"Aw...come on Takumi, I wanted to go to Inokashira Park! I've been rehearsing my lines and wanted to see if my acting had improved."

"I'd love to go back to Inokashira with you, but I can't right now. I gotta help my mom out...maybe if there's some time left in my schedule this week, I can plan something. It sucks, but hey...that's what happens when you're the only man in the house." he said, placing his bag on his shoulder.

"I suppose we'll see you at school then...you better not bail out of the sushi trip asshole. Because I'll drag you to Ginza myself."

"Why would I bail Ryuji? I suggested going to Ginza after all...keep in touch if the whole Medjed thing changes." he said, giving his friends a wave, taking his leave.

Takumi hated lying to his friends, but he couldn't help it. The information Alibaba had sent him had been nagging at him for awhile now. He didn't have a laptop so he couldn't check it on the go, plus his mom actually had asked him to help her with inventory. It didn't take him long to make it to the store, normally he would have gone through the front entrance to greet his mother. But he just wanted to hurry home and get things done. His sister and her friend wouldn't be bothering him either so it made it the perfect time to check that information. Once he had taken a shower, he placed himself in front his computer. He took a deep breath as he brought it out of sleep mode.

"Wonder what Alibaba found out on this guy." he muttered, quickly opening his browser. He went to his Yahoo email and logged in, glancing over his shoulder briefly to make sure he was alone. He clicked on the email that had three question marks on it, with Sender "Unknown" written on the bottom. He was half expecting it to be Smile , as a cruel prank from Alibaba, but he was quite impressed when he saw a lengthy email holding various files.

"What the hell is this stuff?" he muttered, clicking the file that was labeled _Accounts_.

" _Detailed Accounts of the Abuse committed by Ryoutaro Shimizu. There is a report of a young woman, an actress named Hana Song. She suffered a broken leg, two broken arms, several broken ribs and a mild concussion, caused by falling from a high place on set. This was labeled as a suicide. But Miss Song stated that she was in fact attacked by Shimizu when she didn't perform her scene to his specifications. She was threatened with legal action should she speak, which is why she remained silent. She published a memoir about him and was eliminated shortly after."_

"Eliminated...what the hell does that mean?" he whispered to himself. He backed out of that file, clicking on the next one. It was a News Paper article from Seoul in South Korea. His eyes widened when he read the translated words.

"Eighteen year old actress found dead in her apartment. Hana Song, a young Korean actress, who suffered injuries over seas, was found deceased in her home this morning. She suffered two gunshots to her head, the assailant sexually assaulted her before she died." he read, eyes widening with each word. He clicked on the next file another account.

" _A young man used to be a set creator for Director Shimizu. He ended up messing up on one cushion and was verbally abused by the man. When threatened with legal action, Shimizu had him fired. This young man then went online to say that Shimizu was an abusive director who would do anything he wanted to get his films on the silver screen. This young man was later found hanging from a tree in Ikebukuro Destiny Land. It was what lead to the parks closure."_

Takumi swallowed hard, clicking the accompanying article. His eyes scanned the words on it, a blurred picture of a young man hanging from a tree. It said that the park was going to close because this accident brought bad attention to the company as a whole. The more he read, the more disgusted he was. Every single person that went against Shimizu in some way, was eliminated. Those that were fired by him, were shamed into committing suicide. The most recent one was a fourteen year old girl, who he verbally and sexually abused. She posted it on social media before committing suicide, but by the time someone saw it, his name had been omitted. The man had his bases covered, which was what scared him so much.

"This guy...he's even worse than Kaneshiro. He forces his actors to do their best, if they get it wrong, they're abused. If they quit, he drives them to suicide with blackmail, and if they go against him on social media or on the internet...they're killed. He's untraceable, that means he's gotta have someone on his side who hides this." he muttered, backing away from the computer.

He never knew Shimizu was this type of person. He knew that there was something he was hiding. He knew he had a palace, and he had suspected of him being abusive to his actors. It was enough that Kanami was coming home hurt. But now that his speculation had been confirmed, he needed to act. He had to run this by Ren as soon as he could. People were being killed by this man, all for the sake of his films, and that was something he couldn't allow. Especially when his sister was a victim. But even with this information Alibaba had given him, he needed real proof. After all, she had threatened him and had asked him to get her in contact with Ren. He didn't know if he could trust the information unless he saw something with his own two eyes.

"Shit...but how am I going to get something like that? Shimizu practically kicked me out of his set. There's no way in hell I could get back in."

"Why do you need to get back in?"

The boy jumped, whirling around to see his sister Mitsuhide, standing at the entrance of his room. He sighed, beckoning her over, telling her silently to close the door behind herself. She did, locking it for good measure. She came to a stop next to him, hands behind her back, still wearing that sweater even though it was sweltering outside.

"It baffles me how you wear that sweater in July. Don't you get sweaty?"

"The controlled environment within this apartment allows me to stay cool and warm at the same time. However that is not our matter of discussion, I couldn't help but overhear your ramblings." she replied. She looked at his computer screen, glancing at the article he had left open.

"Don't look at that."

"Whatever you are trying to hide is for naught. I already know you are a Phantom Thief, so you cannot hide this. You've been curious about Ryoutaro Shimizu for awhile, I too noticed how Kanami was always injured when she came home. She is his victim."

"So...you saw it? Her injuries I mean?" he asked, a frown on his face.

"It's difficult to hide injuries like hers. She used make up for her facial bruises, and I saw her wrap her ribs. I have no idea whatever insurmountable injuries she may be hiding. I did ask her, how she was hired by him, as it turns out, he came to her." Mitsuhide said, stepping before the computer. She started reading some of the files, clicking in and clicking out of them whenever she was finished.

"I need proof...the source I got this from...it isn't the most accurate one."

"You require a way in...and you require accurate information. I can provide both, remember...he offered me a spot as an extra in his movie. I'm your key in, you do what you have to do when we are inside." she said firmly. Takumi sighed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Mitsu...has anyone ever told you that you've got balls doing this kinda shit?"

"No...but you should know that I do indeed possess balls. Large brass balls forged in the line of duty. I may not be a Phantom Thief, but I agreed to help you, did I not? You get in, get your information, you get out. We save big sister Kanami, and that's it. We cannot do this alone, we need someone else with us."

"I don't want to tell the others, they don't know about you. I mean...they don't know that you know. If Alibaba contacts Ren, like I know she will, then them having two people know about them would be hard for them to accept." Takumi replied, causing his sister to spare him a glance. She brushed the hair out of her eyes, looking directly into his.

"This is why we need someone else. Rise Kujikawa is her best friend, she is practically family, is she not? She is perfect for this. She is an actress just like you. We've got roles to play, and we will play them accordingly. If this information is accurate...then this shall be bigger than Kaneshiro." Mitsuhide said, earning a nod from the boy.

"You're right...this is bigger than Kaneshiro. Shimizu has been making movies for years, and getting rid of anyone who snitches on his abuse. He has eighteen lives to pay for, and who knows how many actors he's ruined over the years and driven to suicide. This is...sick...alright, we are going in this together. But I am setting some ground rules that you will follow to the letter."

"Let me hear them...I'll deem if I'll follow them or not. I am old enough to make my own choices...smart enough, to make the right choice."

"Alright fair enough. Number one, we go in there and we handle it professionally. We skulk for information, but we have to be careful, this man is dangerous, especially if the news articles here are real."

"Done, that one was easy."

"Number two, when the time comes and the proof I got is irrefutable, I will go and handle his heist. That means going to the Metaverse and dealing with his Shadow. That place is dangerous without your own spirit armor, you could die." he replied.

"You cannot go in there without back up. You shall tell your friends about this, I'm not letting you go alone." Mitsuhide said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Okay...I'll let them know. The final rule, we keep this to ourselves...we cannot allow ourselves to be caught. By Shimizu, by his scumbag right hand man Akihiko Shouji, by anyone who is on his side. Everyone in that place, is an enemy. Trust no one, no matter how trustworthy you think they are. Kanami is covering for him or is too scared to do anything, don't trust her either, as much as it hurts...got it?"

"Crystal clear big brother...before we do anything, explain to me what the Metaverse is like. What lies beyond, what spirit armor is...and what it means to steal someone's treasure." she said, earning a nod from him.

"Well...I guess I'll start with how I got my persona then...but it's gonna be a long story, filled with big terms you might not understand. You ready for that?"

"Cognitive Psience is something that has interested me for awhile. I may be young, but I wish to know what Dr. Isshiki was talking about in her last written thesis. Help me understand." Mitsuhide replied, earning a nod from the boy.

"Well...it all begun on the day I came back to Japan."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday July 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Underground(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on Shimizu**_

 _ **xxx**_

"These are the messages that were sent to me earlier today." Ren said, holding his phone out to his friends. Takumi remained silent as he read them, a frown on his face.

"How did this guy find out about us?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, perhaps he traced our chat log." Makoto muttered, a pensive look on her face. Yusuke sighed, bowing his head in shame.

"How careless of us."

"Wait, can that even be done? Wouldn't it be like super hard?" Ann wondered aloud. Takumi sighed, leaning against the railing, arms crossed over his chest.

"Actually Ann, it's quite easy. As long as you can hack into someone's phone, you can track every aspect of their lives. It's entirely possible that Ren's phone was remotely hacked. That's how this Alibaba character was able to get in."

"You're certain? How much do you know about this stuff?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Enough to get into a small system. I can jailbreak phones and game systems easily, but when it comes to hacking servers, I'm out of my element. As long as you have basic knowledge on how an operation system works, you can hack it. Is Ren's phone was hacked, and he messaged us in any way, then they could trace that message into our phones and get access that way."

"Holy shit." Ryuji muttered, a shocked look on his face.

"I don't understand this high tech lingo...what matters is that we were found out. What are we going to do about it?" Morgana asked firmly, gazing at his fellow Thieves.

"Alibaba knows a lot about us, this "I've prepared the necessary tool" thing doesn't make sense to me. What reason would they have to take down Medjed?"

"Well Ann, maybe Medjed did something against Alibaba. It looks like our goals are the same...on this at least." Takumi replied, glancing at his phone screen, checking the time.

"Hey...wouldn't it be great if we could get this guy aboard? I mean, he is a hacker right?"

"Be they a good hacker, I will not help a criminal, that would be an insult against our organization!" Yusuke exclaimed, earning a frown from Ryuji.

"Oh yeah, you're right."

"What matters now is how we deal with Alibaba. Right now, there are two thorns on our side. He said he would contact us with more information later...let's just keep an eye out for Medjed and go about our business." Ren said firmly.

"I'll try to do some research on Medjed. Right now, we need to be fully informed on who they are and what they do." Makoto added.

"We can't keep talking here, it's too open. We need a more secure place, and my house isn't available anymore." the brown haired actor said.

"Right...a place that's quiet and away from people...how about Leblanc?" Ann suggested, glancing up at Ren. He gave her a nod, grabbing a hold of his bag.

"The next train to Yongen leaves in a few minutes, let's go." he said.

"Is something the matter Takumi? You've been acting strangely all day."

"Hmm? Oh, I'm fine Makoto...just a little concerned. There's something I need to show you all anyway, I new infiltration tool. But it's something that has to be show in secret, so let's head to Leblanc." he said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. He glanced briefly at his phone, the message he was expecting still having not arrived.

They all mostly remained quiet as they continued onward to Yongen-Jaya. It had been quite awhile since Takumi had actually been back there, the narrow streets and small shops made the area look more peaceful and lively than the bustling Central Street of Shibuya. It was a nice change of pace in his opinion. He wondered briefly where the Skate Park that Ann mentioned was. Perhaps he would go there and practice his tricks before he got rusty. They arrived at the cafe a few minutes after the trained stopped, all of them walking into the cafe, practically single file.

Sojiro stood at the counter, pondering the contents of a letter he had received. He didn't look pleased as he read it, though when he heard the bell, he set it down. He glanced up, eyes widening a bit at the large group that had come into his shop, accompanied by his charge. He gave them all a warm smile.

"Hey, what's with the big group?" he asked curiously.

"Hello Boss, I hope we aren't intruding. We were just making plans for our summer vacation." Ann said, earning a nod from him.

"Well, make yourselves at home. Ah, by the way...that was addressed to you. I have no idea what it is, but it has some fancy seal on it. I'll leave the store to you, there's some left over ingredients in the fridge, a new shipment comes in tomorrow, so feel free to use it."

"Thanks Sojiro, have a good night." Ren said politely. The man grabbed his things and left the store, flipping the sign as he left. Takumi grabbed a chair at the counter, setting his bag down beside him.

"So...this thing you wanted to show us? It better be good if you can't show it off in public." Ryuji said, clapping the boy's shoulder. He nodded, reaching inside his bag.

"Well...I was trying to make something that would help us in palace infiltrations. That last one had a lot of shadows, so this is something that will help us save ammo. In case we get chased, after all we can't outrun shadows if we spotted after all. It makes it harder on us and we could all get hurt. So I took the liberty of making a smoke grenade." he said, placing the canister on the counter top.

It was a rather basic canister, made out of an aerosol can. The top had been cut off, in order to get the newspaper inside it. It had been taped back together with black duct tape, covering the brand name of the canister entirely. The top part of it had been removed, and in its place, a blue fuse stuck out. They all looked at it with curiosity and some with shock and surprise. Ren grabbed a hold of it, feeling its weight.

"This is legit. How did you make this?"

"It was simple...my little sister showed me how. Basically, she was able to get her hands on some ammonium nitrate. She ended up melting some oil pastels and mixing it into the solution. She dipped a piece of newspaper in it and allowed it to absorb that compound. Once it was dried, she placed it inside this canister and sealed it with tape. She stuck the fuse into it, making sure it was inside one of the folds. We tested one last night, and it works. It gives us three minutes of thick smoke, enough for us to hide from the shadows." he said.

"Wait...you got your sister to make this for you. Does she know about us?" Makoto asked curiously.

"No...she thinks I'm making this stuff as a science project for school. It may sound like a scummy thing to do, but she's a genius. I had to ask her about this sort of thing, it would benefit us in the end. They're color coated too, this one is black, meant for Morgana. I made three more, yellow for Ryuji, Pink for Ann and Red for Joker." he said, handing the three canisters to their respective owners.

"Hmm...this is quite interesting. I never once considered making something like a smoke grenade. It shall aid us in our endeavors. Especially because of what happened in Madarame's palace. We were chased quite a lot inside." Yusuke said, a small smile on his face.

"I'm impressed Takumi...I didn't consider making something like this...what other tricks do you have up your sleeve?" Makoto asked curiously. Hearing that made the boy frown inwardly, it reminded him of the secret he was holding, about Shimizu. He wanted to tell them, but he wasn't ready too, he didn't have physical proof yet.

"I'm working on some caltrops. They're really easy to make, all you need are some nails and a bolt cutter. If you know how to weld, you can make fourteen every thirty minutes. I don't have any finished products, but I'll be able to have some by our next infiltration." he replied.

"Man...I can't believe you're taking this thief shit seriously. These things will definitely help us." Ryuji said, a grin on his face. Takumi rolled his eyes, knowing he was eager to use his grenade.

"I'm gonna see if I can work on a firing pin mechanism. We can't rely on lighters and fuses forever. If we could design something akin to a flash bang that would be immensely helpful. Sadly I can't research that stuff openly without being put on the government's watch list. If only I can get my hands on a model." he muttered, bowing his head a bit. He didn't notice Ren's smirk. He grabbed the remote and turned the television on, seeing that it was on the news channel.

" _We have late breaking news on Medjed, whose notoriety rose since their statement the other day. Just moments ago, a new message has been released on their website. They have announced their victory over the Phantom Thieves. Medjed also warns any Japanese citizens who praised the Phantom Thieves to stop doing so. We will report any further actions by Medjed as they arrive."_

"Oh come on, it's in English!" Ryuji snapped in annoyance, glancing at the website on his phone. Takumi took a hold of it, narrowed his eyes as he read the message.

"The Phantom Thieves remain silent at our question. This proves that we are just." he read aloud, a look of annoyance on his face.

"People of Japan, wake up. You must not worship the Phantom Thieves." Ann continued, causing the blond boy to snap angrily.

"That is total bullshit!"

"Keep listening, you must allow her to finish before you can comment." Yusuke scolded, earning a scowl from the boy.

"Anyway, we will discipline any who worship them. The punishment is the confiscation of possessions. We are Medjed, we are unseen, we will eliminate evil...that's the gist of it."

"What the hell does that crap mean?" Ryuji cried, taking his phone back from Takumi, who just crossed his arms, letting the information simmer in his mind.

"It's rather obvious what they mean."

"Takumi is right, they're saying that they'll target sympathizers of the Phantom Thieves." Makoto added, causing Yusuke beside her to lean forward.

"Confiscation of possessions hm?"

"Perhaps bank accounts or personal information. Either way, it won't be anything pleasant."

"These fuckers...they think their so cool, using the internet to rob people. This pisses me off in more ways than you can imagine." Ryuji snapped angrily.

"Honestly speaking, it depends on the company. If it's a place that treats their people like shit, like Walmart or Gamestop, then I say let them. Those companies are just as vile as the fuckers that run them. But when you attack the innocent civilians, that's when I have a goddamn problem. Fighting something unseen...that's something I just can't wrap my mind around." the young actor said, glancing at his phone, sighing when he saw his screen was still blank.

"Yeah...but why the hell are we being singled out?"

"Perhaps all they care about is labeling the Phantom Thieves as crooks. That all this wouldn't have happened had the Phantom Thieves not existed."

"That's complete bullshit." Ryuji growled, earning a sigh from the student council president.

"Talk about a troublesome organization we've been targeted by." Morgana added, a look of annoyance on his face.

"Isn't there anything we can do?" Ann questioned.

"It's certain we can't do anything about this on our own."

They all remained silent, not knowing exactly what to do. Ryuji sighed, downing the last of his soft drink, glancing at the envelope beside Ren's hand. It was the one that Sojiro had had handed him before he left. Takumi looked at it, eyes narrowed a bit in thought.

"So...what about that letter, any idea what it says? We don't need anymore trouble." Ryuji asked.

"You know...it's rather odd seeing a wax seal in this day and age. Usually, only Kings would use seals like that."

"You're saying a King dropped this in Sojiro's mailbox?" Ren asked curiously.

"Maybe it was King Kamoshida, maybe he wanted to send you a pair of pink panties like the ones he wore." Ryuji joked, chuckling right after. Ann glared at him, causing the boy to stop. Ren grabbed a hold of the letter, slipping his finger under the flap, breaking the seal. He reached inside, eyes widening when he pulled the object from within.

"What the hell?"

"Is that a calling card?"

"Is there anything else in there? Or a name on the envelope?" Ann asked.

"Nothing, there's no name other than Ren's. No senders address, no stamp...someone must've directly dropped it into the mailbox here." Makoto said, looking the envelope over.

"Could it have been Alibaba...?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"That reminds me, he did mention preparing that "Necessary Tool". Could this be what he was talking about!?" Morgana snapped.

"Calm down...it can't be this. Alibaba wants to take down Medjed right? What the hell would a calling card do to someone that can't be seen?" Takumi added, earning nods from the group.

"He's right...but what the hell is goin' on here?"

"All we can do now is wait for Alibaba's orders. We're completely at his mercy." Makoto said. Takumi narrowed his eyes, glancing toward the door.

" _What the hell is your end game Alibaba? What exactly are you plotting with this calling card? Do you truly want to get rid of Medjed, or do you have another goal in mind? Why would you ask me of all people to get you in contact with Ren anyway?"_

"Hey, you good over there? You look like your pondering something." Ren asked, causing Takumi to look up at him.

"Just wondering how this card fits into the puzzle. For Kaneshiro, he had physical blackmail against us, he took our picture and held it over us. But Alibaba doesn't have shit, just our names...there's no possible way she can know about the Metaverse or the Meta-Nav right?"

"She?" Ann asked, causing the boy to cringe. He grabbed his soda can, pressing it to his lips.

"Yeah...she...why assume it's a he? It could very well be a she? Or a talking cat that somehow learned to use a computer."

"Haha, very funny asshat." Morgana said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Takumi has a point, let's not discard the fact that Alibaba may in fact be a female." Yusuke said.

"There's nothing we can do for now...let's just remain on standby and await whatever they want."

"Oh dear." Ann muttered, glancing at her untouched drink. Takumi's phone started to ring loudly, the Imperial March from Star Wars echoing loudly from it. He flushed brightly, quickly taking the call.

"Hello? I'm late aren't I mom? Sorry about that."

" _This isn't your mother...I just borrowed her caller ID, act normal."_

"Huh? So I really am late huh? I'm on my way home...yeah, be there soon." the boy said, putting his phone on sleep mode. He grabbed a hold of his backpack, slinging it on his shoulder.

"Well, the old lady needs me home. I promised I would help with inventory and I forgot. Keep me updated kay?" he asked.

"Sure thing man, be safe on your way home...and thanks for the grenades." Ren said.

"No problem, Yusuke, Makoto, I'll bring you yours when I can. I have to wait for the paper to dry before assembling them. Finding the aerosol cans is hard too."

"Do not fret, it will be awhile before our next infiltration. Take your time and don't rush things." Yusuke replied, earning a nod from the boy. With one final farewell, the young actor left Leblanc, hurrying toward the train station. Once he was far away from the station, he took out his phone, holding it to his ear.

"Talk, what the hell do you need the calling card for?"

" _It is a necessary tool...I'm being serious about dealing with Medjed. I have what you need, and I will provide it once you change the target's heart."_ Alibaba said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Change the target's heart...is that your true end game here? Who's wronged you so much that you need to take such drastic actions?"

 _"That is none of your concern. I haven't given this warning to your leader yet. But I am being serious, I will expose you to the world and to Medjed if you don't do this for me. You might hate me, but you shouldn't trust people you meet online. They could have ulterior motives."_ she replied, earning a frown from the boy. He entered the train, quickly finding his seat.

"Ulterior motives huh? The motives of a scared little girl hiding behind her computer? You aren't telling me the true reason why you want this change. But that isn't my call, it's my leader's...what he says goes."

" _Mwehehe...that is right I suppose. But I have another piece of information regarding Ryoutaro Shimizu...if you want that piece of information...then you'll help your friends change that heart."_

The boy growled angrily, pulling the phone away from his ear. He closed his eyes, bowing his head in anger and shame. He had to tell his friends about this, but he couldn't risk it either. He needed to take care of Shimizu, before his sister was severely hurt.

"Alibaba...you are putting me in a bind. I want to save my sister from potential injuries, or even death. You want a change of heart...but you are also a hacker, if

I help you...will you do me a favor?"

" _Name it, if it is within my power then I will do my best."_

"The owner of Mashita Industries Incorporated, Takarou Mashita...he's done quite a lot of shady things in the past. That also includes ruining my career, he has those files safe within his company server here in Japan. Though he is overseas, his HQ is here...if I help you achieve this change of heart, I want you to find that information for me. However, the requested change will happen after I take care of Shimizu, is that understood?"

" _As long as my target receives the change, it matters not when it happens. Though I do wish you could do it As soon as possible, it cannot be helped. It is up to your leader after all...we have an accord. Hehe...going after your own father, you truly are a Phantom Thief."_

"Changing the hearts of the wicked and those who like ruining lives...that's my personal motto. I'm taking Shimizu down on my own, once I do, I will help my teammates out. Don't call me unless it's to make good with your side of the bargain, got it?"

" _Huh? Hey, I'm the one calling the shots here! I'm the one who has information on you!"_

"And you're the one who's getting recorded sweetheart. My friends will forgive me, but having a rando blackmailing their teammate is a big no no. We will find you and we will deal with you, but if my leader deems the change necessary, or the status quo changes...then we will do what needs to be done. Have a lovely day Alibaba, by the way, your memes are trash." he said, ending the call right after. He couldn't help but chuckle at the end, he could almost imagine the girl behind the screen losing her shit after that insult.

Of course, he was worried about his actions. It could very well put his friends in danger, and with Medjed acting more openly, it made everything more dangerous. But he couldn't fight something he couldn't see...he needed to face what was in front of him, and right now the only thing that was in front of him was Ryoutaro Shimizu. He was going to stop him and save his sister, even if it meant bailing on his friends when they needed him the most.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 3)**_


	24. Gathering Info I: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone, welcome to Chapter 24 of Codename: Songbird. Before I get into the stuff about the story itself, I must get into the nitty gritty...let's just say, the next arc is going to be dealing with a lot of dark themes. I want you all to know that I have been very respectful in how I have handled this stuff. Persona isn't shy when it comes to allusions to sexual abuse. I mean just look at Kamoshida...This next arc is going to be dealing with that sensitive topic, and I want you all to know that I do not like abuse of any kind. There is a lot of it on this world of ours, and sometimes there's nothing we can do to stop it. All I can do is ask you all to get help if you are getting abused. There are many many things you can do, tell your parents, your councilors, the police, your principles. Don't hide from it, because you shouldn't be forced into that type of life, you shouldn't be forced to look at yourself like your the worst thing on the planet, because you aren't. People out there love and care for you. I have handled dark themes before, but this next arc is one of the most dark things I have written. There is no graphic images at all, so don't think bad of me. I just wanted to bring out a problem that we have in our society through my work. I have been very careful when writing it and very respectful, but I will say it's some heavy stuff, which might actually push the content rating to M if it's not already on it. I will be letting you all know through the Author's Notes when a chapter's content will be a little on the dark side, so don't worry. You don't have to read those if you don't want.**

 **Now then, onto the main part of this note. I am going to be tweaking the confidants a bit, and adding some new ones from the Thoth Deck as well. Thanks to one of my readers, RosyMiranto18, I have decided to give a little more character to this story, and do things that differentiate this story from other ones out there. I wanna make this story as different as I can while staying in line with the themes of Persona 5, to make it a unique experience. This game means a lot to me, I connected a lot with the characters, so I want to make this story feel like that. Like how I felt when I first played this game. I love P4, and P3 is great, but honestly P5 was in my opinion the best of the series. It tackled a lot of things that happened in society and gave me a clear aspect of what the Japanese school life is like, and how stressful life can get sometimes. It also showed me how easy it is to take advantage of people for your own benefit, something that I completely disapprove of. It's just disgusting to be honest. So I truly do hope I am doing justice to this story and you guys are liking it. Let me know what you all think.**

 **In order to make this arc go by a little faster, I am going to start posting twice every two days. So do expect chapter 25 later on tonight. I just want you all to enjoy this story, so in order to do that I have to give you something to sink your teeth into. I have plenty of chapters, but I'm still writing the final boss fight for this arc, before doing the filler stuff and adding the confidants that I am missing. Thankfully, I have finally filled in the slots that I needed to fill and have a handle on what I am going to do. I am working on some other characters that will be added into the story, along with the help of one of my readers, who submitted an oc for the story. So I hope you all look forward to the filler, which in this series is as interesting as the main part of the game. I hope you all have a wonderful Thursday, it's fuckin raining here so I'll try to do my best. As always, leave your reviews or PMs to me, have a good one!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 24

Gathering Information I: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Thursday July 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on Ryoutaro Shimizu**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"What the hell...he sent you more messages?" Ryuji snapped, earning a nod from Ren.

"Yeah...these are really serious." the frizzy haired boy said, showing his friends his phone.

"He's going to report us if we don't do this huh?"

"Futaba Sakura...that name sounds familiar...oh wait! Isn't Boss's last name Sakura?" Ann cried, a look of realization on her face.

"That's right...his last name is Sakura." Ren replied.

"Does he have any family?"

"Does he?" Morgana asked, glancing at Ren who gave him a shrug.

"How laid back are you? Wouldn't you normally be introduced at least?" Ryuji hissed, a look of annoyance on his face.

"You can't count on him saying anything. Remember, Ren has a criminal record, if this man does have family, he wouldn't want him associating with a criminal." Takumi replied.

"The calling card was delivered to Boss's house; it'd be more natural to assume this is all related. One of the reasons for that is because Alibaba mentioned nothing about "Which" Futaba Sakura, perhaps they think the name alone is enough." Makoto noted.

"That makes a lot of sense."

"I believe this might be the doing of someone close by." the brown haired girl continued, earning a chuckle from Takumi.

"For all we know, they could have bugged the cafe, listened into our conversation."

"Why would they do that?" Ann asked.

"Why wouldn't they? They don't need to tap our phones, not if they can get basic information from listening in. I'm just thinking openly, anything and everything could be a possibility after all." he replied.

"It would make sense, especially if Alibaba is a hacker and is nearby. It wouldn't be hard sneaking in when Ren is out for the night. After all, picking a lock isn't that difficult of a task to accomplish." Yusuke replied.

"I'm not sure how Alibaba got a hold of Ren's smartphone information. However, since he's ordering us through chat, I do feel as he's taunting us."

"So that's it...this is all some prank?"

"It's an assumption...I mean, look at his demands. Pay me if you don't want me to leak who you really are. That I'd understand, but he's telling us to steal someone's heart without explaining why."

"So, we're being tested?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"Dammit...we're wasting our time then. Medjed isn't going to do shit, and this Alibaba is just fucking with us. I think we should focus on something else...after all there could be someone out there doing worse shit right under our nose."

"Let's not jump to conclusions Takumi...we should at least ask Boss about Futaba just once. I'll leave that to you Ren, it wouldn't be right for any one but you to ask about her." Makoto replied.

"Leave it to me."

"It's probably for the best, we have no leads and Chief probably has some information. It's all we can do at the moment."

"I'll check the school roster just in case." the brown haired girl said.

"We must make sure Boss doesn't find out who we are...we must go about this cautiously."

"I'm gonna go then...mom chewed my ass last night for being late. If this turns out to be a prank, then I wouldn't want to waste my time on it. Keep me posted." Takumi said, grabbing his backpack from the ground.

"Hey wait a minute...what's up with you? You've been acting weird for the past three days." Ann said, grabbing a hold of his hand, preventing him from leaving.

"Yeah...it's as if something is bothering you and it isn't working for your mom. Come on, whatever it is you can tell us. We're friends right?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"I'm fine...just a little stressed. Now that it's almost summer, I'm gonna have some free time. I'm gonna search around for movie gigs to see if I can get something. A lot of people have been talking shit about me being Japan's biggest movie failure, so I apologize if I've been acting weird. Just sick of dealing with this shit." he replied. Ann let go of his hand, which he quickly shoved in his pocket.

"How come you didn't tell us before? You're hiding something aren't you?" Ann asked curiously. The boy grit his teeth, he hated himself for it, but he would have to use a mask in order to get out of this one, something he hated doing, especially with his friends.

"Alright...you caught me...I was trying to keep this a secret but...I've been planning something special for us. For the summer...I was acting all secretive because well...I got us a bit of a beach vacation. We get to spend three days and two nights at the Miura Resort Hotel."

"What...are you serious? That's like the fanciest hotel in Miura beach, not to mention wicked expensive!" Ryuji cried.

"You needn't do that for us Takumi...just going to the beach for a single day is enough." Yusuke replied.

"Nah...you know me...I don't mind spending money on my friends. Plus I just gotta get away from the big city. I'm looking for some available dates...so far, I found three available days in August, the 23-26th. I'll let you know once I've booked everything, okay?" he asked.

"I just...I feel bad...for making you spend money on us."

"Like I said Ann, it's alright. You guys are my best friends, the only people in my life besides my family that I give a damn about. It's my little gift for you, since the fireworks went south and all. So let's just handle this Medjed/Alibaba bullshit and enjoy our summer, okay?" Takumi said, giving his friends a smile.

"Alright...we'll handle this. You just focus on your life, but remember we're going to sushi tomorrow...so don't bail on us." Ren said, holding his fist out. Takumi bumped his fist against it, giving him a thumbs up.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world...see ya later guys." he said, finally taking his leave.

" _ **You know...you shouldn't lie to your friends like that. Why don't you let them help you?"**_

" _Sorry Eric...I'm not gonna get them involved in my problems. Until I have information on them, I'm keeping this shit to myself. Besides, it's better to move in a small group no?"_ he asked.

" _ **If you say so...I trust your judgment...just don't bite off more than you can chew. I have lent you my power, but it alone cannot help you in everything."**_ his persona replied, earning a sigh from the boy.

Since his friends were still at the station, he couldn't take the train to Akihabara like he had planned. He still had to pick up his sister so he wasn't going to be taking the train. Thankfully, he had gotten his motorcycle operators license so he could drive around on his motorcycle. He quickly made it home, using the back way to get upstairs. Since it was Thursday, Ayumi and Toni were at school in their last cheer practice for the year. It was also the celebration where the captain would pick the new captain of the squad for the following year. He had wanted to be there, but he knew he had things to do. As soon as he made it into his room, he changed out of his uniform, and into some casual clothes. He heard a knock on his door and turned in time to see his little sister Mitsuhide, who was also fully dressed, wearing her usual clothes.

"What took you so long?"

"It doesn't matter...I had to lie to my friends to get away from them. The Phantom Thieves are dealing with Medjed and another thorn in our side. But I can't waste time on something I can't see, so we're going to handle Shimizu. Are you ready?" he asked.

"I am...I have been for awhile. I was pondering the information you shared with me...is the Metaverse truly that type of place? Where distorted desires take physical form?"

"Sadly it is...and there's someone abusing it for monetary gain. As everything is nowadays, but that isn't what we have to worry about. Let's go." he said, grabbing a hold of his backpack. He grabbed his keys from his dresser, heading down stairs and out the back to the garage.

"Alright Mitsu, I want you to hold on tight. It took me awhile to get a helmet for you, so make sure it fits you." he said, handing her the black helmet that hung from the handle bars. The girl placed it on her head, making sure it was secured onto her head.

"It's a perfect fit...I'm impressed."

"I'm glad then...I'm not sure when we'll return. I'm sure mom won't mind me taking you out like this, but we'll have to be careful. Just tell her we took the train got it?"

"Understood."

The boy climbed onto the bike and turned it on, revving the engine a couple times. He waited until Mitsuhide was on behind him to drive off. The alleyway was a bit tight, but he was able to maneuver through it without much trouble. Once out in the open street, he set his course to Akihabara, where he would be meeting with his friend Rise.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"That was a pretty smooth ride." Mitsuhide said, brushing her hair down as she gave her helmet to her brother. He placed them both in the storage compartment of his motorcycle, giving the girl a smile.

"Glad you had fun. You're at least more quiet than Ann is, she loves going for a spin on this thing." he said, remembering the last time they had gone on a ride. It had been the Sunday before the fireworks, when they went to Harajuku. It had been awkward for the boy, especially since she had her chest pressed against his back the entire time.

Takumi took notice of the cafe's emptiness when he arrived. It was the same one Kanami had taken him after his audition with Shimizu. Wordlessly, one of the Maids lead him to the back, where the VIP rope had been placed. She unhooked it and let him pass, giving him a polite bow as he did. He continued onward to the final booth in the cafe, where Rise was waiting, wearing a large hat and sunglasses, her head bowed slightly to hide her face. He sat across from her, taking a deep breath as she picked her head up.

"Sorry about not getting back to you last night. I know you were expecting a message, but I was going some research. I found something really grim." she said, placing her smartphone on the table, face down. Takumi took it in his hand, glancing at the screen. His eyes widened in shock.

"No way...this is that girl...the one that got hit by the orange." he muttered. He remembered her well, a cute young woman a bit older than Kanami, with pink hair and bright eyes. She was the one responsible for bringing the man snacks, and now she was laying in a hospital bed, her face heavily bruised, with two IV's in her arms.

"Kanami told me that she had fallen down from a set. So I decided to grab her name and head to the hospital here. Chiyoda General Hospital, she's stable, but she told me it wasn't an accident. Akihiko Shouji grabbed her and took her to a set on the Tenth Floor of Jadis and Associates. He tried raping her, and when she fought back, he started hitting her until she lost consciousness. When she came too, Shimizu was standing over her, looking concerned while she was placed inside an ambulance." Rise replied. Takumi slammed his fist onto the table, rattling the silverware on it.

"Dammit...that bastard Shouji...I knew there was something I hated about him. I didn't think he would beat people up though."

"That isn't just the case...I took a shower with Kanami after forcing her to the gym. It took me awhile to convince her, but she finally agreed...she has a big bruise on her back, and has been limping for the last week. There's one under her breast too."

"Do you suspect her to be a victim of sexual assault?" Mitsuhide asked quietly. Rise glanced at her, almost having forgotten she was there. She shook her head, grabbing a hold of her drink.

"If she is, she hasn't mentioned anything...I've asked her countless times, yet she refuses. I believe it's because Shimizu has something on her. Back in June, when she was first contracted, she was happy and upbeat. But I saw the steady decline of her mood...she's faking her joy...she hasn't made a cow joke in weeks, and she hasn't eaten meat for just as long."

"That girl loves her meat...if she's stayed away from it, something is definitely wrong." the ravenette noted, narrowing her eyes in thought.

"Alright, we've made a plan...we need to get in there and get proof. For all we know, that girl could be watched at the hospital. You read all of the files I sent you right?" Takumi asked.

"I did...I asked Naoto about any of these cases and she got back to me. The one in Seoul and the one here in Ikebukuro check out...but she isn't convinced Shimizu is behind it. Too many variables, not enough compound evidence, that sort of thing, but she promised to look into it." Rise replied.

"We haven't got much time...anyone could bite the dust at this rate. Rise, I need you to watch Mitsuhide for me. I'm going in deep, so you're the only one who can. Just tell Shimizu that you're my girlfriend and are babysitting for Mitsu, who was in need of cash and remembered his offer. I'll handle the rest." he said.

"Alright...I guess I could use some practice acting. Let's head out then, Jadis and Associate's closes at eight...so we got about four hours to do anything we need. Do you think you can find anything in that amount of time?" she asked.

"I can handle it." Takumi said reassuringly.

"Then let's go." Rise said confidently, standing up from her seat. Takumi sighed, he was going into the snake pit, and he could only hope not to get bit.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

It had been a little hard to hide inside the elevator once they were inside Jadis and Associates. The building they were in had ten stories, and they owned the top two floors of it. Rise had told him that the tenth floor was where the idols usually practiced, but that it had been repurposed as another set for Shimizu's movie while he was there. The man was apparently well known for launching young idols into cinema stardom, so the tenth floor was reserved for him. It was also the most likely place for the man to commit the atrocities that he was slowly learning about. So he hid in the corner, well enough so that Rise and Mitsuhide's bodies could hide him. His little sister had called the boy and left her phone in her pocket, as a direct line for him to hear what they were discussing. He had run his headphones through his jacket and put his hood on, shoving the earbud into his right ear. Once the two girls were out, he continued onto the tenth floor. Once he made it in there however, he pressed the door close button, practically jabbing his thumb into it. Once the doors closed, he jumped onto the railing, keeping himself as balanced as he could, trying to reach the trap door above the middle of the elevator.

"Jesus...I'm fucking insane doing this shit." he muttered to himself. He was able to push it with ease, as it served as an emergency escape should the elevator get stuck. Once he had a good hand hold, he pulled himself through, placing the panel back, but leaving it slightly open so he could access it again.

" _Ah...Madamoiselle Risette, it is a pleasure to see you here...and you've brought a familiar face too! You're Erica-chan's youngest daughter...what brings the two of you here?"_ Shimizu's happy voice said, earning a growl from Takumi.

" _I was interested in that job offer. Do you recall me being here when my elder brother came for an audition? You said you required child extras...I'm in need of money, for my future schooling. Big sister Rise agreed to come with me."_

" _Hmm...I did indeed say that...ah but where is your brother? I would have assumed he was here with you?"_

" _Takumi had something to do with his friends, that's why he asked me to bring here along...we confessed our feelings for each other recently, and he's asked me to babysit his sister while he's busy with school."_ Rise said, earning a surprised gasp from Shimizu.

" _You...date Takumi Mashita-kun? With all of those allegations against him? Risette do you want to ruin your career?"_

" _That isn't for you to decide. Those allegations are false and have nothing to do with why we are here."_

"You tell him Rise...fuckin prick." Takumi muttered.

He stood up, walking toward the edge of the elevator shaft, glancing around for a few minutes. He spotted a ventilation shaft a few feet above him, making him frown. The elevator didn't go up anymore, and at any moment it could start moving. He noticed a ladder built into the side of the shaft, a smirk working its way onto his face. He ran toward it, jumping onto it, climbing up a few feet. He noticed the shelf that jutted out within the shaft and reached for it. He grit his teeth as he slowly shimmied his way toward the shaft grabbing a hold of the slats with his hand. He gently tugged on it, glad that the screws were lose enough for him to pry it off. He shoved the grate within the shaft, climbing his way inside.

" _Alright...I suppose I do have use to another child extra. It's quite easy in fact, we are filming a cafe scene right now. Our star Kanami and Akihiko will be on a date...all you have to do is sit at the table behind them with Risette and act normal. We've brought real food for you to use so don't worry. At least you won't go hungry eh?"_

" _I suppose not...how much will this pay me?"_

" _Straight to the point eh? Well, I pay each extra about ten thousand a scene, and since there are three cafe scenes, that is thirty thousand yen for you. It isn't mere pocket change either."_ Shimizu replied.

" _That will be just enough for what you need, won't it sweetheart?"_

" _Indeed, alright then Mr. Shimizu, direct me however you wish."_

"Man...Mitsuhide really is committed to this role, huh? I shouldn't underestimate her anymore." Takumi muttered, as he reached the end of the shaft. He heard the loud humming of the elevator starting to move, and he uttered a sigh of relief. He started moving the grate a bit, being careful not to drop it since it was directly over an empty hallway.

After ensuring that he was in fact alone, Takumi dropped into the hallway, looking around for cameras. Thankfully, there were no cameras around. He walked toward the end of the hallway, seeing a plastic placard pointing out each area. The set room was right ahead, while the elevators were back the way he came. The opposite hallway lead to all of the costume prep rooms. He started walking in that direction, surprised with the lack of security. He pressed himself against the wall, peeking around the corner, seeing nothing but an empty hall, leading to a large panoramic window. There were several doors in that hallway, but he didn't know what they were for. He started walking toward the end of the hall, seeing large golden stars on the door, along with plaques underneath them.

" _This must be where the actors get prepped...and probably beaten."_ he thought to himself. He stopped in front of the one that read Kanamin on it, his hand hovering above the door handle. He sighed, continuing his exploration, finding Akihiko Shouji's prep room, along with an empty one.

" _Alright, the set is ready, someone get my stars down here pronto!"_ Shimizu cried, though it sounded a bit muffled, probably due to the distance. Takumi heard movement inside Shouji's prep room, and quickly looked around, jumping inside the empty room across from it. He kept the door opened just a crack, watching the young man in question walking out of it.

"Goddamn stupid bitch! How can she fuck up my make up so badly she has to redo it? I'm gonna have a word with Shimizu. He needs to know not to hire stupid cunts like that one!" the man cried as he walked down the hallway. He noticed Kanami coming out of her room a second later, almost relieved that she hadn't run into him. She clutched her side as she walked, a noticeable limp on her left leg.

"Bastards...all of them." he muttered angrily. Once the hallway was clear, the boy left the room.

He walked across the hall to Shouji's room, opening the door. He heard a scream of fear just as he opened the door. The room was a mess, with clothes and props everywhere. There were broken glass bottles on the hardwood floor. He also noticed a lot of make up spilled on the vanity to the very left of the room, along with a tipped over chair. There was a young woman, no older than twenty, sitting on the ground clutching her face. He knelt down in front of her, a look of concern on his face.

"Did he hit you?" he asked softly.

"I-I messed up h-his eye l-liner. He g-got mad...started t-throwing things, and then...he called me a d-dirty skank. H-he h-hit me...a-and t-touched my breasts." she replied. Takumi remained silent as he looked the girl over, poking the side of her face that had been hit.

"Would you be willing to do me a favor, testify against him for me, would you?" he asked.

"What...are you insane? I-I could die. He's threatened my l-life before...my family. I can't do that!" she cried, shaking in fear. He sighed, reaching for a small notebook in his pocket along with a pen.

"Alright then...tell me what he's done to you. I don't know your name, so I'm not going to share it with anyone. I just need proof." he said.

"I...okay."

For the next three minutes, Takumi spent asking questions, writing down all of the answers she gave him. All of the horrendous things Akihiko had done to her kept disgusting him. He loved to abuse people for messing up the smallest of things. He would do it deliberately, just so he had a reason to do it. She wasn't the only one, another make up artist had gotten a broken nose earlier that day because he got mad at how she had done his make up. He closed his notebook, slipping the pen through the loops.

"One last thing...what has he done to Kanami?" he asked softly.

"Kanami? Oh that poor thing...I've been in the room with her before. She's Shimizu's favorite target...she's an idol, so he has her model for him in skimpy outfits. He also takes pictures of her, saying that if she dares speak, he would leak those photos to the internet and ruin her. Jadis and Associates wouldn't keep her around if they knew she was doing that sort of thing. When she refuses, Akihiko steps in...that limp she has now was because of him." the girl replied.

"Okay...thank you. Tell me, do you know if Shimizu has an office, a computer, something I can look at?" he asked.

"Down this hall and around the corner, third door to your left. He has a personal computer in there. You shouldn't bother, it's heavily protected." she said.

"Don't worry about it...I've got my ways. Thank you, I assure you, you aren't going to get caught. I'm going to get you all some help, trust me." he said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She hugged him tightly, holding back her tears.

"Thank you...you should go, before you get caught."

He gave her a nod, grabbing a hold of the door handle. He peeked through the crack, before walking out of the room. He started making his way down the hall and around the corner, just as the make up artist had said. He heard a thump coming from the room next door, seeing it was a costume storage room. He opened the door, seeing a young man on the floor, clutching his broken leg in pain. Takumi walked in, closing the door after him.

"No, don't hurt me!" he cried, trying to get away.

"Hey man, chill...I'm here to help." Takumi replied. The man tilted his head, eyes widening a bit.

"Takumi Mashita? What the hell are you doing here? Weren't you fired last month?"

"I was...don't even worry about it. I'm not supposed to be here, give me your hand, I'll help you up." he said. The young man did so, pulling himself up. Takumi helped him into a nearby chair, much to the boy's gratitude.

"Thanks...if you get caught here though, Shouji is going to beat you up. He was talking a lot of shit about you a couple days back. He does it whenever Kanamin mentions you...you're related right?"

"She's my older sister. Listen man, I'm trying to get some information that will put this fucker behind bars. I got some information about what he did to a few others in the past. What's your story."

"I can't talk...Shimizu said that if I do, he would break every bone in my body. And when I was in the hospital sipping soup through a straw, he would kidnap my sister and do whatever he wanted with her." he said. Takumi growled angrily, balling his fist in anger.

"Fucking asshole...I ain't going to write your name on it. Just answer some questions...what did he do to you?" he asked, pulling out his notebook.

"Tch...what hasn't he done...he broke my leg, threatened my life, and my sisters. It's what he's doing to Kanami that's worse."

"Oh...tell me more." Takumi replied.

"Alright...last night, I saw Shouji bringing in a clothes cart to the set on this floor. Shimizu has two men who he trusts, the other guy is named Koichi Kaburagi, his photographer and editor. He forced Kanami into some skimpy outfits."

"Yes, the make up artist told me. He takes those pictures as blackmail and if she refuses, Shouji hits her. Anything else you can add?" Takumi asked, withholding his anger. The young man sighed, bowing his head.

"He's done more than that...rumor has it, he's been taking pictures of her nude, and selling them online. It's a hyper encrypted sale, so he doesn't transfer them, Kaburagi takes the pictures, Shimizu closes the deal, and Shouji delivers. He does that with all of his female leads...I dunno if you heard, but a young woman named Hana Song, was killed because she fled to Seoul, and was going to tell the Interpol." the man said.

"Yeah...I'm aware of Miss Song and what happened to her. I'm also aware of the fourteen year old that committed suicide two years ago. Before she died, she wrote on Facebook that Shimizu had taken video of her rape, but no traces were found on the social platform. It was all deleted."

"Kaburagi's work no doubt...he was apparently part of the S.D.F...working cybercrime, so he knows his way around a computer. It wouldn't surprise me if he was in on that shit. The pictures he took of Kanami though...they're bad. I tried getting a peek, and I saw her being tied up to a wall, half naked while Kaburagi took pictures. Shouji caught me and broke my leg. Said if I told anyone, he'd rape and kill my sister." he replied. Takumi continued writing everything down, closing this notepad a second later.

"Thanks for this man...I don't know your name, so there's no need to worry. I will bring this information to someone who will handle it. There's an anonymous site, as long as you've got a name, a certain group will take care of it."

"A certain group...you intend to post this on the Phantom Aficionado Website? You're insane...we could die man!" the blond haired man cried.

"Not is it's an anon post...no one will know. Besides, I doubt Shimizu is aware of that site and if he is, he wouldn't bother with it. He's busy with his fuckin movie. By the way...I'm trying to get into his computer next door. Do you have any idea what his password might be?"

"Heh...try the word Blackmail, that's his fuckin favorite one. Wouldn't be surprised if you got in. Now go...before they come back here." he urged. Takumi nodded, giving the man a firm handshake before leaving the room. He looked around for a few minutes, before walking into the room next door, entering it with ease.

The room was darkened, but had all the accommodations of a small apartment. Complete with a kitchenette, a sleeping area, a television and a small half bathroom. Takumi reached into his pocket, pulling out a pair of rubber gloves he had bought at the pharmacy before hand. He turned the lamp on and started looking around, opening the drawers in the filing cabinet. All he found were unfinished movie scripts. He tried the bottom one, but it was locked. He cursed his luck, not having thought of bringing a lock pick. He turned to the computer, wiggling the mouse, bringing it out of sleep mode. He glanced at the keyboard, pondering a password, before typing in the word Blackmail, and to his surprise it worked.

"Holy shit...I must be the luckiest son of a bitch on this planet." he muttered. He instantly went to the file manager and opened it, searching all of the files he could.

He couldn't find anything, except digital copies of the scripts he had written. He searched every single file he could, until he reached one final file. He double clicked on it, seeing it was password protected. He frowned, and opened the prompt, about to unlock it.

" _Big brother, Shimizu is heading up stairs...you've got to bail now!"_ Mitsuhide cried.

"Shit...I can't, I'm close to finding something. Distract him!" he hissed through his headphones speaker. He pulled out his flash drive, uncapping it and placing it inside the USB port. He right clicked on the file, quickly copying it to the drive. He saw a loading bar on it, making him go wide eyed. The sheer size of the file was impressive, it took at least half of his thirty two gig flash drive, if not a little more.

" _Mr. Shimizu wait! I uh...want to ask you something about my acting!"_

" _Eh...Mitsu-chan, you've already done your scene and you were spectacular! Don't tell me you want to change something, you're a background character."_

" _I know...but I...was picking my nose in that last shot. Can't we reshoot it, I don't want to be known as the girl who picked her nose in a Ryoutaro Shimizu movie."_ the girl cried.

" _We simply don't have the time...our editors will handle it. Trust me, you'll be just fine."_ the man reassured.

" _Are you sure you can't do anything Director? For me?"_ Rise asked, her voice changing tones a bit. The man was silent, and Takumi crossed his fingers, watching the bar hit 35%.

" _Fine...but only for you Risette...everyone back to positions...we will have one more scene reshoot, just in case."_

"Jesus Christ up in heaven, thank you for helping me. Mitsuhide is going to get a hefty reward after I'm done here." he muttered.

It took about ten minutes, but Takumi was finally able to copy the entirety of the file onto his flash drive. He pulled the flash drive out of the USB port as soon as he was done, putting the computer back in sleep mode. He did one more survey of the room, searching the place without moving anything. He reached into the man's pillow, pulling out a manila folder from within. He opened it, and slid one of the papers from inside, reading the words at the top.

" _What the fuck...a release form? What the hell did he draft this for?"_ Takumi thought to himself.

He slipped a bit more of it out, reading some of the words written on it. He caught Kanami's name written on it, but wasn't able to make out most of it. It was completely in Latin, the only words in Japanese were at the top. He pulled out the one behind it, seeing it was another release form, but for a different person. He knew he couldn't take it, for if Shimizu found out, he could get in serious trouble. He noticed the fax machine beside the computer a smirk on his face. He pulled out his phone and quickly looked up Leblanc's information, having remembered the fax machine that was attached to the yellow payphone. He found the number and walked over to it, typing it it into the machine, hitting the fax button. He placed the paper inside it, watching intently as the file was copied and sent out.

"This is gonna be the weirdest thing Ren will ever receive." he muttered, placing the paper back into the folder. He placed it back inside the pillow, heading toward the door. He opened his chat as he did, sending Ren a quick message before shoving his phone back in his pocket.

Once done, he headed back the way he came, finding the ventilation grate was still missing. Running up the wall, he climbed into the shaft, placing the grate back. He breathed out a sigh of relief, knowing he had made it out of there without being caught. His heart was still beating hard in his chest, adrenaline flowing through his body. Once he made it back to the elevator shaft, he noticed the elevator was gone, all the way back on the first floor. He frowned, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

"Mitsu...hey can you hear me?" he asked softly. He heard a bit of rustling on the other end.

" _We're reshooting right now, we'll be done in a few minutes."_

"Okay...I'm in the elevator shaft inside a vent, when you leave, go to the tenth floor, I'll be down then."

" _Got it, we shall do as you ask. Sit tight for us."_

Now, Takumi had nothing to do but wait...he really wished he had backed some Benadryl with him, because he was sure he would be sneezing up a storm on his way home.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Sorry for showing up so late man...did you get the fax?" Takumi asked, earning a nod from his frizzy haired friend.

"Yeah...honestly, I thought that fax machine was there for show. But when I saw that blinking light, I was pleasantly surprised. What...is this about?" Ren asked curiously.

"Oh...Kanami's manager asked me to make a copy of her release form for her, but he didn't want to hand me the original. So I sent a fax of it here so I could make a copy. Although I could use the fax as the copy, now that I think about it." the boy replied, scratching his cheek.

"That is true...but why is it all in Latin?" Morgana asked curiously, from his spot on one of the chairs.

"Hell if I know, that man has been weird for as long as I could remember."

"I suppose." Ren replied, handing him the folded paper, which Takumi placed inside his jacket.

"So...did you find anything about Futaba?"

"Not really...I asked Sojiro about it and he flipped out. Told me he would kick me out if I asked him again. So I can't press for information...also, I know you were looking forward to going to that sushi restaurant, but we decided to change the date to Monday."

"Huh...why is that?" the young actor asked curiously.

"We want to get some more information on Futaba. I'm gonna start asking around Yongen tomorrow after school. Plus, with the assembly on Monday, it would make it the true last day of school. So it would make more sense to go then. We'll be out before ten so it makes the perfect lunch." Ren replied, earning a nod from the boy.

"A valid point...I've been doing some research on Medjed, other than the stuff that we know, I couldn't find anything. But I did recall something I read once in a history book. Medjed is the name of an Egyptian god...a god mentioned in the book of the dead. No one has ever seen it's physical form. All that's known about him, is that he shoots people with his eyes, he is unseen so his existence was never proven. Apparently, the Japanese youth made a meme out of it." he said, showing the boy a picture of what looked like a person with a white sheet over him, covering everything but his feet. Bright red eyes could be seen where his face would be.

"Leave it to people to turn something like this into a meme. What does that say about society as a whole?" Morgana asked.

"The world is one giant meme." Ren replied, causing Takumi to roll his eyes.

"I'm inclined to believe that...whelp, I must be off. It's late and we got school tomorrow."

"Takumi wait up a bit...I've had this burning question for awhile. Are you sure there's nothing wrong with you? With your sister I mean."

"With my sister? Nope, Ayumi and Mitsuhide are fine as far as I know...there's nothing wrong either." he replied.

"I mean with Kanami, your older sister. I notice you become a bit tense lately, I may not know Latin, but I was able to look up some words. Is she getting blackmailed or something?" Ren asked, causing the boy to turn around.

"She isn't...Kanami wouldn't be blackmailed. She wouldn't let herself be blackmailed. There's nothing wrong Ren, let's just leave it at that...it's late and I gotta go. I'll see you at school." he said, leaving the store right after.

"Hmm...something is definitely going on with him. The way he's acting...he's hiding something." Morgana said, making Ren look at the feline.

"That much is certain...I do remember him saying he knew how to use the MetaNav, he knew the proper terms too. The keywords and the fact that they corresponded with a name, a location and a distortion. He might be up to something...but we can't do anything about it, not with all of this going on. If he trusts us, then he'll tell us."

"You're right...Takumi is one of us...so he'll come to us if something goes wrong...let's go to bed, it's been a long day." the black feline said, hopping off the chair, strolling toward the attic.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday July 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: My Own Maid(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on Ryoutaro Shimizu**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Rise, the shit that I've discovered is serious...these are detailed accounts of two employees. I interviewed them yesterday while you two were on the 9th floor." Takumi said, handing the girl his notepad. She looked it over, reading the words he had written, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Are you serious...this stuff is real, it wasn't exaggerated or a lie?" the young idol asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"It's 100% true...I doubt those two would lie to me. Plus, I heard Shouji beating that poor make up artist. So it is all true...this costume designer, had his leg broken because he was peeking in on Shimizu's disgusted photoshoot." he replied.

"As of now, there are three people that are responsible. Akihiko Shouji, the son of the famous Takeshiro Shouji. Koichi Kaburagi, a former S.D.F. Cybercrime officer turned photographer and editor, most likely responsible for erasing Shimizu's misdeeds. Finally, the main man himself, Ryoutaro Shimizu, who is responsible for 18 deaths and countless suicides, along with blackballing several idols and actors all of which were forcefully silenced in one way or another. It looks like Kanami is his next target." Mitsuhide said, looking up from her laptop screen.

"This is so vile and sick...poor Kanami. Why doesn't she open up to us about this? I'm sure we could get her some help!" Rise cried.

"It's because of this...I found this inside Shimizu's pillow in his personal quarters. It's a release form, no doubt she was forced to sign it. That means he is legally able to take all the pictures he wants and not get in trouble." he replied, leaning back in his seat.

"It was camouflaged by being written in Latin. It isn't illegal to write things in another language. I was able to translate most of it, it's basically saying, that the one who signs it, allows the holder to take as many pictures as they want, and is able to do whatever they want with them. It's obvious Kanami was forced to sign it."

"Goddamn it. I can't believe that asshole forced her into something like that, and then pretends to be nice. He was ogling me the entire time I was there. He seemed pretty pissed when I told him we were dating." Rise added, finishing the last of her drink.

"I don't really give a shit if he is pissed or not. After everything that I've discovered, it's grounds for me to take care of business. But there is one file that has been bothering me. I made a copy of it on my flash drive, but I haven't tried to open it yet." he said, reaching into his shirt, for the flash drive that had been attached to a necklace.

"Why didn't you try to view it?"

"Because, it might be password protected. On top of that, if Kaburagi was part of the S.D.F. at one point then that means he might have protected this. There is a way for a file to infect your system, a self destruction program. Unless that is taken off, if we try to view it, it will just delete itself." Takumi replied, squeezing the flash drive in his hand.

"The fact of the matter is simple, Ryoutaro Shimizu is abusing people. So what are we going to do about it?" Mitsuhide asked curiously.

"There is nothing we can do, except turn this in to the police. If we let them handle it, they might solve it."

"Tch...that's not good enough. The police we dealing with Kaneshiro for how long before he had a change of heart? They're not going to do jack, plus by the time they do...those fucks will have deleted all of the evidence. The actors and stage hands are too scared to talk, and we don't know how many more people are in this operation." Takumi said.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Rise asked curiously.

"Don't worry, I've got some friends that will take care of it. However, I need a third account in order to have more strength. The more people we have testifying against him, the better. That girl in the hospital, what's her name?"

"Hmm? Her name is Yukari Masuda...are you going to speak with her?" Rise asked, earning a nod from the boy, who stood up from his seat.

"I am...she might shed some light on this, and if not then her account will be worth it. I still need another keyword anyway." he said, muttering the last part.

"Keyword? Keyword for what?"

"That is irrelevant, he is most likely talking about the password for the file. I have compiled everything we have seen in my own report, once we get more information, I shall submit it to the authorities. Let us go big brother." Mitsuhide said, placing her laptop inside his backpack.

"Rise, I'm gonna give you a serious mission okay? I need you to talk to my sister...get her to come clean. If she admits to what she's doing, not only would we have a fourth account, but a direct target of Shimizu. That costume designer said it, he went after Kanami because she's attractive and an idol. He has the tools to ruin her life, we can't let that happen."

"I'll see if I can get something out of her. Takumi...what are you planning? The way you are talking...it makes me think you're going to handle this yourself."

"Pfft...are you insane? With what power...I just know who to talk to to get things moving. I'll contact you with more information later on." he said, giving the girl a tight hug, before walking to the cafe entrance. Rise frowned, becoming worried.

" _I dunno what you are planning, but I can't let you do anything hasty. I guess I'm gonna have to follow you."_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Chiyoda General Hospital was the biggest hospital for the Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo. It was the one that handled people from both Chiyoda and Akihabara. For as long as he had lived, Takumi detested hospitals, he never liked being in them. There was always a cloud of death that lingered above it. His mother had died shortly after her accident in this very hospital, and he didn't like coming to it. His grandmother had also passed away in one, so he just didn't feel comfortable in them. But he had no choice but to swallow his own dislikes and get things done. After asking the nurse where he would find Yukari Masuda, he rode the elevator to the fifth floor and went straight to room 506, holding a vase of bright yellow tulips in his hands.

There was only one hospital bed in the room currently, the one nearest the window, and it was occupied by a young woman, who's face was covered in dark violet bruises and butterfly bandages. One of her eyes was swollen shut, and her hand was wrapped in gauze. He saw several IV bags attached to the hook above her, slowly being dripped into her line. She turned her head slightly to look at him, having expected a doctor. She forced a smile on to her face, despite how much pain she was in.

"Mashita-kun...I take it Kanami-chan told you I was here right?"

"No...it was Rise who told me...let me just say, I'm sorry for what happened to you." he said, setting the tulips beside her bed.

"It's alright...accidents happen."

"Indeed, falling downstairs is an accident, stepping on a skateboard and falling back is an accident. Being beat to hell is not an accident, it's assault." Mitsuhide said, causing the girl to gasp. She quickly closed her mouth, looking away from the two.

"We aren't here to cause you anymore pain...you're already in too much of it. I came here to ask for your account...what exactly did Shimizu do to you?" Takumi said, pulling up a chair, sitting down in it. The girl chuckled, shaking her head.

"What didn't he do to me? I fucked up his coffee once, and he throws an orange at me. I mess up the set, and he sends that...fucking goon after me. He just stood there while he physically and sexually abused me. I don't even remember most of what happened because I was knocked unconscious."

"Physical assault and rape...what else did he do to you?" Takumi asked curiously. She sighed, leaning back in her bed.

"He saw me as rather attractive...I was originally a cast member. But I was replaced by someone else. While I was in the cast, I messed up some lines. If you mess up more than five times and his reshoot isn't the way he wants it, he takes you to the tenth floor. He has you strip down to you underwear and he'll beat you. If you're a woman, he takes pictures of you to sell online, if your a man...well let's just say the last guy that took his lashings was in a coma and died shortly after."

"Jesus Christ." the young actor muttered.

"So...that brings his kill count to nineteen, not counting the suicides...what a sick despicable piece of shit."

"Um...maybe you shouldn't be swearing like that sweetie. It's unbecoming of a young woman." Yukari said, earning a small nod from the ravenette.

"Okay Yukari-chan...what else do you recall?"

"Um...oh, before my beating, he called Kanami into his office. It's on the tenth floor. I remember hearing her screaming in anger, vehemently refusing something. All I remember is hearing a loud slam, some screaming in a language I didn't understand and her finally agreeing. When she left the office she was crying, she locked herself in her prep room and didn't come out until her shift was over."

"Hmm...might that have to do with the release form you found?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a shrug from the boy.

"Release form...wait...what are you planning?"

"We're planning on exposing this fucker. Don't worry, I'm not writing your name on this account...you have my trust." he said.

"Hell no! Listen, if you do something like that to him...he will find you. If you found that release form, you were in his office. He has cameras in there, I remember seeing them once when I was cleaning. They're well hidden...but they're there."

"I hid my face, don't worry."

"It doesn't matter...he will find out. If you rose the elevator, were in the building at all he can track you down. The last person who tried to expose him ended up hanging from a tree in Destiny Land! You aren't safe...please, I don't wanna see anyone else die." Yukari cried, tears falling out of her unswollen eye.

"Die? You've seen someone die before?" Mitsuhide asked, eyes widened in shock.

"He strangled someone in front of me with a belt. Said they were unconscious, but I saw it on the news the next day. They just...dumped her body behind a building...please, if you value your lives, you will give this up. You cannot escape his wrath when he's pissed off. Trust me...I'm a survivor, but I don't know for how long. He preys on the young and defenseless, no matter how brave you think you are. He will make you yield, and then he will kill you." Yukari said. Takumi was about to ask something when a nurse walked into the room, walking straight toward the young woman. He stood up from his seat, pocketing his notepad.

"Oh...are you family? Miss Yukari was lucky to survive that fall with only facial injuries." she said.

"Yeah...she is...we're just friends though, she knows my sister." Takumi said quietly.

"Ah...well still it's nice to see someone cares. It is a shame though, what happened to you...your boyfriend must be devastated."

"Boyfriend?" Mitsuhide asked curiously. Yukari nodded, bowing her head sadly.

"I was twelve weeks pregnant with my first child. My boyfriend was so happy, that we were planning our wedding. But this accident took the life of my child." she replied. Takumi gasped in shock, a look of disbelief written on his face. Mitsuhide wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly.

"It'll be fine...I know you are a tough young woman. You'll make it through this, and have lots more children in the future. Once your swelling goes down and the bruising starts to disappear, we'll be able to discharge you. Thanks again for visiting her...she needs all the support she can get right now." the nurse said, giving the two a bow as she left.

"You see? That man didn't care about my delicate condition...if he was able to beat a pregnant woman...imagine what he'll do to you? To your little sister...if I we're you...I would leave Tokyo...I would leave Japan. Hell, Hana tried that and look what happened to her...just be careful, and arm yourselves if you can." the woman said. Takumi took a hold of her hand, squeezing it tightly.

"I'm going to help you...I'm not gonna run from this."

"Why...why are you involving yourself in something like this? You don't know me."

"It doesn't matter...at first it was just me trying to save my sister, but hearing about this...about the loss of your baby...I'm sorry. Truly I am, but what he did to you...he just made it personal...he is going to confess his sins through his own mouth...you'll see." he said.

"I...wish you luck." she said softly. He gave her a bow, grabbing a hold of his sister's hand, pulling her along.

"Ah...before I go...what do you think Shimizu considers Jadis and Associates?" he asked, turning to face the girl.

"What do I think? I dunno...I do recall him calling the place his Temple. A sacred temple filled with young maidens he could extort however he wanted."

"Thank you...you've been a great help. You'll recover soon, and you will have another child...of that I am certain." he said, finally leaving the room.

"Big brother...why did you ask her that last question?"

"Because I needed it...I finally have the final keyword...I'm gonna go to his palace. Right after I drop you off with Rise."

"No...you aren't going there alone...dammit we had an agreement!" the girl cried.

"I am not bringing you with me to the Metaverse, Mitsuhide! It's too dangerous, besides I'm just going to see if he has one. I know for a fact he fucking does, and I have to make sure it's still there so I can get him."

"You aren't going and that's final! You promised me you'd tell your friends...if you aren't going to tell them, then you aren't going there. You aren't going to sneak out of the house either, I will stand watch for as long as it takes, follow you to school, and anywhere you're friends go. Don't try my hand." the nine year old snapped, glaring up at her brother.

"Takumi-kun is that you?"

The siblings shared a look, before their attention was brought to the young woman who had called out to him. The boy narrowed his eyes a bit, trying to remember where he had seen her. She wasn't much taller than him, and had light peach colored hair, that reached to the nape of her neck. She was wearing a sleeveless turtleneck which was light pink in color, along with a short skirt, white leggings and beige colored boots. Mitsuhide tugged on his hand, causing him to look down at her.

"Do you know her?"

"Not really, never met her in my life."

"Of course you have...don't tell me you don't remember your fiancee?"

"Fiancee?" Mitsuhide cried, eyes widened in shock. The boy glanced up at the girl, a look of realization on his face.

"Haru?"

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 3)**_

 **A/N: The Yukari in this story is not the same one from Persona 3 FES. She is just someone with the same name as her, but different last names.  
**


	25. Infiltrate the Palace I: Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Well, I was thinking of posting two chapters today and then leave the next until Saturday Morning, but I saw how short this chapter was, and decided I would post chapter 26 today as well. So after this chapter is posted, I will post 26 around 3 in the morning, EST. So in about three to four hours from seeing this one. However, I won't be posting a new set of chapters until Sunday, as I am currently immersed in my story and want to continue writing as much of it as I can. I have weekends off so it's perfectly fine. I was finally able to purchase a new computer for myself, so I will be able to write more and post more as a result. Worry not, it is insured so my dick hole cousin won't pour soda on it. I hope you like this chapter, I assure you you are all going to like the next one. So I'll see you all in a few hours!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 25

Infiltrate the Palace: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Friday July 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Chiyoda General Hospital(Chiyoda/Akihabara)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Gather Information on Ryoutaro Shimizu**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Haru?"

The girl seemed quite happy at the sound of her own name. She ran up to the boy, hugging him tightly, almost knocking the two to the ground. Mitsuhide just watched, still confused by what was happening. Takumi groaned a bit, his arms practically pinned to his sides.

"I can't believe it's you! I saw you at the fireworks festival, but I wasn't sure it was you. But here you are, right in front of me! I thought I would never see you again."

"Uh well...all you had to do was look up at the billboards in Shibuya. I'm sure my face is plastered across one of them." he said jokingly. The girl released him from his hug, a stern look on her face.

"That isn't fun Taku-kun! What happened to you was awful so you shouldn't joke about it."

"Um...still confused, might you explain how you know my brother?" Mitsuhide asked. Haru glanced down at the ravenette, kneeling down to her eye level.

"So this is your little sister? She's adorable...I saw you holding her, but I didn't know who she was." she replied, patting her head, much to Mitsuhide's chagrin.

"Yeah...Haru what are you doing at the hospital?"

"Hmm? Oh right...I came to deliver something to the president of this hospital. They made a deal with Okumura Foods, they're planning on adding a Big Bang Burger so the staff doesn't have to go out of the hospital for food. I like to visit some of the patients here and reassure them that everything will be fine. There's a girl from my school here who's in rehabilitation, so I came to bring her some flowers." she replied.

"Still as sweet as ever I see...man, it really has been a long time. The last time I saw you, we were both fourteen. What's been happening in your life?" he asked. She frowned, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Quite a lot actually...my father has become very strict. Since you refused my hand years ago, he decided to wed me to someone else. Sugimura...the heir to one of our partners. He says our union will bring a mutual benefit for both companies."

"It sounds to me like he's still treating you like a goddamn doll." he replied.

"Yes...but, I am his daughter so he knows what's best for me. Anyway, let's not talk about that...what's up with you? What are you doing in this hospital?"

"Oh...uh, Mitsuhide needed some blood work done. She was a trooper so now we're heading out to get some food for the road." he said, patting his sister's head. She blinked a few times, understanding what he was doing.

"Indeed, it was required for my school entrance physical. I shall be attending Shujin Academy next term. I will be joining Class 1-C with my older sister Ayumi."

"Shujin Academy? But you're so young!"

"She's a genius...her doctors say she's ahead of her generation. She's so intelligent they allowed her to skip several grades. She was able to complete the entire middle school curriculum in two years. That's why she's being moved up to high school, in fact the two of us will be going there next term...well I'm going there now."

"Wow...what are the odds of that. What class are you in?"

"2-E...wait...do you go to Shujin?" he asked, earning a nod from Haru, who let out a small giggle.

"Small world huh? To think we might have passed each other in the halls and never even noticed. Then again, I have so much free time on my hands that I usually tend to the plants on the roof."

"Hmm...so those were yours? I saw them a couple times when I snuck up there, what are you growing?"

"Vegetables mostly...tomatoes and cucumbers...they're easy to grow. I've worked quite hard tending to the soil. If you want to plant something, I've got some room up there. It'll be like when we were kids."

"I remember that...you ended up growing flowers all over the place. You've got a real green thumb." Takumi said happily.

"Big brother...I don't mean to break this up, but we are late. We must return to our dwelling before mother starts wondering where we are."

"Oh...you have to go?"

"Sadly...hey we can meet up in school tomorrow right? Let's exchange phone numbers and Chat ID's. I promise, I've gotten better at texting then when I was younger." he said, holding his phone out. She did the same, transferring her contact information to him.

"I can't believe we ran into each other again...I really do hope we can rekindle our friendship. I...don't have many friends, so please if you have time, don't be shy. Text me whenever you like."

"Alright...I'll do that. It was nice seeing you again Haru." he said, giving the girl a hug.

"It was nice seeing you too. Be safe, nice meeting you Mitsuhide." the girl said, giving the two a wave as they entered the elevator.

"Fiancee?"

"When I was thirteen, it had been about a year since my father had first ruined my career. He wanted me to produce an heir for the company by the time I was twenty. So he sought out an available young girl from a partnering company for me to marry. That was Haru...we were both sat down and told we were going to wed at sixteen and by twenty we would have to produce a child. An heir for both companies, someone who could rule both empires like a king. I refused of course, but my word meant nothing. Haru's father left her with us for an entire year, hoping something would happen."

"Hoping something would happen? What do you mean by that?"

"The legal age of consent in Japan is thirteen, so if we wanted to engage in certain activities...we could. But I didn't...I refused to marry Haru. She was more of a best friend than a girlfriend...we just didn't see each other that way. We had to fake it, act like we were that to be left alone." he said.

"Hmm...what a horrible set of parents we were both given...truly disgusting. But not as disgusting as Shimizu...I'm glad Haru saw us. You were about to do something foolish." she replied.

"I was not! I was going to do what was right...like I said, I was just going to check to see if he has a palace. I'm not stupid enough to infiltrate without back up."

"Yeah...right...nothing I say is going to stop you is it? I suppose I am a little curious. Okay...let us venture into the Metaverse...but we shall remain outside of the palace entrance. We check to see if he has one and then we leave. We shall inform your friends posthaste after our confirmation." Mitsuhide said.

"Fine...but just outside of the palace...but we can't go today. It's way too late, on top of that we aren't armed. I need to prepare first and that means getting necessary supplies, just in case something happens." he said.

"Alright...I shall leave it to you then." Mitsuhide said, giving the boy a soft smile.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"More blanks...what the hell are you doing kiddo?" Iwai said, giving Takumi a curious look.

"I'm an actor, so I go through a lot of these. We use model guns in our short films to make it more realistic. Since we are amateurs, we go through a lot of this stuff, thanks to people messing up." he replied.

"Amateur...kid you were in movies...how are you the amateur?" he asked. Takumi chuckled, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"I'm not...but my idiot friends are. They like firing their models for shits and giggles without a care in the world. Anyway, I need something else...for more personal defense, do you have any batons?"

"A baton...you mean like the type the cops use?" Iwai asked curiously.

"Something like that...something that's easy to hide and fast to deploy. But also hard as hell so I can crack a bastard over the head if I need it." Takumi replied. Iwai nodded, reaching into a drawer behind him, placing a box on top of the counter.

"Here you are...this one is 2,000Y. Once you extend it, press the switch on the bottom to retract it. Anything else, aside from the blanks?"

"Hmm...how much for that model Barnett C5 Wildcat?"

"With or without a scope?"

"Surprise me."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday July 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shujin Academy(Aoyama-Itchome)**_

 _ **Time: Lunch**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Hey Takumi, do you have some free time today? I found this sweet spot for us to practice on. Come on, you've been busy all week!" Toni cried, earning a frown from the boy.

"Sorry Toni, I'm a little busy...I got something to do in Akihabara today. I was able to score an acting role so I'm gonna meet with the director." he replied. He was honestly glad he was alone, he knew that if one of his friends was with him, they would have insisted on tagging along.

"Muu! You don't like me anymore do you? I thought what we had was special!" the brunette cried, earning a scowl from the him.

"Goddamn it, we don't have anything...listen sweetie, I'm really stressed out okay? I got a lot of shit on my plate and I'm trying to fix my career. If I have some free time next week, I will go with you where ever you want, okay?" he asked. She nodded, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"You better not bail on me...summer vacation starts Monday. So don't be an ass...see ya at home!" she cried, giving him a wave as she ran off. The boy sighed audibly, slamming his face onto the table, rattling the two empty soda cans that rested atop of it.

"Having lady troubles Taku-kun?"

"Haru...hey, what's up?" the boy said, lifting his head up at the sound of his friend's voice.

"Nothing much...just saying goodbye to my teachers for the summer. I know we've got that assembly on Monday. But since we aren't going to be in class, I figured I could say goodbye now. I've only got four classes so it was quite easy."

"That's sweet of you...I'll have to do the same with my teachers. Have you had lunch yet? There's a cafe nearby that makes some really good sandwiches. It's better than the crap they serve here." he said.

"I packed my own...I actually already ate. I saw that you were talking to that first year and decided to speak with you. You know, to catch up." the girl said, sitting down across from him.

"Okay...I guess I can ask the questions...what happened after we split up?"

"Father was quite disappointed in you. He said that he was expecting you to be a man and take care of his daughter. I told him we were just too young to think about marriage. He left it alone for quite awhile, but as of last year, he has betrothed me to someone else...Sugimura."

"Right...you mentioned him at the hospital. Is he nice?" he asked.

"Sugimura...? No...he isn't...he's actually quite mean...he believes that because we are to be wed, that he owns me. He acts like I'm just a means to an end, there's no love between us...just convenience and money." she replied.

"Oh Haru...I'm so sorry. You deserve a man that loves and treats you like a woman, not someone who sees you as a means to an end. You're such a sweet girl, you don't deserve this crap."

"I know...but father knows best...even if I don't like it, I have to go with it. I've told him countless times that I am not going to marry Sugimura. He insists that I will have to handle my responsibilities as both an heiress and a daughter...I really wish I could just...change his heart." she said, causing the boy to go wide eyed.

"Change his...heart...?"

"Mhmm...you know, like what happened to Kamoshida. He was a disgusting bastard, tried too many times to lay his hands on me. But since father was a sponsor for the school, he knew if I spoke out, he would remove his funds and this school would lose a major backer."

"That bastard's lust knew no bounds. I'm glad I didn't meet him, I'm sure I would have socked him across the face, the prick. But still...you can't long for something like that...I doubt the Phantom Thieves will handle something like that...without proof I guess." he said, finishing his drink.

"But I do have proof of something. According to the workers, my father treats them poorly. He doesn't give them a good pay, and forces them to do things they don't want. On top of that many have said they were fired for no reason, or that he holds their jobs over them, so that they're forced into working the way he wants. It isn't one or two people...there are some small factories threatening to shutdown." Haru said, causing the boy to frown.

"So...you think that corporate greed has changed your father...turned him into a different beast all together?" Takumi queried, earning a soft nod from the girl.

"He's different from before...when I was younger, he was still a loving father. Even though he was disappointed about your refusal to marry me, he was fine with it. But the last two years have been hell, it was only a year ago that he forced me to accept Sugimura's proposal. I can't accept it, knowing he will treat me like filth." she said, bowing her head in shame.

" _Damn it...I feel so bad for her...Haru used to be such a happy girl. Seeing her like this, subservient...with her hair cut short...it makes me mad."_

" _ **It angers you...seeing this young woman being so distressed...I sense power within her. Perhaps she has the same potential as you...it is clear that she is being oppressed...you are a Thief, make a deal with her, if only for your own benefit, but also for hers."**_ Eric said firmly, causing Takumi to look up at the ceiling. He narrowed his eyes in thought, a small smirk on his face.

"Haru...you want to change your father's heart right?"

"Huh? Of course...if it makes him a better person, and frees me from my engagement to that horrible man, I would be willing to do anything."

"Anything? That's a good answer...alright, I've got a deal for you...if you agree to help me, then I think I can help you. But you have to follow my every order, your life depends on it." he said firmly. The girl looked around for a few moments, before giving him a nod.

"I will."

"Wonderful...meet me at this cafe at 4:00PM today. Find yourself a weapon, anything that can be used for self defense, you're gonna need it." he said.

"Okay...what is this about?"

"You'll see...trust me." he said, giving the girl a wink.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday July 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Underground(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

"A woman was threatening Boss?" Makoto asked, trying to confirm what Ren had said to them. The boy gave them a firm nod of reassurance.

"Yeah, she was going on about domestic abuse and taking the case to court and stuff..." Morgana said, causing Makoto to clam up.

"You okay?" Ryuji asked.

"It's nothing...so to summarize what you've told us. Futaba is Boss's daughter, and he's abusing her? I don't know him very well...is he really like that?" she asked curiously.

"Of course not...he would never do that. How he was talking to her, it wasn't like that of a man who would abuse a child." Ren replied, earning a sigh from the young woman.

"I would like to believe so as well, but we don't have any conclusive evidence, do we...?"

Ren's phone suddenly started beeping, causing the young man to draw it from his phone. He swiped the screen, opening his Chat.

"Is it Alibaba?"

"Yeah...let's see what he said." Ren replied, clicking on the new chat that had opened up on his phone.

 **Alibaba:** _I've given you the calling card and told you the target's name. You should be ready for this._

 **Alibaba:** _Why aren't you doing it?_

 **Alibaba:** _I told you I'd help you if you stole her heart. What seems to be the hold up?_

 **Alibaba:** _I also said I would report your identities to the police if you didn't help me._

 **Alibaba:** _Are you okay with that? I'm serious here!_

"What a selfish person." Yusuke muttered, clearly annoyed by the chat conversation.

"Well, he does have information on us..." Makoto added, a frown on her face.

"Anyway, does this Futaba he's talking about have a Palace? If so, we'll need the keywords to get in. Try messaging him about that." Ryuji said, earning a nod from Ren, who typed out the response.

 **Ren:** _Does this person have a Palace?_

 **Alibaba:** _Palace? What are you talking about palaces for? That has nothing to do with our conversation!_

 **Alibaba:** _Are you saying random stuff to change the conversation?_

"What are we supposed to do about this?" Ann asked, a disappointed tone in her voice.

"Explaining everything through chat is a pain in the ass. Alibaba doesn't know how this shit works, so it would be way easier speaking face to face." Takumi added.

"He's got a point. We'd be able to figure out Alibaba's identity if we meet up with him. Try asking him if there's any way we could meet up.." Morgana said, earning a nod from Ren, who typed out his next reply.

 **Ren:** _I want to meet you..._

 **Alibaba:** _You wish to meet with me?_

 **Alibaba:** _That will be difficult..._

 **Alibaba:** _I have reasons for not being able to go out..._

 **Alibaba:** _That's why I'm contacting you like this..._

"What the hell...he can't go out?" Morgana exclaimed with surprise.

"How much you wanna bet this guy is a hikikomori NEET wanting attention? He was able to figure all this shit out, but doesn't know how it works and doesn't want to meet up with us. This is a waste of time, we could be out there looking for other criminals right now." Takumi said, a look of annoyance on his face.

"I understand you are stressed out Takumi. We are too, but we must check every avenue before we decide if this is worth our time." Yusuke said, calming the young actor down.

"There's another reply." Ren said.

 **Alibaba:** _I get it..._

 **Alibaba:** _You have to steal a person's heart directly... that makes things complicated..._

 **Alibaba:** _Extremely complicated..._

 **Alibaba:** _Hold on...I'm thinking..._

 **Alibaba:** _Okay, the deal is off...stop looking into Futaba Sakura..._

 **Alibaba:** _Forget this ever happened. I won't report you to the police either, don't worry. Sorry for taking your time...now if you'll excuse me..._

Ren hurriedly typed one last reply, but the message failed to send, making him lower his phone in disappointment. The others were just standing there, completely confused about everything that just happened. For a few moments, no one said anything until Ann broke the silence.

"Did he just shut the whole operation down?"

"This doesn't make any sense...not only can Alibaba not go out, but he won't let us meet Futaba either?"

"Well, it's none of our business now...we can't even contact him anymore." Ryuji replied, shoving his hand in his pockets.

"But...what do we do about Medjed? We won't be able to get Alibaba to help us with them now."

"Maybe that's just a prank too...see, I told you not to worry about someone you can't see. Sometimes it's better to focus on what you can see instead of what you can't, saves you the trouble." Takumi said firmly.

"He's right...they made that huge declaration but they ain't done shit since. I bet you we've got them all freaked out."

"You mean they backed out because they're afraid we'd change their hearts?" Morgana queried, earning a shrug from the blond.

"Yep, now it would look lame if they came out and apologized!"

"But-" Makoto was cut off by Ryuji who wrapped his arm around her, a grin on his face.

"So...since Alibaba backed out, can we just say this case is closed?" he asked. She sighed, giving him a nod.

"I guess it's safe for us to relax a little."

"Hell yeah, and since we don't have to worry about those Medjed fuck offs, let's go tomorrow night! What do you say about that Takumi?" Ryuji asked, startling the young man who had been looking at his phone screen.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure...tomorrow...whatever. I gotta go, I'm meeting with my sister in Akihabara, she's gonna tell me how far the movie is. If anything changes let me know." he replied, turning to leave.

"Let's talk about something else...the fact that you are researching Ryoutaro Shimizu and haven't told us anything about it." Ren said firmly, causing the boy to stop.

"What? What are you talking about?" Takumi asked. Ren pushed his glasses up his nose, a smirk on his face.

"Do you actually think I'm stupid enough not to read that fax? Just because it was in Latin doesn't mean I can't scan it and translate it. You're sister is being blackmailed, isn't she? You think he has a palace, don't you?"

"What...the famous Ryoutaro Shimizu, is blackmailing people?" Ann cried in surprise.

"It's not true alright, that man is too nice to actually blackmail people. That fax I sent you last night was just something her manager wanted a copy of...and before you ask about their copy machine, don't bother. I asked the same question and it turns out they don't have one. It broke on them and they haven't gotten a new one. If there was anything serious going on, I would tell you guys, you're my friends after all." the young actor said firmly.

"Would you though? I thought you hared liars Takumi, yet here you are lying to me and your friends. If something serious is going down, let us help you. Don't go on a suicide mission..."

"Nothing is going down man...besides, you all seem to be busy worrying about Medjed. Like I said, if anything changes let me know. I just can't waste my time focusing on something that could very well be a prank. Sorry, but I'm out...I'll text you all later tonight." he replied, quickly taking his leave.

"He was acting strangely...what was this form he faxed you?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"A release form, it was written all in Latin...if someone was writing a legal form like this, they wouldn't do it in another language. I'm not sure if anything is happening with Shimizu...but I trust that he would tell me his findings."

"So wait...you think that man has a palace? And you think he's going to go in there alone?" Ann asked.

"No...he wouldn't go in there alone. He isn't that dumb...he's actually quite smart. If he's covering his bases, that means he plans on letting us know the second he finds concrete proof. Let's just focus on Medjed right now...I'm sure our scout will tell us his findings when he feels ready."

"Ah...scouting the skies for the rest of the flock to go in...that Takumi sure is smart." Ryuji said, scratching his nose.

"Yeah...smart." Ann muttered, a worried look on her face. She didn't know why, but she had an urge to run after the boy. Even if she did, he was probably long gone by now.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday July 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: My Own Maid(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Are you sure you can trust her?" Mitsuhide asked softly, looking into her brother's eyes. He gave her a firm nod.

"Of course I can...Haru is a fighter. We can't go in there without backup and she's the only person I can rely on right now. The rest of the team is handling Medjed, the invisible bullshit website. Like I said, we aren't going anything dangerous, we're just going to scout it." he replied, patting the guitar case beside him.

"Um...why are we whispering? I can hear everything just fine." Haru whispered yelled, causing the half siblings to look at her. Mitsuhide sighed, crossing her arms shifting her gaze to the wall.

"It was a necessary observation...I needed to know if you were able and capable. Where we are going lie some very dangerous creatures...we needed to assess you a bit."

"And by we, she means she...sorry Haru. My little sister is taking this seriously, despite it being her first time. Now then...I am going to explain where we are going, so keep this between us."

"Okay, I'll commit this to memory."

"Alright...there is another world, beside this one. We call it the Metaverse...this is a world in which humans desires manifest into reality. This is a realm where a person's shadow gives birth to desire...these places are called palaces. Each palace has a ruler, the shadow that stands over everyone else. If someone has a distorted desire, a palace will manifest." he said.

"So...this world is a place where whatever you want becomes real. So if a child molester wanted to own his own daycare so he could abuse children, his palace would be a day care center?"

"Jesus Christ, are you serious?"

"Mitsu! Don't react that way...also Haru don't say stuff like that. God forbid a palace like that exists. But yes, what you said is the gist of it...the Phantom Thieves, infiltrate these palaces in order to find the ruler's treasure. Once it is found, they send a calling card to make it manifest, and when it does, they steal it. That triggers the change of heart...if you help me steal Shimizu's treasure, I will in turn help you steal you're father's treasure. I'll set you free." Takumi replied. Haru remained silent, finishing the last of her tea.

"So...if you are offering me this...does that mean the two of you are Phantom Thieves?"

"I'm not...but my brother is...he has experience in there...and you will follow his orders to the letter...is that understood?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a nod from the young woman.

"I do...but first let us shake on it, so our deal becomes solidified." the girl said, holding her hand out. Takumi wrapped his hand around hers, giving it a firm shake.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the Empress Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Empress)xxx**_

"Haru Okumura, we've got an accord...come on, we have to go." he said, standing up from his seat, grabbing a hold of his guitar case. He placed his payment on the table, following one of the maids outside.

They walked quietly through Akihabara, glancing around at the tourists and anime lovers. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, so everyone was wholeheartedly enjoying themselves. Takumi kept a smile on his face, being surrounded by anime always made him smile. He often times wished to be as carefree as some of the cosplayers in Akihabara. Even though it was all an act, they conveyed true joy, and that was something that took a lot of skill to achieve. They came to a stop at a nearby alleyway, two blocks away from Jadis and Associates, not noticing they were being followed. They arrived at the middle of the alley, away from people, but near a couple back alley shops that weren't as popular as some of the bigger ones.

"Um...is this the Metaverse?" Haru asked curiously, as she watched Takumi take out his phone.

"No...the key to getting into the Metaverse is this, an app." he said, showing her the phone screen. She looked at it oddly, quirking a brow.

"You travel to this world via cellphone app? That is rather weird."

"I'm surprised to hear you say that. You've been hanging on his every word since he made you this offer huh?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a flush from the girl.

"Anyway, here we go. Ryoutaro Shimizu."

" _Candidate Found."_

"Candidate?"

"The person who's the ruler of the palace." Mitsuhide explained earning a nod from the heiress.

"Jadis and Associates."

" _Candidate Found."_

"Alright...that's a name and a location, finally the distortion. The girl at the hospital said he considered this place a sacred temple. Let's see if it leads us anywhere. Temple." Takumi said, watching the application's loading bar spinning rapidly.

" _Candidate Found."_

"All three criteria have been met...why aren't we going in?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Hold your horses...and there we go." Takumi said, hitting the search button.

" _Beginning Navigation."_

Takumi smirked as he saw the expressions on Haru and Mitsuhide's faces. They were both surprised, seeing the area around them bend and distort, disappearing entirely. They were brought into the alternate Akihabara, noticing that aside from the overall red coloring of the area, nothing had changed.

"Huh...did we really go anywhere?"

"We did...trust me." Takumi said, placing his phone his pocket. Haru let out a surprised yelp, pointing at the boy.

"What happened to your outfit?" she cried. Mitsuhide sighed, crossing her arms.

"That is his spirit armor...the power of his Persona protects him from distortions here. The two of us are more susceptible to them without our own armor, which is why we asked you to bring your own weapon." she replied.

"I did...I hope this will do." the girl said, reaching behind her back. Literally from thin air, the girl produced a large battle axe, which she swung around for a few moments, the blade glinting in the light.

"Jesus...something small would have sufficed. Here you go sis, I got you a crossbow. It has a crank so you can set the string back in place. I was also able to get you these foam bolts, but in this world they become quite real." he said, handing the weapon and the quiver to his sister. He opened his guitar case, reaching for his Springfield Super Mach, which he slung over his shoulder. He pulled out his spare pistol, handing it to Haru.

"Here, it's got four spare magazines, use it only if you have too." he said, handing her the magazines. She nodded, placing them in her pocket, along with the gun which she placed behind her back.

"Well...let us see what monster awaits us beyond the gates." Mitsuhide said, earning a nod from Takumi. He took the lead holding his rifle tightly in his hand. They all walked out from the alleyway, jaws dropping at what they saw.

The building Jadis and Associates occupied was entirely different from what it normally looked like. Instead, the area around it looked like a giant cinema, the buildings at the bottom had bright posters on them, each advertising a film made by Ryoutaro Shimizu, all of them having his face on them. There were two large spotlights near the entrance, the bright beams reaching high into the sky as they moved back and forth. A large crowd of people lined the side of the street, cheering loudly as confetti fell around them. Takumi cut through the crowd, noticing the path that lead to the building was lined in a red carpet, and at the end of the street was a luxurious white limousine. He looked closely at the building, glancing all the way up.

Though the bottom looked like a cinema, the building itself looked like a Japanese shrine. Every floor had an angled roof, painted red with white railings. The posts were covered in traditional lanterns, with oil lanterns hanging from hooks at the edge of the roof. The very top floor was the one that was different, there was a large balcony, at least from his point of view. This part of the building seemed to be the largest, as several thick posts were attached to the main structure, holding this part firmly. He could see some trees around the edges, meaning it was the site of a garden. The top floor looked exactly like a temple, almost like the Meiji Temple in fact. He noticed the two golden dragon statues placed in front of the entrance, which bore traditional Japanese markings, painted red. The words, Love and Peace written on the lamps the dragons held in their mouths.

"Yukari was right...Shimizu does see this place as his goddamn temple." he muttered.

"Wait...this is Jadis and Associates? I've been to this building before, it looks nothing like it!"

"Like my brother said Haru...this is what Shimizu sees this place as. He is well known for starting young idols on the path to cinema stardom. He can always get fresh meat for his movies here, thus he considers this a sacred temple, the idols are his shrine maidens." Mitsuhide explained, earning a nod from the peach haired girl.

"He sounds like a scumbag."

"He is Haru...he is. The people around us are just part of his cognition, don't bother with them. We need to get inside that building to see what lies within." Takumi said, about to jump the gate when he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"You aren't going in there Takumi, at least without explaining what the hell is going on here?" the woman said, causing the boy to swallow hard. He turned around, seeing the smiling face of Rise Kujikawa, staring back at him.

"R-Rise! What are you doing here?" he asked. Mitsuhide face palmed, the slap resounding through the area.

"What happened to all of that being careful stuff you spouted earlier? Did you not notice we were being followed?"

"Clearly not, if she was able to sneak up behind us." Takumi replied.

"You aren't a very good thief Taku-kun." Haru added, earning a glare from the boy. He took a hold of Rise's hand, pulling her away from the crowd.

After a few minutes of explaining everything, they remained silent. Rise had her eyes closed, head bowed slightly as she let everything digest. She placed a hand over her heart, a small smile working its way onto her face.

"So...that's the way of it huh? You know...a few days ago, when we shook hands, I felt a familiar power course through me. I didn't think anything of it. But here I am...back in a place like this...I can still feel her within me." she said.

"Huh? Feel who?"

"Kanzeon, my persona."

"Excuse me, let me get this shit out of my ear. What did you say?" Takumi cried, earning a giggle from the idol.

"What...do you actually think I would follow you and be defenseless? Still...to think you were a Phantom Thief all this time. You've got some major explaining to do. But now, we have to deal with Shimizu...I take it you want to scan the area right?"

"Yes...for both enemies and the main man himself...I want an explanation for why he is doing what he's doing to my sister." Mitsuhide said.

"I just want to relieve my pent up anger." Haru said, the sweet smile never leaving her face. Takumi cleared his throat, glancing at the three girls before him.

"Alright...rules...we're only going in there to scout, if we meet opposition we run. Oh, and we go by Codenames in this world...call me Songbird, we can't have people finding out our true Identities here." he said.

"Songbird?"

"I'll explain the meaning later. Mitsuhide, your name will be Rook."

"Alright, I shall wear it proudly." she replied.

"Okay, Haru you will be Knight, and Rise you're name will be Bishop. Yes, I'm using chess pieces, but that's because after this...none of you will be coming back here." he said.

"You wanna change this man's heart outright?" Rise asked curiously.

"No...what he means is, after this mission is over, he plans to tell his friends, the other Phantom Thieves about it. They will handle it, all we are here for, is information." Mitsuhide replied.

"Okay...I totally understand! I shall follow your lead Songbird!"

"Right...then let's go." he said, grabbing a hold of his gun.

The four walked through the alleyway, walking through the crowd toward the edge of the iron barrier. They walked around it, walking up the red carpet straight toward the building. Songbird opened the door and walked inside, aiming his gun in all directions.

The lobby of the building was a giant movie theater. The carpets were bright blue, and there were some felt ropes marking the place where the crowd would be lining up for their tickets. The ticket counter was at the very left of the lobby, there were three in all, along with digital boards displaying what movies were currently in theaters. There was a large snack bar at the very back of the room, with soda fountains, machines and popcorn machines. To the right was a small arcade, where people could waste some time waiting for their movie to start, finally right in the center was the information booth. There was a large entrance to the back that lead to the viewing rooms, twenty in total. There was a large set of stairs leading to the second floor, which lead to the much bigger cinemas, five in total. The entire room was being lit up by a crystal chandelier attacked to a golden chain in the center of the room.

"This place is fancy...I didn't think it would be a movie theater though." Rise muttered.

"Well, if Jadis and Associates is his temple, then the bottom floor is his cinema. He can watch movies all he wants down here while creating movies upstairs. What an egotistical piece of shit, every single movie available here has him as the leading role." Songbird said, lowering his rifle scope.

"Such is a man with a little grasp of true cinema quality art." Haru added, earning a weird look from Mitsuhide. Songbird started walking toward the information booth, noticing a receptionist behind the counter. She didn't have any discerning facial features, as they were being covered by a mask, in the shape of a movie reel. It was rather odd, but he didn't really say anything.

"Welcome to Shimizu Cinema and Film Studio, would you like a directory?" the woman asked, her voice sounding distorted.

"Nah...I wanna know where Shimizu is...I got a bone to pick with him."

"The Kunnashi is busy at the moment...he cannot take any visitors. If you'd like we could contact the Shrine Maiden to assist you." the woman said.

"Shrine Maiden...fine, may I see her? The temple is on the top floor right? I'm sure we can manage." he said, spotting the elevator on the second floor. The doors were gold and had various markings on them.

"Wait...you forgot your pass, without it you cannot access the elevator. I hope you enjoy your time here." the woman said, giving the young man a bow. He didn't say anything, holding the card tightly in his hand as he walked toward the elevators.

"A kannushi? So he sees himself as a goddamn holy man...Jesus, as if his movies were that damn good."

"He probably sees himself as a cinema god...but since he is human, the closest thing he can be is a holy man. It makes sense when you think about it." Rise replied. The boy slipped the card into the elevator's slot, willing the doors to open. He saw the Japanese characters for the numbers 2-10 instead of the actual numbers. He pressed the button for the top floors, the doors closing slowly.

"Get ready, we don't know what awaits us here." he said, flicking the safety off his rifle. He took a deep breath, masking his anger with a blank face. He didn't know what was going to happen next, but he would be ready to fight, especially because his little sister and former best friend were with him.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 3)**_


	26. Infiltrate the Palace II: Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Well, I'm actually very excited for this chapter...something happens in this chapter that will change the course of the story, in hopefully a good way. We're beginning the infiltration of Shimizu's Palace, but we will also see a lot more than that. The plot is finally moving along, leading toward Futaba's Palace Infiltration as well. So I really hope you like this chapter, let me know what you all think. Like I said, I will be posting the next set of chapters on Sunday, so I hope you liked this triple post today. See you all on Sunday! As a final note, all I have to say is...Brace Yourselves...the Darkness approaches.  
**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 26

Infiltrate the Palace II: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Saturday July 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: After School**_

 _ **Location: Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

The doors to the tenth floor slowly opened, revealing nothing more than a large room, styled like a traditional temple. The floors were made out of tatami, and had various cushions placed on the floor in neat rows. The sides of the room were elevated, and made out of oak, with a dark finish, the posts were painted a crimson red. The room was bordered by red railings, above them hung beautiful lamps currently lit up. Songbird took the initiative and walked into the the empty shrine, peering through his scope as he scanned the entire area. He noticed the area at the very back of the large room was a small shrine, made out of wood. There were some incense sticks placed inside a small cup, along with a piece of paper that held some traditional prayers on it. There were some small round stones at either side of the shrine, stacked up from smallest to biggest. He glanced around at the paper walls, trying to see if there was anyone around, but there was no one he could see. A single light shined down into the room, illuminating it in its entirety.

"Songbird, let me scan the place first."

"Alright...go for it Bishop." he said softly, turning to face the girl. She held her hand out, focusing on the the power she hadn't used for quite awhile. They all saw a glowing tarot card appearing in her hand, with the image of the Lovers on it. She clenched her hand, breaking it apart, the light sinking into her hand.

"Kanzeon!" she chanted.

From behind her appeared a large woman like creature, standing almost as big as the room. It had long black arms, and wore a golden dress that trailed down its body. There were some satellite like appendages coming from its sides. Songbird noticed it held a golden helmet in its hands. He also saw that most of its head looked like a giant telescope. It lowered the visor over the young idol's eyes, allowing her to see everything around them. She rose her hand, pointing directly to the right.

"There's a door right there, and it leads to a garden. That's where you'll find the Maiden. She seems to be the only one here." she said.

"Okay...mind explaining her for me?" he asked, glancing at her Persona.

"Oh...this is Kanzeon...she's a physical manifestation of my insecurities. When I was younger, I thought quitting my career as an idol was the best for me. I thought everyone liked Risette and not Rise...I remember, hating that part of me, and wishing for people to see the real me. That's when Kanzeon, or rather Himiko appeared to me. I fought against her, and finally accepted her as part of me. My role with her is to be the scanner and supporter of the group."

"The group?"

"A story for another time little one...I'm sure you are more than interested. But we cannot afford to waste time." she said, earning a nod from the young ravenette. Songbird started moving across the room, racing toward the paper thin doors, sliding them open.

He let out a gasp as he stepped outside, seeing the sheer beauty of the garden before him. It was covered in lush green grass, and various flowers of every shape, size and color. There were several sakura trees which were still in bloom, their petals fluttering through the wind. The sound of running water filled the area, and he glanced around, seeing a small rock formation near the center of the garden. He noticed it was a Koi pond, a rather large one as it had its own artificial water fall. The small stream seemed to circle around the edge of the garden, before disappearing into a small gutter, most likely leading to the filter which would recycle the water. Kneeling down in front of the Koi pond was the Shrine Maiden, evident by her red and white garb.

He started walking toward her, noticing her long brown locks were shielding her face. She was kneeling down before the pond, hands clasped together as her head was bowed in prayer. Her ear perked up and moved, glancing up at the young man that approached her, giving him a curious look.

"Have you come to pay your respects to the Kannushi? He isn't available right now...but if you wish, I could assist you."

"K-Kanami?" the boy cried. The young woman stood up, brushing the blades of grass from her red pants.

"Yes...my name is Shrine Maiden Kanami...is there in issue?" she asked. Songbird was about to say something before he rubbed his eyes, placing a hand on his mask, feeling the Phantom's power coursing through his hand.

"What are you doing here Kanami? Are you seriously his Shrine Maiden? After what that bastard is doing to you?"

"I agree, big sis...I do not understand your line of thinking." Rook said, a frown on her face.

"Guys don't bother...the Kanami before us is just part of the palace. She's a fake, another piece of Shimizu's cognition. He sees her as a Shrine Maiden because she's the current star of his movie." Songbird replied.

"You are an odd group of visitors...I must apologize...if you didn't come here to pray or to make an offering, then I'm going to ask you to leave. Please...the Kannushi gets mad rather easily." she said, sounding almost fearful.

"Yeah well you tell that bastard to get his ass out here. I've got some shit to discuss with him...he can play god all he wants, but he is doing some evil shit that needs to be taken care of." the young man snapped angrily. The Shrine Maiden gasped, probably not expecting him to speak that way. They heard a door slide open, causing them all to turn around.

Shimizu's shadow walked out, a rather pissed look on his face. He was wearing an outfit, similar to Kanami's, only his was a light navy blue. It had broad sleeves, and he wore a pair of white pants, held up by a brown belt. He was wearing a traditional headdress on his head, though it lacked the mask that normally covered a Kannushi's face. The Shrine Maiden knelt down, bowing to the man, her face practically in the dirt as she muttered several prayers under her breath.

"I allow you to come into my temple, tell the guard that you are guests...allow you to see my maiden...and this is how you treat me? How you treat my hospitality?"

"Hospitality?" Knight asked, a confused look on her face.

"There you are you bastard...so are you here to answer to your misdeeds?" Songbird asked, holding his gun up at the man, his aim trained to his head. Shimizu chuckled, shaking his head.

"Takumi Mashita-kun, I'm surprised to see you here...actually, not really. You see, as soon as I realized what you had done in the other world, I sat back and waited for you to arrive. Do you actually think the other me doesn't know what you did? Oh he does...and you will pay for what you did!"

"Shut up! The one that needs to pay for your crimes is you! Do you actually plan to get away with what you've done? With all of the people that you've ruined and driven to suicide? With the nineteen that you've killed?" Bishop shouted, clenching her hand angrily over her heart.

"Hmm? Those people wanted to ruin my empire, they wished to destroy my temple...so they were eliminated. Why would I allow such useless actors to go anyway? With their allegations and false accusations?"

"Allegations? False accusations? You had eighteen people killed because they wanted to expose you. You strangled a man before a young woman without remorse. You beat up a girl so hard that she lost her fucking baby, what the fuck makes you such a saint, asshole?" Songbird shouted angrily. The man held a hand to his mouth, covering a yawn.

"You have failed to move me, Takumi Mashita-kun...you're acting could use some work. I did not kill anyone...I just removed the people who wanted to destroy my films. Don't you understand, my films are the best in the world...I hold the record for most romance films in a single decade! So what if my actors are run ragged? They signed up for the job...I am the director, so I have the right to direct them how I wish...even if that means using a little physical violence." the man said, a smirk on his face.

"You make me sick...with your disgusting attitude towards film. If people knew what your actors went through to achieve the greatness on that reel, they would reel back in disgust and horror. You are nothing but a sick pervert, who abuses people for personal gain." Rook said firmly, causing the man too look at her. He let out a chuckle, which turned into a laugh.

"What's wrong with that? I want to fill the world with my craft, my movies were the most liked in the world. Everyone assumes that they are the best because they are...it isn't my fault that the actors can't act. Besides, that business is just a cover for what truly happens behind closed doors. The fact that I use my romance films as a mask."

"A mask...what are you talking about?" Songbird cried out, lowering his rifle. The man snapped his fingers, causing Kanami to stand up. She started walking toward the man, reaching for the belt that held her garb together.

"K-Kanami...w-what are you doing?"

"Big sis?"

"This isn't good."

"You see...this little Shrine Maiden is one of the most well loved idols currently in Japan. If I can't turn a profit out of her, then I wouldn't call myself a director. I'm a romance director by day yes...but my true business happens in the dark of the night, when pests like you hide under your covers, and shield yourselves from the darkness of the world." he said, snapping his fingers again. Two shadows appeared beside him, grabbing a hold of Kanami's arms, pulling the garb off her body.

"You bastard...don't you dare touch my sister!" Songbird screamed, moving towards the Kannushi, only for him to grab a hold of Kanami's head, holding a knife to her throat.

"Ah ah ah...I'll kill her right here if you take another step...this is but a visual aid...all directors need to show their actors how a scene will play out." he said, a sneer on his as the two shadows ripped away the last of Kanami's clothing, leaving her completely naked. Songbird looked away, growling in anger as his heart beat quickened. Bishop placed her hands over Rook's eyes, shielding her from what was happening. The two shadows started touching Kanami all over, rubbing their hands over her body, focusing mostly on her breast and lower area.

"You see Takumi-kun...this is the truth behind my little act...I use my romance films as a disguise. To look for the next generation of pornographic stars...those that don't fit the bill are eliminated. Kanami here just happens to be my next target...she's such a beauty, and these breasts of hers will make a killing. I'm surprised at 20 she's still a virgin, that's something we're going to change you see...I've already got Akihiko working on that."

"You...you son of a bitch." Songbird muttered, squeezing the handle of his gun tightly.

"How sick can you get? Do you actually get pleasure from ruining peoples lives? Do you actually enjoy seeing them crash and burn to the ground, and become so disgusted with themselves that the only escape they have is suicide?" Knight shouted angrily, pawing the ground slightly with her foot, her axe being clenched tightly in her hands.

"If they commit suicide that's on them...the only ones that did were old rags. Young women who had been so used that society didn't want them...they had been screwed so many times that they became useless. One can only take so much cum before they grow tired of it...after awhile, it just becomes routine and they wish for the sweet freedom only death can provide. That young man saw this, and he was going to tattle, but I had him eliminated...shame, that his daughter's birthday was being celebrated in that very park, where he was hung by the neck."

Songbird growled in anger...he could feel it flowing through him. He wanted to attack but he knew he was at a disadvantage. Bishops Persona was meant for support only, meaning she didn't have any attacks. The Phantom was strong, but he couldn't take Shimizu on by himself, especially if he didn't know where the treasure was. He hated to admit it, but he had been wrong...he should have brought his friends with him, so they could wipe the floor with him. Kanami's moans started filling the air as the two shadows continued their display.

"You wanna know what's funny...Takumi-kun...you were almost part of this...that kiss you shared with Kanami was so hot. That's why I filmed it, a brother and sister sharing a kiss, it was like the forbidden fruit. Of course you two aren't blood related, but the people outside Japan don't know that. I had thought of how many films we could me...but then someone else strolled into my studio, that little one with you...she's just so adorable...imagine how much of her merchandise I can sell."

"What?" the boy hissed angrily, his eyes turning to face the man.

"Ah...I caught your attention...that's right, my focus was right on little Mitsuhide Isoshima...the nine year old child prodigy, accepted by no one. Just by looking at her, I can tell she's nothing but a social recluse. No one likes her because she's too smart, she has to hang out with people that aren't her age...she hates it so much she wants release...she wants to break away...she even came to me, because she needed money for college. Well, how about it sweetheart? I can offer you a lot...all you need is to make me a couple of films."

"How dare you...how fucking dare you!" Knight shouted angrily, panting a bit from how pissed off she was.

"Hm...what's eating you? Ah...I see, you wanna take the offer for her? I think I know you...that's right, Haru Okumura...the sweet girl that is her father's tool. I wonder how much merchandise I can get out of you." the man said, adopting a pensive look.

"You know...I've been standing here, listening to everything you've been saying...and I've grown more and more angry by the second." Rook said, pulling Bishop's hands off her face. She took a step forward, glaring at the older man.

"Oh? Is the little social reject mad? That's what you are right? A nine year old child prodigy...ha! I bet Erica regrets giving birth to such a useless child. A psychologist? And a philosopher? More like million yen waste of time...do you actually think you will succeed in life? Trust me, a young woman like you is destined to fail, especially in the competitive society of Japan. You are nothing and you will amount to nothing...the last thing you'll remember when you flunk out of college, is the offer that sits on the table. I could net you millions, all with just one little video." he said. The raven haired girl just giggled, her shoulders shaking from her mirth.

"You drown in an ocean of ignorance...a man such as you is nothing but a waste of oxygen on this precious world of ours. If you were any less intelligent, you would have to be watered twice a day. Can you not see the genius that stands before you? Or are you blinded by your own ego that you cannot see the greatness of those around you?"

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ignorance is bliss I would assume. You think you can do whatever you wish, to whoever you wish, without consequence. Well that ends now, I will not allow you to insult my genius with your petty words. You disgusting freak of nature!" she cried angrily.

"Aw...look at that, the little nerd is getting mad. What's wrong Poindexter, did I ruffle your feathers? Hmm...what are you going to do? Use your psychology to tell me that I'm wrong? You ungrateful little cunt! I made you an offer that you cannot refuse, I see nothing but death in the horizon for you. Perhaps it shall become my newest snuff film!"

"Shup! Shut up, shut up, shut up! I'm tired of people calling me a nerd, I'm tired of people underestimating me and not believing in my genius. You think that you can call me those things and get away with it? Well I'm going to teach what it's like to mess with me!" she screamed.

"Mitsu, calm down...he's just riling you up!" Songbird cried out, earning a glare from her.

"No! I'm sick of it, everyone treats me like a child, even you! No one treats me like an adult, no one ever takes my word for it. No one trusts my judgment...I'm sick of those comments holding me back. I am not going to let this bastard get away with this, especially for taking the life of a newborn!" she cried angrily. She let out a pained scream, dropping to her knees clutching her head.

" _So...you feel misjudged because of your genius...you wish to show the world your truth...your power...I can lend your a hand, if you so desire."_ a voice said, filling the area.

"Yes...please lend me your strength...so that I can rid the world of disgusting grubs like this...who stomp on true geniuses in this world. Who defile everything they touch and only see it as a means to an end!" she cried. Another sharp stab coursed through her head, causing her to scream from the pain, tears running down her face as she clawed the ground around her.

" _Very well...I shall now commence our contract...I am thou, thou art I...ye who has been held back and underestimated shall finally get to shine. Ye shall come out of the pale moonlight and shine in the sun, like millions of glittering diamonds."_

A mask flashed onto Mitsuhide's face, covering her eyes. It was a light colored mask, with intricate white lines running through it. The inside was black in color, the outer edges of it being black. It was almost in the shape of butterfly wings, the wings coming up from the sides of her face. She grabbed a hold of the mask, pulling on it with all her strength, until she tore it clean off her face, a scream of pain filling the garden as a plume of blue fire burst from around her.

"No way." Songbird muttered, eyes widened in shock as he saw the fire enveloping his little sister. He glanced at the figure that stood behind her noticing it was a large female.

She stood almost as tall as the Phantom, and had pale skin as opposed to his dark skin tone. She had long black hair that trailed down her back, some of it being styled in a sort of poof atop her head, held back by a bonnet. She was wearing a Victorian style dress, with leaf patterns around the long sleeves, and a frilly collar. The dress itself was a faded white color, with large parts of it having black patches on it, the trim was frilled at the end, and a bit frayed as well. The woman was holding a butterfly mask in her hand, attached to a small bronze handle, which she pressed against her pale face, which bore no make up. She also had a pair of black and blue monarch butterfly wings coming from her back, the tips swirling with blue flames.

Mitsuhide rose to her feet, standing tall in firm in her spirit armor. She too was wearing a Victorian style dress, in a similar style to the one the figure behind her was wearing. Hers was light green in color, with spaghetti straps and white embroidery around the front. The bodice consisted if a black leather corset, that wrapped behind her back, the laces tied firmly at the front. The waist of the dress was covered in black cloth, sown onto the bottom layer which was light green in color. At the front of the dress, was a large green and black bow. She was wearing a pair of detached sleeves that were black in color and reached up to her elbows, held together with green laces. She wore a black and green bonnet on her head. The glare of her face told the young boy plenty...she was done messing around.

"What the...what the hell? How can a little girl have this much power?" Shimizu cried, earning a smirk from the little girl.

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them, without removing some of our skin. You drove me into tearing this mask off, to finally free myself of the chains that held me back. I was weak...because I was alone. Because people insulted my mind and I had to take it...but no longer. I will stand on my own too feet, and I will tell this world, that I will be a psychologist, and I will be a philosopher. With this curtsy...I welcome my new self, and discard my old self. Now, Lady Loveless show these fools what it's like to mess with me." the girl said, a smirk on her face as she pointed toward the shadows.

The large woman behind the little girl swung her mask forward, sending a Mabufu spell straight at the shadows. They instantly froze, bursting into sparkles a second later. The cognitive Kanami fell do her knees, glancing at the large woman in fear, letting out a scream before she was also cut down, fading away into nothingness. Mitsuhide flicked her wrist, extending her baton as she walked toward Shimizu, who backed away from her, fear written on his face.

"How dare you bite the hand that feeds. I gave you money...I offered you a role you couldn't refuse! You cannot escape my wrath...the other me will make sure of it!" he cried. She took a swing at the man, hoping to strike his ribcage, only for him to jump back. He turned heel and ran back into the shrine.

"After him! Phantom of the Opera, Megido!" Songbird cried, taking off his mask as he summoned his persona. The large masked man appeared behind him, flinging his magic at the shrine walls. An explosion rocked the area as Songbird burst through the paper wall, pointing his gun all around the room. It wasn't long before a large bell started tolling loudly, causing him to stop.

"What...a bell?" Knight asked, glancing around the shrine.

"Oh no...there are enemies everywhere, they're all coming up here!"

"What? Are you serious?" Songbird cried, turning to face the idol, who had summoned her persona.

"I can sense them too...we must get out of here posthaste." Mitsuhide said, taking a step forward, only to fall to her knee. She clutched her head in pain, feeling very lethargic. Her brother was by her side, looking her over.

"You're tired, don't worry this happened to me when I summoned the Phantom. I'll carry you out of here, Bishop, we need an exit, and a fast one." he said, picking the girl up from the floor.

"Um...they're coming up every stairwell, but the elevator is still clear. Let's take it down...hurry!" she cried. Songbird turned toward the elevator running toward it. He fished the card out of his back pocket, slipping it into the slot. He pressed the button with the L on it, leading them down to the lobby.

"I can't believe Mitsuhide summoned a persona...I didn't think someone so young could do that."

"Me either...I guess she felt more oppressed than anyone thought...she passed out. Her body probably couldn't take the strain of the awakening." he said, cradling his sisters body. The elevator dinged and they stepped outside, quickly running toward the doors, only for several shadows to appear before them. It wasn't long before they were surrounded by them.

"Ahahaha! Did you enjoy my display upstairs? It was all an act...do you actually think I would fear a little girl?" Shimizu cried, walking down the stairs behind the small group.

"Fucker...motherfucker!" Songbird shouted angrily.

"Ah...I knew egging the little one on would cause her to snap. Even though it yielded that silly power, it also weakened you. You now have a passed out little girl, you cannot fight. So surrender to me, and join my world...join my films...I'll give you the biggest role Takumi-kun, with your beautiful girlfriend Risette by your side!"

"You two are dating?"

"Haru...not the time." the boy hissed. He reached behind his back for the canister he had brought, holding it out to Rise.

"You got a light? It's our only option."

"No...I didn't think I would need to bring a lighter with me." she said. He growled in annoyance.

"Aw...look at that...the little helpless boy can't light his bomb. How drab...no wonder you are a failure in cinema now. You don't take this so seriously...I'm glad your father ruined your career. Your face doesn't deserve to be in movies, especially my movies. My movies are made to be viewed by gods, and plebeians like you don't deserve to be in them!" Shimizu cried. Songbird was about to say something when he was cut off by Knight who stomped her foot in anger.

"Hey! You shut your damn mouth! He's a brilliant actor, and he is way better and more honest than you. We're going to bring you down, I made him a promise...that I would help him destroy you. And I'm going to use everything I got, even if I don't have power. I will not let you control people and force them to do your bidding!" she cried. Her eyes widened, she felt her head start to throb, a powerful headache unlike anything she had ever felt.

" _Ah...so you seek to prevent people from controlling others? I see I see...but are you ready to free yourself of the thing that controls you?"_

"Yes...I'm ready to break free...come to me." the girl cried, holding her hand up in the air.

" _Very well...if you say you are ready, than I shall give you my power."_

Haru let out a scream of pain as a black eye mask appeared over her eyes. She tore it clean off her face, a plume of flames swirling around her body. Songbird and Bishop did their best to shield their eyes from the light, both surprised to see this power coming out of the young woman.

Her spirit armor was drastically different from Mitsuhide's. She was wearing a pale pink long sleeved blouse, with a white neck jabot, which was held in place by a glittering red gemstone. She wore a black corset vest with bright golden buttons. She wore puffy royal purple bloomers and black panty hose. She was wearing a pair of lace up pumps on her feet, around her waist was a belt, which had a holster, with black slots that looked like they were made to carry some type of canister. Atop her head, she was wearing a violet cavalier hat, with a royal purple hatband and two black plume sticking out of it. She held her mask in her gloved hands, glancing at the figure behind her.

"Alright Milady, it's time to take care of business." she said, resting her axe on her shoulder. The large figure behind her let out a giggle, sending a violet wave out at the shadows, causing them all to clutch their heads in pain.

"What kind of magic is that?"

"Psychokinetic magic...her persona must specialize in psychological attacks." Songbird muttered, noticing the shadows behind them coming closer.

"Attack them, kill them all. Leave their bodies for the buzzards and if you can film it, do so!" Shimizu cried, turning tail into the elevator.

"Give her to me, you have to fight! I'll support as best as I can!" Bishop cried, taking a hold of Mitsuhide's unconscious form. Songbird grabbed a hold of his mask, pulling it from his face.

"Persona! Matarukaja!" he chanted, snapping his fingers. He felt a rush of power flowing through him. He dashed forward, drawing his short sword out of his scabbard, slashing at the nearest shadow, cutting its head clean off.

"Come on! Bring it on...I thought you were stronger than this!" Haru cried, swinging her axe as hard as she could, the blade slicing through several shadows at once. She placed a hand on her mask, a grin on her face.

"Milady, Mapsio!"

Another violet wave slammed into the shadows, making them clutch their heads in pain. Haru swung her axe as hard as she could, slicing their heads off one by one, all of them bursting into smoke. She turned around, seeing several more starting to crowd around them.

"Songbird, we have to go! If we keep fighting we'll tire...we can't keep this up!" she cried.

"What do you want me to do?" the boy cried, sending a Megidola attack at the crowd, sending them flying back. Several more shadows appeared, taking their place.

"Allow me then..."

"No, you're too weak!" Songbird cried, glancing at his little sister, who jumped out of Bishop's arms, landing on the floor with a crouch. She placed her hand over her mask.

"Do you have that smoke bomb? If so throw it in the air...I shall take care of the rest." she said. He nodded, pulling the canister from his pouch. He threw it high into the air, watching it spinning around.

"Lady Loveless, Agi!" the young girl cried, summoning her persona. The Victorian era lady appeared behind her flinging a fireball at the canister, enveloping it in flames. It burst a second later, filling the entire room with a thick plume of sky blue smoke.

"What the hell? Was it supposed to be that potent?"

"No...but this world makes these things more realistic right? Let us go big brother." she said, jumping onto his beck.

"Right, we're pulling out!" he cried, breaking into a sprint, slamming his sword into a shadow as he dashed through the door. He glanced over his shoulder, making sure his two companions had left with him.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday July 23**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Electric Town(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Oh my...I've never been so tired in my life." Haru muttered, downing half of her water bottle in one go. Mitsuhide sat on the bench beside her, draining her bottle as well.

"Tell me about it...does it always go like that in there?" Rise asked, glancing at Takumi who shook his head.

"Never...I should have noticed the threat...the entire building was empty. That never happens, he was just acting defenseless, so he could lull us into a false sense of security. He pissed my sister off, just so she could be angry enough to manifest a persona...this guy is smart."

"Well...at least we know one thing now...we can't go at it alone. Takumi...you have to tell your friends about this. This is really serious, if what his shadow said is true, then the real Shimizu, is planning on turning your sister into a porn star." Haru said.

"I know...fuck me...I wasn't expecting this...I was ready for anything...not this. I bet you that locked file I copied contains videos that he's made. It would explain why it took twenty four out of thirty-two gigs to download it all." he replied.

"Whatever the case...we have risen the security...going there now will not be a wise idea. If we're smart, we'll give it a couple of days...Shimizu must have taken notice of your infiltration big brother, he wouldn't have raised security like that if he hadn't." Mitsuhide said.

"That means he's most likely taking it out on anyone he can get his hands on...that includes my sister...I've just put her in the line of fire." he said, slamming his fist into the vending machine.

"I'll take care of it...I'm not letting her go back there, now that I know what that man is hiding. Takumi...you can't go in there on your own anymore. You took a risk bringing your sister and Haru in there, an unnecessary risk...I know you want to help your sister, but this isn't the way. Don't let your selfishness guide you...you have to ask for help." Rise said firmly, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I know...I just wanted concrete proof of what was going on before running it by my friends. This whole Medjed thing has them all on edge." he admitted, glancing up at the sky.

"We should all go home...it's been a stressful day...especially after what we just witnessed. If you need help, I'll more than gladly give it. Don't be afraid to talk to me okay Taku-kun?"

"Sure thing Haru...thank you...for agreeing to come here with me. For actually following me practically through the gates of hell."

"Hehe...it's fine...you're my best friend. This just reminds me of the old days, when we used to do a lot of stupid stuff." she said, standing up from the bench, grabbing a hold of her white leather purse.

"Yeah...those were fun times...hey Haru...why did you cut your hair? You had it down to your waist last time I saw you. It was really pretty, and you loved the way it looked."

"Father told me to do it...he said it would raise my attraction if I looked more sophisticated. It's just hair...it'll grow back no? I'll see you later Taku-kun." she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. She waved to the girls as she walked off, heading toward the nearby street, where she was picked up by a black car.

"Taku-kun got kissed by a cute girl~"

"Shut it Rise...I gotta get home...keep me informed if anything changes with Kanami. And if you need a gun, tell me...I'll let you borrow mom's." he said, a serious tone in his voice. She gave him a wide eyed look, shaking her head.

"We'll be fine...take care of yourself Takumi, and your sister."

"I will...thanks Rise, for lending me a hand when I was too stubborn to ask for it."

"You're welcome."

Takumi picked his sister up, hoisting her onto his back, grabbing a hold of his guitar case. The girl practically fell asleep, too tired to do anything against his action. She smiled happily, arms wrapped around his neck. Even though he was tired, he had to get his motorcycle home, so he decided to drive back, being careful out on the roads. Once he made it back home, he went into his room, placing his sleeping sister on the bed, falling down beside her. As he fell asleep, he didn't notice Mitsuhide wrapping her arms around him.

"Hey Takumi, I need to ask you something about..." Erica paused at the entrance to his room, surprised at the scene before her. She grabbed a hold of the door knob, pulling the door closed, not wanting to disturb their sleep.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: SIU office**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective:?**_

 _ **xxx**_

Sae Nijima sighed angrily as she stared at her laptop. She had been working the Phantom Thief case for awhile, and it was becoming very stressful for her. She had been close to nabbing Kaneshiro when the Phantom Thieves took the glory, costing her a promotion. She had been tasked with finding more information on them, and had decided to check the Medjed website, only to see a post they had updated, where they declared war on them. She balled her hands in anger, not noticing the young man beside her.

"Hello Sae-san...you seem stressed."

"Of course I'm stressed...the Phantom Thieves made a mockery of us when they brought down Kaneshiro. And to make matters worse, Medjed who has been dormant for awhile now, has just declared war on them. How much more can they screw us over!?" she snapped, earning a chuckle from the young man.

"Stress is bad for the skin you know?" Akechi said, causing the woman to rise to her feet, glaring angrily at him.

"Did you come all the way here to be sarcastic?"

"How about you listen to my deductions for a change? It may shed some light on your case. You may think it absurd, but don't you think the case you're working on and the actions of the Phantom Thieves overlap somehow?" he asked.

"What are you basing this off of?" she asked firmly.

"The one point of commonality across all cases is how those involved have an unforeseen change of heart."

"I've suspected that myself, but those suspicions are unfounded."

"I told you at the beginning, that this was a deduction. These "just" Phantom Thieves are riling up the public. However, that is a disguise, their true goal is terrorist action by way of psychotic breakdowns...is that too much...?"

"Well...there's nothing at the moment that falsifies that claim...have you shared this with the police?" Sae asked, earning a chuckle from the young man.

"Not at all...the only value they have to me is their mobility and organizational capabilities."

"Hm...it seems having you lend me a hand has paid off." the older woman said, earning a chuckle from the brown haired lad, who beamed with pride.

"I'm glad to hear that. What about your case Sae-san? Did you learn anything from the guardian of that mental shutdown victim's daughter?"

"Nothing at all..."

"I see...now what should my next action be for our victory?"

"Handle the Phantom Thieves, without remorse...use any means necessary to win. That's how I would deal them." she replied.

"Ahahaha...very well."

"This seems to be fun for you...are you on to something?"

"Nope, not at all...well then...to our victory." he said with a bow, taking his leave. Sae couldn't help but watch him go, curious as to what the young man was getting himself into.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: ?**_

 _ **Time: Late Night**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi stirred awake, blinking a few times as he found himself in the familiar prison cell of the Velvet Room. Sighing to himself, he forced himself to his feet, walking toward the cell doors, being greeted by the smiling face of Igor, who gave him a nod.

"The power of your bonds shows no bounds. It seems you are slowly beginning to awaken to your true power."

"My true power? What do you mean by that?" Takumi asked curiously. The man chuckled, shaking his head.

"You shall find out soon enough...due to your previous failure, your power was lost, scattered to the winds. You are now slowly regaining it, by continuing your rehabilitation, you will eventually recover everything that you have lost. Though you are not the Wild Card, I shall bestow upon you a special power. I pray that you never have to use it, but in the distorted world, one can never be too careful." Igor said, snapping his fingers. Takumi felt his mask appear on his face, shortly bursting into flames, before gaining an almost blue like tinge to it.

"What the...I feel weird." the boy said, placing a hand over his face, only to touch his own skin. Caroline slammed her baton against the cell doors, startling him a bit.

"Be grateful Inmate! Our master doesn't hand favors out to just random people. He has given you quite a boon in battle, so you better use it wisely!" she snapped.

"Indeed, our master has allowed you to call upon special powers beyond the ones you are used. Only by being judged shall you attain their aid, and allow them to become a temporary mask. These spirits shall become persona that only you can call upon. You have mastered the art of crafting masks to hide your emotions. But now it is time to rely on those emotions in battle. Your fiery rage, your shining happiness, your morose sadness, your cold hearted demeanor, your electrifying anger...these masks shall aid you only when you need them the most." Justine said, earning a nod from the boy.

"So...I've gained the power of the Wild Card?"

"Do not misunderstand...this is a power that stems from what you have lost. The Tower Arcana is one of success and failure, depending on how it is used in battle. Beware that these spirits are far stronger than your average shadow, in order to call upon them in battle, you must be judged fairly by them. Such is the power I have bestowed upon you, fulfilling my role as your Judge." Igor said, earning a nod from the boy.

"It makes me wonder...you said that I've been here before...does that mean this isn't my first time doing this? Being a Phantom Thief? Whenever I forge a new bond, I hear a voice in my head...a familiar voice...she always says Rebirth too...hey, does the Wild Card also forge bonds with people?" he asked.

"Indeed, the other Inmate relies on these bonds to increase his power. However, you two are different, he can accept and discard masks at will, you can only summon them for a time. It is normal to give into emotion, if you give into any of your emotions, I assure you a new mask shall appear on your face. Whether that spirit deems you fit to use their power shall be up to them...if you can prove yourself to them of course."

"Don't be a failure Inmate! I've grown curious about your power, so don't let me or my sister down!" Caroline added, crossing her arms as she look away from the boy.

"I won't...say, when you said you felt the power of the Moon in my sister...were you feeling Lady Loveless stirring within her?" he asked, glancing at Justine, who gave him a small smile.

"I'll let you figure that out on your own...return to your fleeting world, we shall meet again when the time is right."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Kogane-Kajiki Sushi Bar(Ginza)**_

 _ **Time: Lunch**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi sighed as he poked at his food. He had been given quite the platter, filled with various kinds of sushi. Flounder, yellow tail, fatty tuna, salmon...it was all there, just like he remembered, but he couldn't bring himself to eat. He had too much on his mind to actually eat anything. His friends however ate their food without a care in the world, and that was enough to at least bring a small smile to his face.

"Oh man, the flounder is out of this world...ah...that texture." Ryuji said, sighing contently as he ate.

"I...I don't see any prices listed on here."

"It's called market price. Relax man...we've got the cash...just enjoy yourself."

"Sooo goood!" Ann cried, a look of pure joy on her face.

"Trust me Yusuke...if you knew how much sushi was here, you'd probably head for the hills." Takumi said, taking a bite from his salmon. Even though he wasn't hungry, he wasn't going to let the food go to waste...it was too delicious to waste.

"Hey...is the fatty tuna ready yet?"

"Hold your horses...and don't talk!" Ryuji hissed, glaring at the feline who ducked back into the safety of Ren's bag.

"By the way Ren...is Boss really the kind who would abuse someone?" Makoto asked, earning a sigh from Ryuji.

"That again?"

"I can't get it off my mind, especially if it means he could be taken to court...what kind of person is he? Do you truly believe he would do such a thing?"

"He's strict...but other than that he's pretty chill." Ren replied.

"Ah...right, because of your record."

"If it's really true about the abuse...he'd be a no-good jerk, pretending to be a good guardian." Ryuji said.

"Maybe the Chief is the one who needs a change of heart."

"Hold on a sec...I actually got curious about our conversation...and I checked his name in the Nav. I didn't get a single hit."

"Holy shit Ann...I'm impressed you actually went that far...and to think, none of you thought to do that before hand." Takumi said, earning a flush from the girl.

"Shut up asshole, I bet you didn't think about it either."

"Don't make me go over there."

"Boys...seriously, we're in a restaurant." Makoto said, shutting the two down before they started.

"Anyway, since I didn't get a hit, there's nothing we can do. Anything beyond this is his family's problem. We probably shouldn't get anymore involved."

"Hmm...hey wait, you think Alibaba could be Boss's ex-wife?"

"What the fuck?" Takumi muttered.

"He must have cheated on his wife, and that's where Futaba came from."

"You're thinking too much into it." Ann replied, continuing on her food.

"You're imagination has run rampant."

"I agree with Makoto over there. If he's being threatened with Custody, then that means the mother should get Futaba right? But why would Boss have Futaba's custody if she were still around? Why would they threaten him directly and not the two of them together? Come on man, think with your brain." Takumi said.

"Hey...it was just a thought...so going by your logic...what do you think happened to the mom?"

"You want my honest opinion? I've been thinking a lot about everything. Alibaba can't go out, and he won't let us meet Futaba...Boss is being threatened with abuse and might get taken to court. The mother hasn't been mentioned...so my guess, Futaba's mom passed away, Boss got custody of her, and now some bitch wants to take that custody away from the man with no physical proof of the abuse."

"Are you certain about that?" Ren asked curiously.

"Not really...it's just a deduction, using common sense. But there is something else that stuck out to me...something that none of you ever thought of."

"Oh? Is that so?" Yusuke asked.

"It must be pretty interesting then...why don't you share it with us?" Makoto said, earning a nod from the boy, who set down his glass beside his platter.

"Okay...brace yourselves, hold on to your asses. Alibaba is Futaba Sakura...boom...mind blown." the boy said, mimicking an explosion around his head.

"You think Futaba is Alibaba? Isn't that assuming too much?"

"Did you miss the part where I called her a hikikomori NEET? A young girl who lost her mother young, is scared of the world. Her custody is given to her father, who no matter what, wants what's best for his little girl. She decides to lock herself away, because she's too scared to meet the same fate as her mother. She decides to occupy her time with the internet as teenagers often do, she becomes a hacker. She plants bugs in Leblanc because deep down she cares for her father's safety. She overhears our conversation and gets an idea...to change her own heart, because she is too scared to face her demons."

"That's fucking preposterous."

"I agree with Ryuji...that is not what is going on here. Maybe you've been reading one too many movie scripts." Ann added.

"I must concur...why would a person want their own heart changed?" Yusuke added.

"And just like that, I get shoved to curb." the boy said, hanging his head as he continued eating his lunch. They ate their lunch quietly for a few minutes, too engrossed in it to continue talking.

"I must say, this is quite delicious. I have never had anything this good before." Yusuke said.

"Man, and it's all thanks to us being the Phantom Thieves."

"You fuckin retard." Takumi muttered angrily, sending an icy glare at the boy.

"Uh...phan...phan...fantastic sushi! It's so delicious!" Makoto cried, shoving some fish into her mouth.

"Yeah...the fish is so fresh!"

"Hmm...everywhere we go, those Phantom Thieves are always being talked about."

"I hope they get arrested!"

"Prick." Takumi muttered under his breath.

"What the hell? Think about where we are Ryuji!" Ann snapped, earning an apologetic look from the boy.

"Sorry, it just kinda slipped!"

"How we haven't been shoved into a paddywagon by now is beyond my comprehension." the young actor said, reaching for his phone, seeing a message from his sister. He opened it, reading it to himself.

 **Mitsuhide:** _Did you tell them yet...?_

 **Takumi:** _I'm about too...do you want any sushi while I'm here?_

 **Mitsuhide:** _Indeed, yellow tail, salmon and flounder please..._

 **Takumi:** _You got it...I'll be back later today...see ya then..._

"Hey, who are you texting? If you don't mind me asking." Ann said, grabbing Takumi's attention.

"Huh...oh, it's my little sister. I was just asking her what kind of sushi she wanted so I could bring her some...after what happened yesterday, she deserves it."

"What happened yesterday? You two didn't get into any trouble did you?" Makoto asked curiously. He sighed, closing his eyes for a few seconds.

"Actually Makoto...we did. Not just trouble...serious trouble, the kind of trouble that could change a persons life...let's just say...I found someone way worse than Kaneshiro." he replied.

"Way worse?"

"I'll tell you at Leblanc...this is something that has to be spoken about in private. You're all gonna hate me for not asking your for help, but at least give me a chance to explain everything to you, got it?" he asked. The all shared a look, wondering just how serious the information he had to share truly was.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	27. Learning about Futaba

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone, Happy Sunday! Tis I, the Celestial Sky Dragon bringing you chapter 27 of Codename: Songbird. Last chapter, you all saw the truth behind Ryoutaro Shimizu, but today you get to learn just a little more. It's all pretty dark stuff, so be prepared, have your flashlights ready, there might be a power outage and you best be ready.**

 **Anyway, some notes on Mitsuhide's Persona. Yes, I actually was planning on having Ayumi be the one to get a Persona, but I decided on Mitsu instead because there hasn't been a kid with a persona. Since she's young, the awakening took a lot out of her, which was why she outright passed out afterwards. But she will be able to summon her persona with ease later on. Now then, her persona is a woman known as Ada Lovelace, a famous mathematician, and the first person to create the general purpose computer, named the Analytical Engine. She was also the Countess of Lovelace, thus her name being Ada Lovelace. She was a brilliant mathematician, and tutored privately. I chose her to be Mitsuhide's persona, because as a child, she had a very brilliant mind, she was good with mathematics, and that lead her into working with a lot of famous people, including Charles Dickens and Charles Babbage. She was a very analytic person, which was also befitting of Mitsuhide, who wishes to be a Psychologist and a Philosopher, she's also good with math and science, being able to make a smoke bomb rather easily.**

 **Now, one more thing, she calls her persona Lady Loveless instead of Lady Lovelace, the reason why is because she chose to give her a bit of a nickname, or a name that she affectionally refers to her by. This also alludes to a book titled, The Unmasking of Lady Loveless, an...erotic, novel...where a man tries to seduce his ex-wife so that she gives him her secrets. This woman wrote this book and ended up becoming a scandal in London, and even ruined the lives of a few people. This is a tie into Mitsuhide's love of books, and the fact that she'll read anything, even her mother's erotic novels that she should hide better. Worry not, she's mature enough to understand these things. It is befitting of her status as a prodigy child.**

 **Some stats on her persona, well she's an all around elemental persona, Lady Loveless is mostly based on Magic, Agility and Luck. Depending on the situation, Mitsuhide will be able to fill in the role of someone who has been injured or act as a supporter. However this comes with a weakness, Lady Loveless is weak to Gun skills, has very poor Physical stats, and is weak to Bless and Curse. So she is a glass cannon which is why Mitsuhide has to analyize the situation and figure out how she is going to attack, befitting of her status as a prodigy, but remember, she is still a child, and often times children will do things different than what an adult would expect. She'll be strong when she takes time to think, but she'll take heavy damage if she acts on impulse.**

 **Well, that's all I have to say for Lady Loveless at the moment. I will be writing a detialed profile on Mitsuhide and Lady Loveless for my bio at some point, which will have more details on both. But for now this shall suffice. As I stated before, the coming chapters are going to be very dark, and the subject matter is of a serious nature, enough for me to put this on the M rating. I have handled everything as respectfully as I could, while highlighting the seriousness about these real life crimes. As always, if you are suffering from abuse, seek help. Talk to someone, the last thing you could do is keep it hidden, because that isn't healthy for you. I'll see you all in about five hours with chapter 28, see ya!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 27

Learning about Futaba

 _ **Date: Sunday July 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Station(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Beware Medjed and Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ah...hello Nijima-san...fancy running into you here." the voice of Goro Akechi said, causing the group to turn around. Makoto took a deep breath, forcing a smile onto her face.

"Oh...Akechi-kun."

"Akechi?" Ryuji muttered, wondering why the detective had stopped them. Takumi crossed his arms, quirking his brow as he glanced at the young man, who looked at them with curiosity.

"Mashita-kun...you're here too? And the people from the television station. Could it be you're all friends with Nijima-san?"

"We go to the same school." the young actor replied.

"Do you know this guy?" Yusuke asked curiously, causing the detective to shift his gaze toward him.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Akechi, glad to make your acquaintance, Yusuke Kitagawa."

"How do you know my name?"

"Oh, that's because I'm psychic of course."

"Ah...don't give me none of that shit." Takumi cried, earning a chuckle from the young detective.

"Nothing gets through you huh? I suppose it comes with the territory, acting and all. He's right, you are Madarame's former pupil...so I knew your name beforehand."

"I see." Yusuke muttered, narrowing his eyes slightly.

"In truth, I have actually just recently joined the investigation team looking into the Phantom Thieves. Did you see that Medjed has declared war on them?" he asked.

"War...?"

"They're website was updated just a moment ago."

Takumi reached into his pocket, quickly opening Medjed's website. His eyes poured over the text, his heartbeat quickening a bit as he read it. The detective was right, Medjed had just declared war on the Phantom Thieves. He squeezed his phone angrily, teeth grinding together. He quickly masked his anger, glancing away from the screen.

"Wait...what the hell is this?"

"What's it say?" Ryuji desperately cried.

"Guys, it's nothing to worry about...don't let it concern you alright?" Takumi said softly, trying to calm his friends down.

"Why do you seem so agitated?" Akechi asked curiously.

"Oh um..."

"She's uh...a huge fan of the Phantom Thieves, a total nutjob for them." Ryuji said, earning a frown from the detective.

"I see...I don't know how wise it is to be a fan of groups like them."

"What's up with these comments?" Makoto asked.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to butt into your conversation. But I mist say this is an interesting group. Prosecutor Nijima's sister, an ex-pupil of Madarame, a few Shujin students and an actor who's career was destroyed by his father."

"Hey fuckface, you got anything useful to say or are you just going to remind us of how shitty our lives are?" Takumi snapped, earning a chuckle from the young man.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to insult you. I'm just impressed, it seems you are all somehow connected to the Phantom Thieves. Perhaps you have better intel than I do."

"I have no idea how you arrived at that conclusion...I have no connection to them. I just made friends with them because they're the only people who saw me for who I truly was. Who wasn't some fake who wanted to be my friends for money or some other shit. That and Ann is too cute to ignore."

"Eh?"

"Ahaha...oh yes...I wanted to ask you something. Regarding the whole Medjed commotion...if you were a Phantom Thief, what would you do?" Akechi asked, directing the question toward Ren. He pushed his glasses up his nose, giving him a shrug.

"I would ignore them."

"Ah...it seems you are in the minority group who think this is the best course of action."

"Sorry to disappoint, we're just high school students. If anything, we wanna hear what you gotta say, Mr. Detective." Ryuji said, almost in a taunting manner.

"My profiling of the Phantom Thieves has lead me to believe they are a group of juveniles. They have a relative amount of free time after school, and a hide out to slip away to. Furthermore, considering Kamoshida was their first target, it seems their activity begun around April. In a way, all I've just said about the Phantom Thieves coincides with the group you have here?"

"You gonna arrest us? Pardon me but...don't you need probable cause before that? Concrete proof? I've seen enough detective dramas to know that you can't act without certain things. Are you gonna search our homes? If so get yourself a warrant, or I'll knock you on your ass." Takumi replied.

"Hey...stay calm." Ann said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"My mistake, I didn't say I was suspicious of you. I'm just saying, you all fit the idea that I'm working on."

"If anything, you're the suspicious one...approaching us out of nowhere, and sharing all this information with us."

"Huh? Well, I wasn't anticipating that response. You always find a way to rise above my expectations. You are an intriguing one. I lack your calm mannerisms...but don't you think my deduction is an interesting one? I bet we'd make a great team if we worked together...hehe."

"What!? What the hell are you saying?" Ryuji exclaimed, taken aback by Akechi's response.

"I'm curious to hear what you have to say. You seem to be a wealth of information, in return, I'll teach you how to make deductions. I believe that is a fair trade off for you?"

"Sure." Ren replied calmly.

"Well, this has been a valuable point of reference for me. I hope to see you all again." he said, giving them a bow, shortly before taking his leave. They all watched him go, wondering just what the hell had happened.

"You two are idiots." Takumi said, glaring at Ryuji and Ann, who both glared back at him.

"Where the hell do you get off calling me that?"

"Dude, you two almost fucked us over. Overreacting to Medjed's declaration? Really? If that wasn't enough to pique his interest then you saying she's a fan of the Phantom Thieves is enough. Christ, how we haven't gotten caught is beyond me. The police must really suck at what they do."

"Calm down Takumi...I understand that they overreacted, but we were taken by surprise. You can't blame them for that."

"I know Ren...it's just...fuck...this shit is really starting to piss me off. As if dealing with Shimizu wasn't enough, now we gotta deal with a group of fuck heads who are as secretive as the Brotherhood of Assassins!"

"Shimizu? The director?" Makoto asked, earning a nod from him.

"Yeah...I'll explain soon."

"Still...what was that about?"

"Do you think he's ascertained our identities?" Yusuke asked.

"Nah...it couldn't be, right?"

"I'd like to say it's us simply over thinking this, but...it may be best to be cautious from now on." Makoto advised, earning nods from everyone.

"We mustn't forget, Alibaba was able to discover who we were, rather easily."

"True, but it's not as though he had tangible evidence to prove that discovery."

"Guys...Futaba and Alibaba are the same person, trust me."

"That again? Come on man, you can't honestly believe that." Ryuji said, causing Takumi to roll his eyes.

"Alright, how about a bet? Fifteen thousand yen says Alibaba is Futaba. If you win, you get double, and if I win I just get fifteen, fair enough?" Takumi asked, holding his hand out.

"Okay, I'll take that bet. Hehe, thanks for making me thirty thousand yen richer."

"Ugh...men." Ann muttered under her breath.

"What about Medjed...what did they say about us on their site?" Ren asked, causing Ann to pull out her phone.

"We are disappointed in the people of Japan and their belief in the Phantom Thieves' false justice. Hence, we shall proceed with our plan to cleanse Japan. This process will commence on August 21st. As a result, the Japanese economy will suffer devastating damages."

"For real?" Ryuji muttered, disbelief written on his face.

"Keep listening."

"However, we are magnanimous. We will give the Phantom Thieves one opportunity to repent. As proof of this repentance, we demand that they reveal their identities to the public. We will attack is these demands remain unmet. The future of Japan rests with the Phantom Thieves. We are Medjed, we are unseen, we will eliminate evil. That's what it says."

"That sounds bad."

"In other words, if we don't unmask ourselves. Medjed will attack Japan...correct? It seems they are quite the attention seekers." Yusuke asked firmly.

"So it would seem...makes me wonder how though. Japan's infrastructure is too powerful for one person alone to take down. This proves that Medjed is a capable force. It's the fact that it could be anyone that pisses me off...anyone of these people could be a member." Takumi said, glancing around the station.

"Hey...let's not start labeling people okay? That would just make us freak out." Ann said, calming the boy down.

"This makes things pressing." Makoto said softly, looking at her feet.

"What are we gonna do about this?"

"If only we could get in contact with Alibaba...he said...he had the tool right?"

"Yeah, but he doesn't wanna help Makoto...you saw how he reacted."

"Goddamn it...so that's how it is huh? Hang on a second." Takumi muttered, reaching into his phone. He searched for through his contacts, finding the one that he had saved, which had been tied to Alibaba. He hit the call button, pressing it to his ear, hearing it ring a few times.

" _What the hell do you want? After I got you all of that information, was super nice to you, you decide that my memes are trash, and hang up the phone. Then you have the nuts to call me back?"_

"Hello to you too Alibaba...listen, we're in a bit of a bind, I'm sure you've kept an eye on Medjed...let's cut a deal. You deal with Medjed for us, and we'll change Futaba Sakura's heart...that was the original deal right?"

" _I already told your leader, the deal was off."_

"Yeah, well it's back on whether you want it to or not. Here, talk to her." Takumi said, handing his phone to Ren, who just looked at him with surprise.

"How...did you get in contact with Alibaba?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"I knew her from before the whole change of heart thing. I was playing an online game, and I teamed up with her. We got to chatting and exchanged contact information. Big mistake, I know...she held it over me...It's because of me that she contacted him for the first time. I sent him a link with a file attached to it, which allowed her to tap into his phone. She already had information on us before hand, no idea how she was able to get it."

"You were talking someone that dangerous for awhile? And you didn't tell us? What the hell is wrong with you?" Ryuji snapped angrily.

"I have my reasons, which I will explain once we get to Leblanc...now come on." he said, leading his friends toward the Yongen-Jaya line.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday July 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Cafe Leblanc(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Contact Alibaba**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Alright, you want answers...and I got them...ask away." Takumi said, standing at the bar, his friends standing around him in a semi-circle.

"I shall start...when did you first become in contact with Alibaba?" Yusuke asked.

"Like I said before, we were playing some games and exchanged chat information. We were just sending memes back and forth, but after a couple days, she sprung her true motives on me. She wanted to contact the leader of the Phantom Thieves...I guess it was inherently my fault. At that point, I didn't know she was a hacker, so exchanging contact information was probably how she got all of our information." he replied, bowing his head.

"You didn't know she would do that...but now you know not to exchange information with people you don't know. So you sent that link to Ren, and that's how she was able to message him."

"That's right Makoto...but it wasn't for free...I agreed to it because she had information on a target, a personal target. Ryoutaro Shimizu, that famous director that makes two films a year."

"Right...you mentioned his name at the station...do you think he has a palace?" Ann asked.

"I don't think, I know...I've been there...and let me tell you...it's horrible. He is way worse than Kaneshiro, and that's not hyperbole. This man, is responsible for the deaths of nineteen people, all of them actors that worked for him. One of them was an actress named Hana Song, she managed to get away from him, and was going to tell the South Korean authorities about his crimes, he sent someone out to put two bullets in her skull. There was a reporter who got in as a set designer, and found out what he was doing. He was hung at the old Ikebukuro Destiny Land, and that was that lead to it's closure."

"Are you...are you for real right now?" Ryuji asked. The boy took out a notepad, handing it to the blond haired teen.

"There...three detailed accounts. Thanks to Rise and Mitsuhide, I was able to infiltrate Jadis and Associates. I had to crawl inside an elevator shaft, and through a vent to get this information. A make up artist, was beat by his lead actor, Akihiko Shouji. There was a costume designer, that got his leg broken because he peeked in on his sick little photo shoot. And the coup de gras, a young woman that was beaten so badly, she ended up having a miscarriage." Takumi said.

His friends all remained silent, not knowing what to say. Ryuji read every single word that he had written, on every single page. Takumi reached into his backpack, pulling out Mitsuhide's laptop, logging into his Yahoo account. He opened up several tabs, with a different article open so that his friends could read it. He handed it to Ann, who instantly started reading it.

"This is sick...is this all for real?" she asked, after being silent for a few moments.

"Every single word, every single article...it's all real. He's blackmailed people into doing what he wants. Anyone who doesn't do what he wants, gets horribly blackballed. Their careers are so ruined, that they have nothing left to ponder, but pulling the trigger or kicking the chair right from under them. But it's even worse, I made contact with his shadow."

"You did what?" Makoto snapped.

"Are you insane? You could have died in there!" Ryuji cried.

"I could have, but I didn't...I made this personal because my sister is involved. There is something I wasn't aware of, something that his shadow told me. Ryoutaro Shimizu...he isn't just your average movie director...no, he scouts young women...idols in particular. He considers Jadis and Associates his temple, because he can get fresh meat there...he sees my older sister Kanami as his Shrine Maiden...that photo shoot the costume designer peeked in, it ties into that fax I sent you Ren."

"The release form, right?" Morgana asked.

"Yeah...his photographer and editor is a man named Koichi Kaburagi."

"What? Could you repeat that name for me?" Makoto asked, seemingly stunned at the name.

"Koichi Kaburagi...he was in the Special Defense Force, he worked in the cybercrime department. Those pictures I mentioned, their pictures of Kanami...half naked. He sells them online for profit, Kaburagi handles the entire operation, and deletes all information. There was a girl, who posted on her Facebook all of the atrocities he did, before she killed herself, and it was all deleted before anyone read it." Takumi said.

"Oh my god...I just...I can't wrap my fucking mind around this." Ryuji said.

"That isn't the worst part...the pictures being taken of Kanami isn't the only thing. His shadow told me, that he searched for Kanami because she was the hottest idol in Japan at the moment. That he wanted to turn her into the hottest...porn star in Japan." he said, bowing his head, slamming his fist onto the counter.

"I understand why you decided to handle this yourself. But Takumi...why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you."

"Because I didn't want you to get involved Ann...at least not until I had proof. But now I've got it...I was going to suggest we go after Shimizu...but we have Medjed to deal with right now. I wasn't expecting them to declare war on us. Now there's this whole cleanse thing going on...and...I just gotta sit here, and stew in it...all because Alibaba won't fucking help us." he said, glancing up at the ceiling, hands balled tightly.

"We went through a lot of possibilities on the train...but we aren't even close. What about you Ren, did she say anything to you?" Ryuji asked, placing the notepad on the counter, face down.

"She hung up, and removed her contact from Takumi's phone...she's not going to help us." he replied, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Dammit...she's practically the only real lead we got." Morgana muttered.

"Yes, she cut off all contact due to the previous misunderstanding, and now again with Takumi. However, if we were to steal Futaba's heart, she may attempt to reach out to us." Yusuke said.

"It's like I said before, Alibaba is Futaba, what other possibility is there?"

"But why would she want to steal her own heart? That part doesn't make sense to me!" Ryuji said.

"It doesn't have to make sense. As long as she has a palace, we can infiltrate it." Takumi replied, causing the blond to reach for his phone.

"Well...there might be some validity in what Takumi is suggestion. Realistically speaking, if we do change Futaba's heart, how would Alibaba know the deed has been done? She would have to be there herself." Makoto said.

"You're right...he couldn't just tell from cellphone messages. He would have to see her in person." Morgana said.

"Alibaba was able to leave the calling card here, on top of that, he can check on her condition remotely. However, according to the circumstances he put forth, he's unable to meet with us. This leads me to believe that it would be bad for us to see the both of them together. Just as Takumi has said, we can't see Alibaba and Futaba together, because they're the same person."

"If that's the case...she really is asking us to steal her own heart?" Yusuke asked.

"I thought only evil people get palaces, isn't that right Morgana?"

"You aren't wrong Lady Ann...anyone can have a palace. It just so happens that most people's distorted desires make them evil. People who have personas cannot have a palace, they have accepted their desires, so it's impossible for them to get one."

"So that's how it works." Ryuji muttered, scratching his head.

"Maybe...she wants us to save her from the scars of her abuse...? That would be hard to ask directly."

"I'd like to meet with Boss...he lives nearby right?"

"Yes...just around the corner...but you should be careful."

"I'm not gonna say anything that will get you thrown out." Makoto reassured, earning a nod from the boy.

"I agree, it's real late though. What're we gonna tell Boss when we get there?" Ryuji asked.

"Oh I know...we'll just say we came to deliver some sushi to him." Ann said, pointing to the green wrapped Bento box Ren had brought from the Sushi bar.

"But...but my fatty tuna!" Morgana cried, despair written in his voice.

"No buts! This is for the good of the Thieves!"

"Don't worry buddy, I'll make you some fatty tuna when all of this shit blows over. Market price, fresh cuts...promise." Takumi said, scratching his chin, earning a purr from the feline.

"Gah...alright stop that!" he cried.

"We should go together...Boss may get the wrong idea if Ren and I show up together." Makoto said, grabbing a hold of the sushi.

"Time to nut up or shut up...the fate of the Thieves is down to one conversation, can Queen and Joker get it done? Find out in next weeks episode of Phantom Thief Z."

"Takumi, I swear to god." Ryuji hissed, earning a laugh from the actor. Despite telling them the truth about everything, they still treated him like one of the team. He was still worried about everything, but he had to focus on what lied ahead, even if it meant putting Shimizu on the back burner.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Makoto sighed as she rung the door bell for the ninth time in a row. The sun had started to go down, the street lights having turned on. Takumi was leaning back against the wall, glancing up at Sojiro Sakura's house. It was a modest two story home, surrounded by concrete walls, it had a balcony on the second floor with plate glass doors, covered by white sheets. He had seen some movement from them, but hadn't been able to see anything. He glanced at his phone, seeing it was past eight at night, he was certain Sojiro would have answered the door if he was home. Either that or he had been asleep, but he quickly disregarded that idea, who would sleep through a doorbell that loud?

"No no...where ever I go go...trouble seems to follow...I only plugged in to save rock and roll...no no...where ever I go go...trouble seems to follow, I only plugged in to save rock an roll."

"What are you singing over there?" Ann asked curiously, causing the boy to look up from his phone.

"Hmm...oh that...it's one of my favorite songs. It's called Save Rock and Roll by Fall Out Boy. That entire album is amazing, it really helped me get through my depression when I was back in America with my old man." he said, a smile on his face.

"Well...I've rung the bell plenty of times. It's safe to say he's either asleep or not home." Makoto said.

"Tch...who would sleep through that? The lights are on." Ryuji added.

"Even Boss would have woken up from how many times she's rung the bell."

"Lady Ann is right...I would think Futaba would at least answer the door by now if she were here." Morgana said.

"She is...I saw some movement upstairs...seriously guys, she's a hikikomori NEET, she isn't gonna leave her room unless she has to pee or eat, or bathe."

"Why are you so hung up on this idea?" Ryuji asked, causing Takumi to look up from his phone.

"Because, if my life is shit, my mom is dead and my father doesn't want anything to do with me, why would I bother leaving my room? My career tanked, I find solace in anime and comfort food. If the internet is at my finger tips, I don't need schooling. I could just lose myself in my own little world and let everyone else live life like normal. It isn't healthy, but it's better than being called a druggie by millions of people you've never even met...that is my personal opinion of course." he replied.

"I'm happy that you didn't seclude yourself Takumi...because we wouldn't have met. We wouldn't have an awesome friend like you." Ann said, giving him a smile. He quirked a brow, a smirk on his face.

"Aw sweetheart, I like you too! Thanks for being an awesome friend." he said in a teasing tone.

"Huh...what?"

"Hey, stop flirting over there." Makoto snapped, wrangling them back in. Yusuke grabbed a hold of the gate, shaking it a bit only for it to open.

"The gate is unlocked."

"Dude, you can't go openin' other people's stuff like that." Ryuji groaned.

"Well...you know what they say...if it's open, it's meant to be explored. Let's check it out."

"Takumi, don't be disrespectful."

"But the door is open Makoto...see?" the actor said, pointing to the wooden door that was slightly ajar.

"That's rather careless."

Thunder boomed above them...none of them had even noticed the gathering of clouds. Small cold droplets of water started falling from the sky. Takumi reached into his backpack's outer pocket, pressing the button to the small umbrella he had brought with him, holding it between himself and Ann, just as it started getting heavier.

"We're gonna get wet. We should go inside." Morgana suggested.

"Oh...I hope this is okay...sorry Boss, but we're coming in." the group adviser said apologetically. They all took turns walking into the house, with Takumi going in last as he had to shake his umbrella. Once inside, they all took their shoes off at the entrance, walking into the hallway. The Television was on, rather loudly as well currently showing a weather report.

"Hello...sir?" Makoto called out, receiving no response. She turned to face Ren, a firm look on her face.

"He's not out is he? The television is on in the other room."

"I hope he didn't pass out or somethin'...I mean Boss is kinda old, ain't he?" Ryuji asked.

"He doesn't seem that old, doubt he'd just pass out. It's Sunday, and Ren has said before that Sundays are slow for Leblanc." Takumi replied.

"I'm a little worried, should we go in and check on him?" Ann asked curiously.

"Please excuse us." Makoto said quietly, taking the lead as she walked further into the house.

Takumi stuck close to Ann, glancing at some of the portraits on the walls. He saw a few of Sojiro when he was younger, along with a black haired woman. He saw another one of a young child, with long orange hair and a bright smile on her face. He continued staring at that one, a small smile slowly appearing onto his face. Lightning flashed outside, followed by a crack of booming thunder that threw the house into darkness. Ann let out a scream of surprise, causing the boy to slam into the wall. He heard another scream nearby and he looked around, trying to see in the darkness.

"Holy fucking shit Ann...what the hell did you have to scream for? My damn ears are ringing!" he snapped, trying to look at the blonde, though all he saw was her figure.

"There was another scream, what was that?"

"How should I know?" Morgana cried. It was quiet for a few seconds, only for a loud thump to ring through the house, causing Makoto to jump slightly.

"What was that?"

"Can we get out of here, please?" Ann cried, wrapping her hand around Takumi's wrist, squeezing it really hard.

"Ow...what are you freaking out about? Are you seriously scared of a fifteen year old girl? What is she gonna come at us with a machete and a hockey mask?"

"Let's just go goddamn it!" the blonde reiterated, pulling him toward the door. He pulled his hand free from her grasp, glancing toward the nearby stairwell.

"I can sense someone's presence." Yusuke muttered, shaking slightly as he walked.

"Um Ren...do you mind if I hold your hand?" Makoto asked softly, earning a nod from the frizzy haired lad, who was rather calm during the whole ordeal. Takumi saw a devious smirk on his face, as if he was finding enjoyment out of it. Lightning flashed, briefly lighting up the dark hallway, the light glinted off of something in the dark, bringing Takumi's attention back toward the stairs.

"Hey...if you're here we aren't going to hurt you okay? We just need your help...I'm sorry if I said your memes were trash, I didn't mean too. I was just jealous that you achieved maximum dank and I didn't."

"What the hell are you talking about man?"

"I'm just trying to appease her man, I pissed her off by calling her memes trash. I wanted to apologize...please, help us would you?" the young actor said firmly, holding his hand out in the darkness, hoping the girl would take it. Lightning flashed again, allowing them to see the girl's form for the first time, her glasses glinting in the darkness. Makoto let out a shrill scream, which in turn made the girl scream. She bolted up the stairs, a loud door slam being heard a second later.

"Note to self, when exploring the house of a man in search for his daughter, make sure to check the weather. Also bring lots of duct tape to seal the mouths of Ann Takamaki and Makoto Nijima, the two girls that put banshees to fucking shame, end memo."

" _Futaba, are you alright?"_

"Shit, he's home! Quick hide!" Ryuji cried, diving into the nearby hallway, followed by Ann and Yusuke. Takumi sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he just stood in the middle of the hall. There was nowhere to hide, and no reason to hide now. Sojiro opened the door, the light from the outside lighting up the entrance.

"What the...who the hell are you? Don't move, or I swear you won't make it out of here alive!" he cried, reaching for the nearby table, pulling out a flashlight.

"Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please save me sis!" Makoto cried, hugging Ren's leg tightly. The frizzy haired lad still had that devious smirk on his face. Takumi looked at him, eyes narrowed as he shook his head.

"Dude." he whispered.

"Eh...what the hell are you doing here?" Sojiro asked, a surprised look on his face.

"Please I'm sorry, save me sis, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Takumi brushed past the blubbering student council president, meeting with Sojiro at the front of the house. He gave the man an apologetic bow, his hair falling around his face.

"I'm sorry Boss, we came into your home because we wanted to bring you some sushi. You didn't answer the door and the gate was open, the door was open as well so we figured we could come in. We thought you had passed out and were going to check on you when the power went out. Don't be mad at us...please."

"Takumi-kun...Ren...and Nijima-san too...are you two dating or something?"

"Huh...we aren't dating...I was just scared and...I'm sorry...we didn't mean to intrude." she said, slowly rising to her feet.

"We're here too...sorry about coming in here." Ryuji said, bowing apologetically.

"You said the door was open right? I must have forgotten...that's a bad habit that I've gotten myself into."

"We're really sorry...we just wanted to bring you some sushi, and we got worried when you didn't open the door." Ann hastily explained, earning a sigh from the man.

"It's alright Takamaki-san...it isn't your fault."

"Um...Boss, there's something I'd like to ask you." Makoto said, bringing his attention back to her.

"Something you'd like to ask me?"

"Yes...there's someone else living here, isn't there?" she asked. The man sighed, giving her a nod.

"Yes...my daughter."

"Might she be...Futaba Sakura?"

"You told her too?" he cried, glancing at Ren who gave him a sheepish nod.

"If it's alright with you...we'd like to meet her. We may have startled her earlier when the power went out. And by we, I mean Makoto who screamed like a banshee while she was practically face to face with us." Takumi asked.

"That's difficult...she uh...doesn't like meeting people."

"Oh...is she sick?" Makoto asked, concerned about the young girl.

"No no...it's nothing like that."

"Let me guess...she's a recluse right? Something bad happened to her and she's scared of meeting people?" he asked.

"Yes...I shouldn't have kept this a secret from you...come on, let's talk in my shop. She'll hear us if we stay here." Sojiro said, gesturing for them to follow.

They all filed out of the house after having put on their shoes. Just as Takumi was about to leave, he heard some movement behind him and glanced over his shoulder toward the stairs, seeing a strand of orange barely peeking out.

"Hey Firewire...you're forgiven."

"Thanks...stay dank Alibaba...maybe one day I'll make you kek." he replied, leaving the house shortly after.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Now...where do I start?" Sojiro asked, placing his glasses back on his face. He clasped his hands together, glancing up at the teenagers around him.

"Futaba's mother and I knew each other long before Futaba was born. Her mother was a bit of a weird one, but we got along well for some reason...she was sharp witted, somewhat stern, a little socially inept, but always carefree...she truly was a great woman."

"I see." Makoto said softly, having realized what the man meant.

"Her mother...passed away didn't she?" Takumi asked, earning a nod from the man.

"When something piqued her interest, that'd be all she focused on. She always worked deep into the night. I thought that'd change once her kid was born, but even after having Futaba, she didn't change much. Even with that, she always took good care of her."

"Working and watching over a child at the same time sounds rough." Ann added, brushing a strand of her hair over her shoulder.

"I guess raising Futaba alone turned out to be tough in more ways than one."

"What about the father?" Ren asked curiously.

"There wasn't a father."

"Do you mean?" Yusuke asked. The man shook his head, leaning back against the counter.

"Well...there probably was one, but I never knew him. She never said a word about him either. She was single when she gave birth to Futaba, and single when she raised her. They were an ordinary loving family, you could really tell how much she cared for Futaba."

"How did it happen? Her mother's death I mean?" Takumi asked.

"It just happened one day...she left her alone...left Futaba behind. She committed suicide."

"Suicide?" Ann exclaimed. Takumi's grip on on the table tightened, his knuckles turning white at what he had been hearing. He just couldn't believe someone would do that and leave their child behind.

"She threw herself into the street, right in front of Futaba's eyes."

"Shocking doesn't even begin to describe that."

"That's gotta be devastating for a kid." Ryuji muttered.

"Well...after that I ended up taking custody of Futaba. At first she was so depressed she wouldn't even talk to me."

"Was that because she couldn't get over her mother's suicide?"

"That's right...I kept talking to her though...and she started opening up to me, little by little. That's when I found out...Futaba blames herself for her mother's death." Sojiro said, earning gasps from everyone.

"Jesus...poor kid." Takumi muttered dryly.

"Why would she do that?"

"That part, she's never told me. I wanted to know what lead her to believe that, but I decided not to rub salt in the wound. Then a few months ago, she started getting real scared. Even when nothing was happening, she'd say things like, I hear voices, and mom is looking at me..."

"Auditory and visual hallucinations...this is pretty bad. It could be the signs of something much worse." Takumi said firmly.

"Have you taken her to a doctor?" Yusuke asked.

"She's refused...even when the doctor came to hour house, she didn't want to come out. She's that scared. Since then, she's become what you'd call a hikikomori, a shut-in. She won't take a single step outside the house, or even try to see other people."

"What about you?"

"She doesn't even let me come into her room."

"That's pretty harsh..." Ryuji added, a frown on his face.

"Futaba is...well, a unique girl...she's so quick minded that, conversations with her tend to jump from one thing to the next."

"I know that all to well...I didn't meet her in person, but she and I met in an online game lobby. All she talked about was memes and funny jokes for most of the game. Then we spent most of the night sending each other memes...she seemed so carefree when we were playing that game...but hearing all of this...I understand how she feels. My mom died in a car accident when I was young...I know what it's like to be depressed, I know what it's like to blame yourself for her death. It's why I turned to acting, so I could act like it didn't bother me...but that was just me running away from it all." Takumi said, glancing at the floor. Ann placed a hand over his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He gave her thankful smile, flushing slightly.

"Yes...she is like that from time to time. She's always coming to conclusions in her head. There's a lot I don't get about her...so yeah...her situation is why I didn't let you stay at the house. It would make her uncomfortable."

"Don't even worry about it...if she were my daughter, I would want her to feel safe too." Ren said reassuringly.

"What Futaba needs is a safe place where nobody will threaten her. Somewhere she could be at ease...that's why I won't do anything she doesn't want. I don't make her do anything she's unwilling to do either...then again, I know that's no way for her to live."

"She needs to face those demons...her mother's suicide isn't her fault. I'm scared for her...knowing that she has those hallucinations bother her. If she doesn't let go of that...I dunno what could happen."

"Yes...you and I think the same Takumi-kun...but she isn't ready for that right now...it's all I can do though."

"What do you want for her? What do you desire?"

"What I desire huh? I know it sounds a little cliché but...more than anything, I'd like Futaba to be a normal person. To have friends...people she can trust, people like you. Well...that's that...could you please just...leave her be?"

"Alright...we can do that." Ren replied.

"Okay...I'm gonna head back...you'd all better head back too, it's supposed to rain all throughout the night." the man said, finally taking his leave.

"I feel awful for prying into his personal affairs."

"No way in hell he's abusing her...wonder what the hell that woman truly wants?" Ryuji muttered dryly.

"The reason why Futaba wants her heart stolen must relate to what happened to her mother." Ann noted, earning a similar nod from Yusuke.

"So, she'd like to discard feelings of pain. But can't do anything about it herself.."

"Will changing her heart really help her though?"

"If we can help her, then we could definitely stand a change against Medjed."

"Not only that...she could help me with Shimizu...to open that file that I stole from him. We're underhanded, if we change her heart, we can kill two shadows with one stone." Takumi added.

"It's possible."

"We should check to see if she has a palace." Ryuji said. Ren pulled out his phone, opening his MetaNav, holding it out.

"Okay...the Futaba Sakura that lives at Sojiro Sakura's house...is that enough?" he asked. A second later, the area became distorted, a familiar rush filling them.

"What the?"

"She's got one."

"So Morgana was right, someone can have a palace and not be evil. Just as long as they have some sort of desire...in this case, Futaba's desire to steal her own heart, to discard her pain." Ann said.

"Uh hey...I just noticed the cat isn't here." Takumi said, pointing to Ren's empty bag.

"I haven't seen him for awhile either...do you think he's alright?"

"So ever since we went to Boss's house?"

"Probably, eh...he should be fine. He's a cat after all...the trains are shutting down soon, so we gotta head home."

"We do have school tomorrow."

"Fucking son of a bitch, shit fuck...I forgot the assembly."

"No need to be so vulgar." Ann said, earning a glare from the boy. He turned to Makoto, a firm look on his face.

"You should know, that I'm not wearing my uniform tomorrow. It's the first day of summer and we're being forced into an assembly. I get that the school has been through some stuff, but we aren't toddlers, they don't need to remind us not to spread stuff online."

"I'm okay with that...I doubt anyone will wear their uniforms. Just wear something appropriate."

"Awesome, you're the best student body president ever...whelp...time for me to hit the old dusty trail." he said, grabbing a hold of his backpack.

"What's the assembly about?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"Shujin Academy has been garnering a lot of attention ever since Medjed called out the Phantom Thieves. So they need to remind us not to say anything arbitrary online, and add more fuel to the fire." Ann replied dejectedly.

"Ah...what a pain in the ass...we gotta have an assembly for the stupidest shit on the planet. It sucks bullshit through a straw."

"Totally...I mean, what are we gonna post online? Up with bubbles, down with air! Nematodes are people too! Fuckin goddamn morons." Takumi snapped angrily.

"You must really hate assemblies."

"No Makoto, I don't...when we have an assembly where my little sister cheers her heart out, I attend and love it. When we have Golden week or school events, I'm okay with it. When I gotta drag my ass to school in the blistering July heat on the first day of summer, just to be told not to say jack shit about our school online? That's when I have an issue. Other than that...I'm totally cool with them...anyway...I'm gonna head out, fore the train leaves. Let's meet up in Shibuya afterwards and then make a plan to infiltrate the palace. The faster we change Futaba's heart, the faster we can beat the shit out of Shimizu." he said.

"Hey wait up, we're going the same way." Ann said, grabbing a hold of her bag, following the boy out of the store.

"Those two have been getting really close as of late...you two don't think something's going on in there, right?" Ryuji asked.

"Maybe...are you jealous?" Ren asked.

"Pfft...no...Ann is like one of the guys, so if he wants to date her, more power to him. Ah...this sucks, I wanted to sleep until noon." the blond boy muttered with disdain.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	28. Infiltrate the Palace I: Futaba Sakura

**A/N:**

 **Hey guys, here's chapter 28 as Promised. I hope that you like it and chapter 27, leave your thoughts in the reviews, and look forward to the next two chapters, I'm going to be updating on Wednsday because I'm gonna be a little bit busy during the week, plus I wanted to take a little break from posting and writing. I have plenty of chapters pre-written so it won't be an issue to take a couple days off. So I look forward to hearing what you all think, see you all then!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 28

Infiltrate the Palace I: Futaba Sakura

 _ **Date: Sunday July 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: JR-Yongen/Shibuya Line**_

 _ **Weather: Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"I wanted to talk to you, about everything you told us." Ann said, earning a sigh from Takumi, who gave the girl a nod.

"What do you wanna talk about?"

"Why...why didn't you ask us for help?"

He sighed, having expecting that from the blonde. He hated himself for having lied to all of his friends. They had been very understanding about everything he had done, especially with all of the proof he had shown them. But he had still felt like an ass for having hidden something like that from them. It was clear that he had broken some level of trust with them, and now he had to regain it. He hoped infiltrating Futaba's palace would be enough, but he wasn't sure if it would be enough.

"I was the one that delivered that link to Ren...I felt like I had betrayed him. Because I let Alibaba talk me into doing it, because she was going to give me information on Shimizu. I had suspected him of having a Palace for a long time. When I was first messing with the MetaNav, before I met any of you, I guessed his key words...but I wasn't sure what it was...it wasn't until I met you guys that I knew what Palaces were."

"You could have told us at any time though."

"I know that...I know...but I wanted to solve this myself. Kanami is a dear person in my life...before Ayumi and Mitsuhide, she was the only sibling I had. The only one who fought against how my father mistreated me. Even when she was fourteen and just starting out as an idol, she gave him so much shit...she was a close friend. Seeing her come home injured, seeing her freak out whenever I pointed out her obvious injuries...it made me want to see what was going on." he replied. He glanced up at the window, looking at his own reflection on the glass, he had a look of regret on his face, one that he didn't want to see.

"I knew Shimizu was doing something behind the scenes. But I didn't have time to research it. Kaneshiro threatened my mom, and for awhile that was all that I thought about. It wasn't until Rise told me about her bruises that I grew concerned. I started doing a bit of research...but I didn't find anything. That was when I decided to play a game and ran into Alibaba. I thought she was just an online friend, but she must have seen my search, and used that against me. So for my own benefit, I lead her to Ren, so that she could give me information on Shimizu." he said.

"Okay...I guess I understand that aspect. Now that I read everything, I realize that finding that particular amount of information is hard. Especially if he has an ex-cybercrime officer on his side."

"Yeah...I wasn't going to tell anything to Ren...I felt bad, especially thinking about the information. He was going to ask me, and I would have to tell him...so I wanted to avoid that. My sister Mitsuhide caught me talking to myself...and that's when we planned on going into his palace, just to make sure he had one."

"Don't tell me...you brought her in there? Takumi, are you insane? She could have gotten hurt!" Ann cried, a look of disbelief on her face. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Trust me, Mitsuhide is a lot stronger than you give her credit for...I wasn't alone, Rise came with me. Turns out she's a Persona user too, but she never told me her story. She isn't like us though."

"So...the famous Risette also has a persona? Okay, she's gonna have to explain that one herself...but anyway, continue." she said, turning to fully face him, despite how uncomfortable she looked in the train seats.

"Okay...so this is where we made a plan to infiltrate Jadis and Associates. Rise and Mitsuhide spoke to him, because she had gotten an offer from him, to act like an extra in his film. While she and Rise were busy doing that, I climbed into the elevator shaft, and through a ventilation shaft in the tenth floor. I snuck into a closet, and heard Akihiko beating the make up artist, that's when I got her account. I met with the costume designer when I was trying to get into his personal office. That's when he told me, Akihiko broke his leg after he found Shimizu and Kaburagi taking pictures of my naked sister, in order to turn them for profit. After that, we left the building, and went to Chiyoda General Hospital, at that point, I was fully committed into telling you all."

"What changed?" she asked curiously. He sighed, glancing away from the blonde, taking his glasses off.

"Yukari Masuda...she's the reason I changed my mind. She was the girl Shimizu threw an orange at. Turns out, Shimizu and Akihiko beat the living shit out of her, so badly that her face was bruised. They said she had an accident falling from a set. But that was a lie...she...she lost her baby...she was three months pregnant with her first child...and that mother fucker...that mother fucker beat her so goddamn hard that she had a miscarriage...that's when it became personal...when you take the life of an unborn child...an innocent child...that's when you truly bring out the worst in me." he said.

"Takumi...I didn't..."

"I ran into my fiancee in the hospital...and I made a decision at that point, to bring her along with me. We needed a fourth person on our team, so I convinced her...I agreed to help her change her father's heart, if she helped me take down Shimizu." he said.

"Whoa what...fiancee? You're engaged?" she exclaimed, surprised with this revelation. Her heartbeat quickened, and she grabbed a hold of the edge of the seat rather hard.

"Hmm...oh no no...I should say, ex-fiancee...that's a story for another day. If you want the details, ask Ryuji he knows the story. But yeah...after that, we met up in Akihabara and made a plan. I ended up getting my sister a crossbow and a baton for her to defend herself. Haru, my ex-fiancee brought an ax and I let her borrow one of my pistols, and Rise only had a knife with her. But we still went in...or rather, My sister, Haru and I went in, and Rise somehow followed...we weren't that cautious, now that I think about it."

"Yeah...that's basically how I went to the Metaverse for the first time." Ann said, giving him a sheepish smile.

"Yeah...but I figured out his keywords, Ryoutaro Shimizu, Jadis and Associates, and Temple. Once we went in...we saw this giant ass temple...ten floors total, the lower building was a cinema. There were no shadows anywhere, so we rose the elevator to the Shrine at the top floor...that's where we met the Shrine Maiden, my older sister Kanami. I knew that she wasn't real...but goddamn it, I couldn't help myself. That fucker...he came in acting like some damn Kannushi...a fucking holy man, saying his films were the work of god himself." he said, pausing after a second, taking his glasses off his face. He took a deep breath, continuing his story.

"He had these shadows...take my sister's clothes and rip them off. I was forced to watch them...abuse my sister sexually, right there...while he told me what he was going to do with her. How he was going to turn her into Japan's hottest porn star, that he was going to make her into a goddess or some shit. But what truly set me off, was what he said to Mitsu." he said, clenching his fist so tightly his knuckles turned white.

"What...what did her say to her?" Ann asked softly.

"He made her an offer...a sick twisted offer. He said that a cute little girl like her would make him millions in merchandise. That he could get her millions if she agreed to be in a video...a pornographic video. It made me so mad that I thought I was going to explode...here he was, taunting me and asking my sister to join his sick fucking shit show...then he insulted her, calling her a nerd and making fun of her for being smart...let's just say, my sister didn't take too kindly to that."

"What happened then?"

"She summoned a Persona."

"Huh? You're kidding right? Mitsuhide...your little sister, summoned a persona?" Ann cried, disbelief written on her face. He chuckled, giving her a nod.

"Trust me, I was just as confused as you...but yeah, she did...Ada Lovelace, a rather fitting persona. We went after Shimizu, because he ran away scared. But he got away...my sister passed out from the strain, and that's when the bells started tolling. Took the elevator to the lobby, planning to run, and that's when we were surrounded...it had been an act, he had raised security and sent his strongest shadows at us. If it wasn't for my ex-fiancee summoning her own Persona, we would have died."

"Wait...so two people summoned a persona, on the same day, at the same time, in the same palace...is that even possible?" the blonde model asked, earning a shrug from the boy.

"I would assume so...seeing as I bore witness to it. But anyway, after that, the four of us ran out of there. We agreed to tell the rest of you everything, and then reconvene at a later date...that was before Medjed declared war on us."

"I didn't think this would be so serious...I'm sorry Takumi...I just assumed you wanted to go at it alone. But now that I know all of the details...I'm sorry, I was too quick to judge."

"You shouldn't be sorry, if anything I'm sorry. I should have told you beforehand, I shouldn't have done that to Ren, just for information. If I had spoken up about Shimizu beforehand...then I might have been able to do something. Now we're stuck between a rock and a hard place...two palaces, two changes of heart, Medjed on our ass and no possible way to know who's in danger and if anyone will die." he said, placing his glasses back on.

"Hey...if Futaba wants us to change her heart, then she might just let us go straight to the treasure. If that's the case, we can just do it outright. Shimizu is the most dangerous person right now...the way you spoke, it's as if the palace's security was through the roof...did you do anything that might have made him be on guard in the real world?"

"Well...his Shadow said that he knew what I did...that I copied those files onto my flash drive. Yukari also said there were cameras in that office, and that it must have recorded me, that even if I hid my face, he could check the lobby and elevator cameras. I wasn't careful with that, if I had been smart, I would have asked Alibaba for help, seeing as she is a hacker. But I just wanted to get information by any means necessary...and I might have put myself in danger because of that."

"You're right...if this person has killed that many people and driven even more into suicide...then you have definitely triggered his event flag. That means his palace security will have gone up...and if you have to take an elevator to reach the shrine, then we have to assume that it is inaccessible. Now we have to get Futaba on our side...she's the only one who can take care of Medjed and Shimizu." she said firmly, leaning back against the train's seat.

"Hey Ann...if I am being targeted by this guy...do me a favor...outside from our meetings for the group...don't hang out with me."

"What? Why would you ask me something like that?"

"Because...this man is dangerous. If he sees that I'm friends with someone as beautiful as you, a model, then he will do something to you. I don't want my friends to get hurt because of me. Just know that if I go missing, I'm either captured by him, or left for the Metaverse as a last resort. You know his keywords, so if it comes down to it, you'll meet me there, okay?" he asked, a stern tone in his voice.

"But..."

"No buts Ann! Promise me, that you'll stay away from me until we manage to get Futaba on our side."

"I can't promise you something like that Takumi...you're my friend! I would never stay away from a friend, even if it's a risk...if we travel in a big group, I doubt he'd do anything against you." she said.

"You don't know that...I'm a target, Mitsuhide's a target, and so are Rise and Haru. With Kaburagi by his side, he can easily find our address, and Akihiko is his right hand man, despite being young, he will get shit done." Takumi said firmly. She was about to say something else, until he grabbed a hold of her hand with both of his own, giving it a tight squeeze.

"I know you want to go against this...but please, for your own good...don't hang out with me, don't follow me...just for a little while. Afterwards, I promise to go with you to Inokashira Park, to see how far your acting is coming." he said.

"Um...I...okay...I'll stay away, as much as it hurts." she said, glancing away from the boy.

" _ **Now arriving in Shibuya Station, last stop for the night, Shibuya Station. The doors will open on the left."**_

"Well...this is it...I guess I'll see you at school tomorrow." he said, standing up from his seat.

"Hey...after all of this is over...would you like to meet Shiho? She's been asking to meet you for awhile now. She's a huge fan and I told her you'd love to meet her. It would make her feel better, and give her one final push toward finishing her rehab."

"Of course, I'd love to meet your bestie...I'm surprised you didn't ask me before." he said, giving her a smile. She flushed, scratching her head in embarrassment.

"Yeah...I'm a bit scatterbrained...I've been having a lot of photo-shoots, and all of this Thief stuff...you know, the usual. I'll hold you to that though, we can head to Inokashira Park afterwards."

"It's a date...uh...I mean, sure...it's a deal." the boy said, quickly correcting himself. As soon as the doors opened, he shot out of the train sprinting up the escalators. Ann giggled, shaking her head as she left the train, unbeknownst to her, there was a man behind a post, snapping pictures of her as she walked away.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday July 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Cafe Leblanc(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Man...that assembly had me bored to tears...more importantly, where the hell were you during it?" Ryuji said, glancing at Takumi, who bit down on his Pocky stick, a smirk on his face.

"I skipped that shit like a boss...I went in, Chuno took my name down, told her I was gonna drain the snake and never came back." he said.

"You bastard...we had to sit through two hours of that shit while you were dicking around." Ren said. Takumi chuckled evilly, finishing the last of his Pocky sticks.

"It ain't fault you decided to stay. Come on, I wasn't the only one, Ayumi and half of the cheerleading squad left through the fire exit. A couple kids from the third year dipped too and some of the student council even left." he replied.

"I can attest to them leaving...they straight up told me they were going to the beach right after attendance was taken. Regardless, let us continue with the true purpose of this meeting.

"Wait...did you have school too Yusuke?" Ann asked curiously.

"I was doing laundry, so this was the only thing I had left to wear." he admitted, a frown on his face.

"You know...the Kosei uniforms are so much more visually pleasing than the Shujin ones. If I took my Shujin blazer, and that shirt Yusuke is wearing, with a pair of black pants, I'd have a boss ass uniform, that I would actually like wearing."

"This isn't time for your fashion style updates Takumi...come on, we didn't come here to make small talk did we? Let's talk about Alibaba." Makoto said.

"Well, I'll start, Takumi was right...looks like Futaba was listening in on Leblanc."

"But...why would she wanna listen in on the cafe?"

"Because Ann...Ren is technically on probation. Perhaps she was expecting a giant tattooed monster of a beast to walk through those doors. So she bugged the place to keep an eye and ears on Boss so he wouldn't get hurt."

"A giant, tattooed monster of a beast?" Ren questioned, looking at the actor.

"Hey...if you heard about someone being on probation, you'd imagine someone like that too wouldn't you?"

"Takumi might be right, she might've done it to keep an eye on her dad. It's just like Boss said though...she's a tough nut to crack." Ryuji added, shoving some chips into his mouth.

"In any case...her hacking skills will be absolutely necessary if we wish to stand up against Medjed. Going but what she has told us, we might be able to identify who they are." Makoto said, a pensive look on her face.

"We'll have to trust in her skills for now then."

"Anyway...we've found out Futaba has a palace but...can someone who isn't evil have one?" Ann asked, wanting confirmation from Morgana. The feline gave her a nod, licking one of his paws.

"It doesn't matter, a palace is the materialization of distorted cognition brought upon by strong desires. That's all...it just turns out that a lot of warped people turn out evil."

"She's so young though...everything she's gone through must be the cause of her distortion." Makoto said sadly, setting her drink down.

"Maybe that has something to do with why she calls herself Alibaba."

"According to the Chief's story, Futaba has auditory and visual hallucinations right? There's a change those are related to some important memory she's holding. It's hard to explain, but those memories might have been warped by the distortions." Morgana said.

"Basically, we just gotta steal her treasure right?" Ryuji said.

"Well...yeah."

"So...do we all agree about taking on Futaba's case?" Ann asked.

"I'm on board...but before we infiltrate her palace, let us discuss Shimizu. We can't ignore his misdeeds either...especially because he's more dangerous than Medjed, should we recruit Futaba to help us." Takumi said.

"That's right...that sicko pervert wants to turn your sister into a porn star right?"

"Not just that Ryuji...Takumi told me the whole story last night on the train. Shimizu's shadow made a sick offer to Mitsuhide, something that no doubt is a cause from the real Shimizu's distorted thoughts. He offered her to make her millions if she agreed to be in a pornographic video directed by him."

"Are you serious?" Makoto asked.

"What a disgusting trilobite...how dare he make such an offer to a child like that?" Yusuke snapped angrily, the face he made made Takumi cringe in fear.

"Yeah man...I was the same too...what he said...he said he wanted to make merchandise out of her. All while two shadows sexually abused the cognitive Kanami...his insults and degrading words...I still can't believe he pushed her to the edge like that...enough for her to summon her own Persona."

"Huh...did I hear you right? Are you telling me your little sister Mitsuhide manifested a persona?" Morgana cried loudly.

"I did...is that so hard to believe?"

They all turned toward the stairs, seeing the raven haired little girl standing at the top of them, a computer case strapped to her shoulder. She walked calmly into the room, stopping in front of the gathered group.

"Whoa...when did you get here?" Ryuji asked.

"I boarded the train...I knew that Takumi was going to meet with you about this. It was I that urged him to speak with you, along with Haru and Rise...but neither of them answered my calls. So I came of my own volition. I heard most of that conversation...so you plan to infiltrate Futaba Sakura's palace?"

"Sis...maybe you should go back home...I don't think you're ready for this sort of stuff." Takumi said, standing up from his seat. She turned to face him, an angry look on her face.

"You listen here you stubborn asshat. You were the one who took me to Shimizu's palace in the first place. We made rules because I didn't have my own power, but now I do. I want to help Futaba Sakura, so we can wipe the floor with that perverted waste of oxygen. And you will not stop me, I am not to be treated like a child. If I am old enough to have my own persona, I am old enough for you to trust my judgment. Is that understood?"

"But..."

"Is that understood Takumi Mashita!?" she cried firmly. He sighed, giving her a nod.

"No you're right...I should stop treating you like a kid. You may look like a kid, but your mind is ahead of all of us. If you want to be a Phantom Thief like your big brother, then I'm not stopping you. But you will follow Ren's orders to the letter, is that understood?"

"Indeed, it shall be an honor working with you all. As you said before, if we help Futaba Sakura, her father's burden shall lessen, and Medjed will be no more. Then we can take care of that false god, Ryoutaro Shimizu." Mitsuhide said firmly.

"I can't believe this...the Phantom Thieves are being told what to do by a nine year old girl...how the mighty fall." Ryuji said. Mitsuhide reached into her case, pulling a round object from within, throwing it right at his groin. He let out a squeak of pain, falling to the ground, the orb struck the ground, rattling a bit.

"I may be a nine year old girl, but I don't give orders to you. That tool is yours, I took the liberty of completing our current project. Caltrops, they shall aid us in avoiding shadows." she said, placing six similar looking orbs on the table. Ren took a hold of one, rattling it a bit.

"You made these?"

"I know how to use a welder and not burn myself...I am in the middle of completing some extra smoke grenades. These shall do for now...are we ready to infiltrate? Do you require medicine? I was able to get my elder sister to purchase some before she left for school this morning."

"I think we're all set on that front sis." Takumi said, earning a nod from the ravenette.

"Before we jump the gun, I must say something. The infiltration of Futaba's palace might not go as previous infiltrations."

"Why is that?" Ryuji groaned, as he got back into his seat.

"Hmm...so the feline speaks...I always wondered why you carried it around in a bag like a plush toy." Mitsuhide said, a smile on her face.

"I'm not a plush toy, and listen up rookie, this is important information. Having an individual ask you to steal their heart is an irregular case. There's no telling what the palace ruler's disposition will be like, or the distortion we'll face there. We may run into some unforeseen situations...do you still want to go?" Morgana asked.

"After everything that happened in Shimizu's palace, I think we can handle whatever Futaba has to throw at us." Takumi said.

"I agree...we've made it this far and have gotten all of this information...it would be foolish to let it go to waste." Ren said.

"Alright...then let's be cautious going in...Mitsuhide, did you make anything else that might proof useful to us?" Morgana asked curiously.

"Negative, aside from the caltrops and the smoke grenades I prepared beforehand, I lacked the proper materials to make anything more. I was planning on making a pair of bolas and get some packs of marbles to slow down pursuit, but that has proven fruitless. Plus mother has been asking me why I keep buying marbles in bulk." she replied.

"You really took this shit serious huh?"

"Someone had too, those lockpicks you all make are useless if they're single use. I should have some long lasting ones soon...seriously, the one that big brother had looked horrible. It's as if it was made by a maid or something."

"Ehehe...yeah, maid." Ren muttered, rubbing his neck in embarrassment.

"Anyway, let's get cracking on that last keyword. We got Futaba Sakura, Sojiro Sakura's House and that's it...we need the distortion...what Futaba thinks the house is." Ryuji said, glancing at his phone.

"We should go to his house, to speak with Futaba directly." Yusuke suggested, standing up from his seat.

"Boss is busy running the cafe, we shouldn't make him suspect anything." Ann said.

"Wait...allow me to go in...she and I have a lot in common. I never spoke directly about what happened to my mother, but we did talk thanks to video games. She spoke with me yesterday, before I left her house, so she has some degree of trust in me."

"Alright then...we'll leave it to you." Ren said.

"Hehe...alright, first I'm gonna need a cardboard box. I'm going in like Solid Snake."

"Big brother, were you dropped on your head as a babe? Because your retard is showing."

"Damn...that was a sick burn."

"Oh, you can kiss my white ass Ryuji."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Breaking and Entering was a crime Takumi never thought he would commit. Some things in life needed to happen, in order to push things forward. That was why he had entered the house alone. He knew that Futaba didn't like big groups of people, she wouldn't be able to speak if they all entered the house at the same time. But since he had spoken with her before and she had amicably spoken back...he had some level of trust with her. He felt bad for her...he knew exactly what she was going through, the social anxiety, the feeling of despair and longing left behind in the wake of their mother's death. He sympathized with her in more ways than one. It was a funny thought to Takumi, knowing that out of all the Phantom Thieves, three of them had lost one or both parents. That's why he wanted to speak with Futaba himself, to make sure she was at ease and to let her know that she could trust him. He took a deep breath, knocking on the door.

"Futaba? It's me...Takumi...listen, I'm not here to bother you or anything. I'm sort of on a mission...if you have Leblanc bugged, then you know why I'm here." he said pausing after a second. He leaned back against the wall, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I'm like you...my mother passed away young...I was only six...they took her to Chiyoda General Hospital, but she died moments after she got there. I still remember the police officer...telling my father that my mother didn't make it. It was rough...I felt sick, I kept thinking to myself, that it wasn't real...that it was a dream. Six year old me didn't understand...that's what lead me to acting, because I wanted to put a mask on...and act like someone else...the real Takumi was hiding...for years."

He stopped talking for a moment, hoping that she would say something. When she didn't, he sighed, deciding to continue on. He could feel the tears threatening to spill, reliving those memories was something he didn't want to do. It was a part of him that he had kept locked away for so long, and one that he never thought he would bring back.

"My father ruined my career, publicly...I'm sure you know this. Drug allegations, the use of steroids...I made two successful films, before being forced to quit. He didn't care about my feelings...all he cared about, was the fact that I was his heir...and that I needed to act like a businessman. He never helped me out, he was a major reason why I put on that mask...and I kept wearing it, like a goddamn badge of honor...trying to live my life...but that was just a form of hiding, just like you hide inside your room. You feel safe and cozy, like nothing can hurt you...but the fact of the matter is, this room is hurting you...it's killing you slowly...you don't want to die, do you?"

" _No...I want to die...I long for the sweet bliss of death, so that I can stop suffering."_

"Why? Why do you want to die?" he asked.

" _Because it's my fault that my mother died."_

"No it isn't...she was the one who jumped in traffic, you didn't force her. It was all her, don't blame yourself for her death...it isn't fair to you or Sojiro!"

" _Oh what do you know huh? What do you know about any of this? About anything that's been happening to me?"_

"Heh...I know nothing about you...all I know is that your story and mine are the same, except yours is a few chapters behind, and with a different plot. You ever play that game...Shadow of the Colossus?" he asked curiously.

" _Huh...what?"_

"Well...the main character spends all his time...trying to save the one he loves. He takes down these huge almost mythical monsters, just because he wants to save his beloved. But when he gets there...when he finally destroys all of them...he ends up dying before she wakes. She doesn't know his struggle, and she'll never know...because he passed on before she could even say goodbye."

" _What does that have to do with this?"_

"Sojiro is fighting for you...you must know, that he's about to be taken to court...because he's being suspected of abuse. Not just that...all of this time, he has taken care of you, because he loves you. You are your mother's legacy, don't let yourself die, not after he's fought so hard for you. We will help you...as long as you help us with Medjed."

" _I understand...what do you want?"_

"We need a keyword...what do you think of this house? What is it to you? Are you imprisoned here? Is this your jail?"

" _No...I already told you...I want to die here...this house is my tomb."_

"Tomb...alright...that'll work. Hey Futaba...stay strong...I know it hurts, but you'll make it. When all of this is over...promise me you'll come out of his room, and you'll go outside to see the sun. You deserve to shine under its warmth, not hide yourself away in the darkness. You aren't evil...you're just...injured. But I'm injured too...if you'd like...I can be your Health kit, until you are fully healed. Just as long as you promise you'll get out of here."

" _I...okay...will you send me some memes later?"_

"Of course, I'll send you the dankest memes I can find...promise!"

" _Thank you."_

"You're very welcome." he said, finally taking his leave. He placed hand over his beating heart, a smile on his face. He was going to help save Futaba, if it was the last thing he did.

"So...did you get anything?" Ryuji asked, as soon as Takumi walked out of the house.

"Mhmm...try the word Tomb."

"Tomb? Like a Pharaoh's tomb?" Makoto asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah...what she said to me...it was serious, she said she wants to die...that her room is her tomb...it took everything I had not to burst into that room and hug her. She sounded like she needed it."

"Aw...I didn't know you were that sympathetic Takumi." Ann said, making the boy flush.

"What? We have a lot in common...come on, open the Nav up." he said, causing Ren to chuckle. He held his phone up the MetaNav being open.

"Futaba Sakura, Sojiro Sakura's House, Tomb."

" _Candidate Found, beginning navigation."_

The familiar feeling of distortion enveloped the eight Phantom Thieves, the area around them becoming dark. A few seconds later, they found themselves standing in the middle of a desert. The skies were bright and blue, without a single cloud in the sky. The sun was high in the sky, shining down brightly overhead. All around them, there was nothing as far as the eye could see, nothing but large sand dunes.

"It's a desert." Yusuke noted, holding his hand over his eyes to block the sunlight.

"I can see that. Whoa...our clothes haven't changed!"

"Futaba herself is asking us to steal her heart. It wouldn't make sense if she saw us as a threat. If she doesn't see us as an enemy, then your clothes won't change, that's how it works." Morgana replied.

"How interesting...so you truly are a monster cat in his world." Mitsuhide said, squatting down before the feline looking closely at him. Morgana's blue eyes met her crimson ones, making him shudder.

"I'm not a monster cat...I'm just Morgana okay?" he said, earning a nod from the girl.

"Why the hell did we end up in a desert? Where's the tomb? It's so damn hot here?"

"You must not have gotten many gold stickers when you were younger, did you Ryuji-kun?" Mitsuhide asked, standing back up to face the blond.

"Eh? What are you going on about squirt?"

"Well...if you had half a brain in your skull, you'd know that a tomb is the final resting place of a pharaoh. That means that tomb lies in the desert, within a pyramid. I mean...if you cracked open a history book, you'd remember that the pyramids at Giza, were constructed for the Pharaoh Khufu. Similarly, if Futaba called her room a tomb, it would make sense for it to be located in a desert."

"You just got told by a nine year old." Ann said, earning a growl from the boy.

"Even though we entered right in front of her house, we still ended up here." the blonde model continued, looking around the desert for any signs of a pyramid.

"She must really wanna keep people away from her." Makoto added.

"I see...what a bleak place this truly is." Mitsuhide noted, taking a few steps forward, the sand crunching under her boots.

"Indeed, it is certainly different than Kaneshiro's bank...that's for sure." Takumi said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Let's hurry up and find where we are going! I'm sick of just standing here in the sun." Ryuji snapped, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"There...traditionally, pyramids were topped with gold. It was said to be a medium that would lead the pharaoh to the afterlife. If we follow it, we'll make it to Futaba's Tomb."

"Ah...that's kinda far...are we gonna walk all the way there?" Ann cried, a look of despair on her face.

"Of course not, Lady Ann! My paws will get burned, stand back while I transform." Morgana said. Everyone backed away as he jumped into the air, changing into his car form.

"What...what is this? Big brother, you never told me Morgana had a vehicular form!" Mitsuhide exclaimed, a look of surprise on her face.

"Eh...I never told you about it? Must have slipped my mind...well, I call shotgun." he said.

"Uh no...I call shotgun! Makoto had it last time, and Ren always drives!" Ryuji said.

"I'll be driving this time around, so you needn't worry about that. Ann will take shotgun, and Mitsuhide shall sit between us. Since she's small she'll fit nicely. You four get the back, is that acceptable?" the brunette said.

"Fine...but I call aux chord." Takumi said, holding his hand up in the air.

"Aw come on man...I never got to play anything last time!"

"Gentlemen please...let he who has fire on his playlist play the first song." Mitsuhide said, glancing at the four boys. They all reached into their pockets for their phones, searching for a track, when Takumi beat them, playing one of his songs.

 _Put On Your War Paint!_

 _You are a brick tied to me_

 _That is dragging me down_

 _Light the match and burn me_

 _To the Ground, we are the_

 _Jack-o-Lanterns in July_

 _Setting fire to the sky_

 _Here comes the rising sun_

 _So come on!_

"That one wins." Makoto said.

"Aw...dammit...fine, Takumi gets aux chord...hey Morgana, is the A/C on in there?" Ryuji cried.

"Yup, it's on full blast!"

"You're so considerate!" Ann said happily.

"Hehe...yeah...right."

"Let's roll." Ren said, placing a pair of sunglasses on his face, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

"Ren-kun? When did you acquire that pair of sunglasses?" Mitsuhide asked curiously.

"Ah...so that's where they went...I was freaking out about them. Those are 20,000Y Ray Bands so you better not break them!" Ann snapped, earning a thumbs up from the boy.

"Jesus Christ, the fact that you paid 20,000Yen for sunglasses unnerves me." Takumi said, climbing into the van after Yusuke, Ren climbed in after him, with Ryuji claiming the last part of the front seat.

"Yeah well, they were on sale and they totally go with my usual look. Normally those are 60,000Yen."

"That's the equivalent of 600 American dollars, give or take...you could purchase a phone for that amount. Big brother, is this how older women act? Should I also spend your money without remorse? Purchasing whatever my heart desires?"

"You do that and I'll shave your head bald." he threatened.

"Duly noted."

"Alright Makoto, pedal to the medal. The less time we spend in this desert, the better!" Ryuji cried. Makoto gave him a nod, grabbing onto the steering wheel.

"Hang on, we're gonna go fast!"

"Hehe...that means I get top pic." Takumi said, picking his first song.

" _Gas Gas Gas_

 _I'm gonna step on the Gas_

 _Tonight I'll fly, and be your lover!_

 _Yeah yeah yeah_

 _I'll be so quick as a flash!_

 _And I'll be your Hero!"_

"Ugh...this is gonna be one of those rides isn't it?" Ann muttered, leaning back in her seat, a frown on her face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ugh...it's so damn hot in here." Ryuji muttered, fanning his sweat soaked face. Everyone else was in much the same state, shirts stuck to their bodies due to the heat. The A/C wasn't doing much due to how hot it was outside.

"I never thought I would perspire so much, I should have brought proper means of hydration with me." Mitsuhide said, leaning back in her seat, her legs crossed over the dashboard. Ann beside her tugged on her shirt, hoping to cool herself off.

"Don't you have water with you Ann?"

"I drank it all...sorry Makoto." the blonde replied.

"Goddamn it woman, you've doomed us all." Takumi said, leaning back in his seat, his phone having stopped playing the songs he had been selecting.

"Perhaps if Takumi plays a song about snow, it will invoke the thought of being cool, and the placebo effect will activate within us all."

"Yusuke-kun, I don't know how to tell you this, but your idea sucks." Mitsuhide said.

Ann groaned, unbuttoning a few of the top buttons of her blouse. Makoto cleared her throat, grabbing her attention, gesturing behind her. Ann glanced over her shoulder, seeing Ryuji peering right into her shirt, with Ren doing the same. Her eye twitched as she grabbed the handle beside her, pulling it back slamming the back of the seat into the four boys.

"Ha! Take that!"

"What the fuck Ann?"

"Gah...stop it!" Morgana cried. Ann humphed, crossing her arms, nose held high as she face forward. Ren pushed the seat back in place, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"Whoa...there it is." he said, pointing ahead. All of them looked up, seeing the giant pyramid in the distance, standing tall over what looked like a small settlement.

"Oh Futaba...why do you think that room is your tomb? Are you really that far gone?" Takumi muttered, earning curious looks from those around him.

It didn't take them long to finally reach the pyramid. It stood tall and proud, made out of glowing white limestone. The entrance of the pyramid was wide open, a single set of stairs leading up toward it. The area around it was lined with palm trees, the cobblestone path leading out into the desert, toward the town that lied around the pyramid's base. Takumi glanced up, seeing the glittering point at the top of the pyramid. It was made entirely out of gold. He managed to see some hieroglyphs on the outside of the palace, all of them depicting an orange haired young girl, holding a golden crook in her hand, with a headdress on her head.

"It's so hot!"

"The A/C ain't working at all! The hell was that lukewarm air all that about?" Ryuji exclaimed, glaring at their feline companion.

"That was the best I could do, so quit your yapping!"

"It's alright Morgana, Ryuji-kun isn't intelligent enough to understand how engines work. You see, in a hot climate such as a desert, an air conditioning unit will be taking in more hot air than normal, meaning it will have to work twice as hard to cool it down. Furthermore, since we are in a desert, we..."

"Alright enough with your scientific bullshit...it doesn't matter what it is. This cat just went half assed during that trip!"

"What? Do you wanna go punk? Huh, do ya?" Morgana snapped, glaring at the taller teen.

"Jeez, will you shut up! It's hot, so don't make me more irritated!" Ann shouted, causing the two to stop arguing.

"To think her palace would be a pyramid." Makoto muttered, fanning her face with her hand, the hot air not doing much to cool her off. Yusuke took a step forward, holding his hands up, making a square with his fingers.

"Amazing...it's perfectly centered to the golden ratio."

"Uh...there he goes with his art stuff...hey, a pyramid is a tomb right?"

"Yes, a pharaoh's tomb...did you forget what I said when we entered the palace?" Mitsuhide asked, brow quirked as she looked up at the blond.

"That's how it's mostly known. There are other theories about it, it's also said to be a device to resurrect the dead." Makoto said, earning a nod from Ryuji.

"It's beautiful nonetheless...even if it is a device to resurrect the dead."

"People say the aliens helped the Ancient Egyptians build the pyramids. There's no actual proof, but there were some large boats found. Those one ton blocks were ferried from the quarry to Giza. People say that it took three days from traveling up the Nile river to the port, one mile out from the building site. The workers had to carve those blocks out with tools made out of copper. It was such a precious metal, that it was carefully measured. If it was off by even a gram, the worker would get killed. All of the copper at that time was protected by the government as a precious metal." Takumi said, examining some of the carvings in a nearby pillar.

"Wow...I didn't know that." Ann said, earning a smile from the boy.

"I'm sure you know this already, but history is one of my favorite subjects. I often like losing myself in relics from the past, I like to picture how society worked thousands of years in time. The last known Pharaoh of Egypt was Cleopatra, one of the few female Pharaoh's in history. Seeing a pyramid like this, with a female Pharaoh as it's ruler...it makes me want to venture back to those times to see what it was like." he said, almost poetically.

"Ugh...not that this isn't interesting, but can we please go inside? I'm gonna melt." Ryuji said, taking the lead up the steps. They came to a stop before the large doors, standing in the shade provided by the edge of the pyramid. Takumi placed a hand on the cool stone doors, looking at all of the hieroglyphs.

"I wish I could read these...perhaps these could share some insight on how Futaba truly feels." he said softly.

"Hmm...it seems her palace is a representation of what she feels her house is."

"Indeed, who knows what may await us within? What is your call Joker? Shall we head inside?"

"Before we go, we gotta give my sister a code name. I gave her a temporary one before I thought she was gonna manifest a persona. So it's only appropriate she gets a new one."

"Alright...what do you want your name to be squirt?"

"Definitely not that one. Hmm...my persona is Ada Lovelace."

"Hmm...hey sis, why do you call her Lady Loveless instead? I've been wondering that for a couple days now." Takumi asked curiously.

"Well, it's sort of a nickname...I actually gave her that name because I was reminded of a book I read."

"What's the name of it? Perhaps I've heard of it." Makoto said.

"It's called, the Unmasking of Lady Loveless...it was in my mother's underwear drawer. I have no idea why she would put it in there." she said, placing a finger under her lower lip.

"Uh...maybe because that's mommy porn. My mom read that book, and told me it was like Fifty Shades of Gray, except less on crack. Jesus, do you let your sister read that garbage man?" Ryuji asked.

"Hey, don't give me shit, I don't control what she reads...anyway, this isn't about that. I got her answer...so what is your codename?" the boy asked, glancing at his little sister.

"Well...Ada Lovelace was a famous mathematician, and was the one to create the first computer code in the world. She was also a Duchess in the past...hmm...alright, since she was a duchess, I shall take that name for myself. Henceforth my name shall be Duchess, it shall be an honor working with you all." she said, a small smile on her face.

"Fair enough, before we go I'll share ours. Our leader is Joker, then there's Skull, Mona, Panther, Fox and Queen. You already know my name is Songbird, so do commit those to memory would you?"

"I will big brother...let us proceed." Duchess said, earning a nod from Joker, who pushed the doors open. They rattled loudly as the opened, sharking some lose sand from the top part of the doors. They waited for the doors to fully open, before finally setting foot inside.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	29. Infiltrate the Palace II: Futaba Sakura

**A/N:**

 **Suprise Motherfuckers! It is I, the Celestial Sky Dragon, bringing you a chapter a day early. I figured posting tomorrow was going to be a little too long of a wait so I was editing chapters 29-32 and figured I would post 29 today. You'll be getting chapter 30 later on in the day, so congrats, you get a chapter a day earlier than planned. My next posting day will be Saturday. I've been a bit lazy this week, good old work hasn't given me much hours, meaning no funds are coming in, but that is besides the point. I was thinking of quitting that shitty job anyway. But enough about that, I decided on Sunday that I would take Monday off from writing, and I ended up taking up two days. Believe it or not, people that write a lot get Arthritis! That shit isn't fun, and I often times spend up to eleven hours writing, editing, drafting, rereading and rediting chapters for you all to read. My hands have been hurting a lot lately and that makes it a challenge to write. Not just that, I've had carpal tunnel since I was in ninth grade and that makes the pain worse. Aleve does alliviate the pain but not all of it, not to mention my back is fucked up as well from heavy lifting, I'm a mess and I'm not even 23 yet, think about that...in 60 years I'm gonna be getting around in a flying power scooter, bragging about how back in my day, I had this in that...ugh...I'm not looking forward to that.**

 **But yes, I actually finished watching four anime series in the span of two days. The first was BTOOOM! Which I was like, holy shit why didn't I watch this earlier? back in like 2014 when it came out? I dunno...I also finished Chaika the Coffin Princess Season 1 and am preparing for season two, and I also finished In another World with my Smart Phone, which was lackluster, but kinda entertaining. The fourth was Black Bullet which I had watched before, and now I'm watching something called Mekakucity Actors, no idea what it's about, but it has pretty colors so I was like fuck it, I feel like having a seizure today. I also watched Episode 4 of Persona 5 the Animation, and I have to say, it is abysmal in my opinion. I would rather play the game a hundred times than watch the anime because it feels like it's being bastardized. I mean, I saw so many ass shots of Ann that it wasn't even funny, They're gonna turn one of my waifus into fuckin fanservice material! I can't fuckin stand it! The all out attacks look bad, the music isn't used right and everything being condensed just makes me mad. At least the P4 anime felt like you were somewhat invested in the characters, though I did play the original game on the Ps2 so I knew what to expect, it was paced so much better in my opinion, but yeah...I'm not really holding out for the Persona 5 anime as much as I was. My expectations were pretty low to begin with, not to blame A-1 Pictures, the art style looks okay, but it could be way better, I mean, they animated Daybreakers and that looks way better than the actual anime. But I digress...**

 **I haven't remembered to change the rating to M, so this is going to be the day I do. Not because the chapter contains anything bad, but there is a part where one of the characters is being blackmailed and physically assaulted, so this serves as a warning as well. If you don't like this sort of stuff, once you see the Date and Time stamp with the ?, skip ahead, though you'll miss some exposition, the next few chapters will explain that part of the story.**

 **I would like to thank the reviews for their support, one month has passed since this story has been posted, and I'm already working on chapter 43 of the story, this is way above what I was working on for Through the Looking Glass, a month in I was still on chapter 25 so that means I have gotten better at my pacing. Though I try to take my time, if you see any mistakes that I or Grammarly somehow missed, do let me know. It helps a bunch during the clean up process.**

 **Thanks to RosyMiranto18, RealLazyReader, BloodyDemon666, My main G King and Autistic Grizzly for being awesome and liking this story. I have also just got the game Tokyo Xanadu on the ps4, so if my update schedule is a bit messed up, it's because I'm either watching anime, playing that, searching for a new job or just being a lazy ass and laying on my rear end playing Tic-Tac-Toe with my cat, then getting mad because she's a cat she can understand the fundementals of a game like that, she just fucks it up and ignores me, because she's a cat!**

 **Friendly reminder, just remember cat lovers, your cat's asshole has been everywhere. If you see them sitting down, you better believe their ass is on the floor, your welcome. Just get a dog...**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 29

Infiltrate the Palace II: Futaba Sakura

 _ **Date: Monday July 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Location: Futaba Sakura's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Desert Temperatures)**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Everyone felt immensely better as soon as they stepped into the pyramid. The entrance hall was large, spanning several meters high. There were some glowing vents along the ground that were pumping out cold air, keeping the inside of the pyramid relatively cool. In front of them was a shelf, with two sets of stairs at either side, in front of it were a few sarcophagi, all of them being made out of shining gold. Songbird walked toward one, placing his hand on it as he examined the markings on it. It was extremely detailed, all of the paint was done with a careful hand, including the detail done on the Pharaoh's face. Like all sarcophagi, it had the image of the pharaoh on it, with a golden crook and dagger in their arms, crossed over their chest, the two weapons that they would take to the afterlife for self defense.

"It's so cool in here, is the pyramid retrofit with Air conditioning?" Skull asked curiously.

"That must be because Futaba's room has an A/C unit inside it." Queen noted.

"Well that's good, we wouldn't want to die of heat stroke in here. Hey, our clothes still haven't changed, even now. This has never happened to us before." Panther said, her eyes scanning the area around her.

"It's refreshing that she doesn't see us as a threat...but we are completely surrounded by walls." Fox replied, a frown on his face.

"These must represent the walls that she has erected in her life. Perhaps she built them up to prevent herself from being hurt." Duchess said, glancing away from the wall. She felt for the girl, considering she built her own walls to defend herself whenever someone treated her like a child. It only took an insurmountable will and being pushed by Shimizu for her to finally break through them and show the world her true self.

"This is a tomb...it's probably not made to be easy to get into. Anyway, let us explore." Mona suggested, earning a nod from Joker.

Songbird took the lead, running up the stairs with his handgun in his hands. He hadn't brought his sniper rifle with him because he thought he didn't need it. Still he brought his firearm with him just in case he ran into trouble. He reached the top of the stairs, pressing himself against one of the pillars. He peeked around it, beckoning his friends over with a wave. As he walked forward, he saw a large gap between where he stood and the next area, only being connected by small thin pillars. He took a deep breath, breaking into a sprint, running across the pillars, jumping onto the other side. He scanned the area briefly, turning to face his friends.

"We're clear, watch your step." he said firmly.

"Big brother, you were amazing, is this the role you have selected for yourself?" Duchess asked curiously, once she had made it across.

"Yeah, being the scout is just natural for me. Usually I have a sniper rifle, but I didn't think I'd need it. That reminds me, take this...just in case." he said, handing the girl his spare pistol, along with the magazines that came with it. She fumbled around with it, her hands being a bit too small for it.

"Are you sure you should hand her that gun?" Skull asked curiously.

"She needs a way to defend herself, she doesn't have her crossbow with her. The model I picked was meant for someone like her, so this will have to do. By your lead Joker." Songbird replied, earning a nod from the frizzy haired lad. He walked forward, reaching another large hallway, with a single stairwell leading straight up into the highest point of the pyramid.

"The stairs look like they go on forever. It reminds me of the endless stairs in Super Mario 64." Panther muttered, playing with a strand of her hair.

"There's too goddamn many, and there's no long jump glitch for us to get to the top." Skull groaned, scratching his head in disdain.

"Don't ask for too much. You should be happy we're not being attacked as we ascend. More importantly, I can totally sense the treasure ahead! We're getting pretty close now!" Mona said, a grin on his face, eyes glittering.

"These stairs seem to lead to the heart of this pyramid. I wonder if the top of where the treasure lies."

"You wouldn't be wrong in that assumption Queen. Although, the treasure would be in the mummy room. The place where the sarcophagus is laid to rest. It is the room where the pharaoh would await his journey to the afterlife. The chamber would be filled with personal belongings, anything that would aid them in the after life. Usually essential things, like vases, gold, carriages, even mummified horses and pets that they had in their life. When they opened the tomb of Tutankhamen, they actually found..."

"Shut up with your history crap, we haven't got the time!" Skull cried.

"Maybe if you listened to what I had to say, you would fucking learn something, you fucking shit for brains!" Songbird snapped, glaring at the blond.

"Boys please, now isn't the time."

"Whatever, let's just keep climbing. The faster we find this treasure, the better." Skull said, taking the lead.

"It's fun not having to face enemies, though I do miss cracking them with my whip."

"Is Panther a dominatrix?"

"Yes Duchess, Panther is a dominatrix."

"Don't tell her that shit Songbird, she'll get the wrong idea!"

"Still, the fact that she welcomed us in like this sure is impressive. She must have a deal of trust and faith in us if she did." Fox added, glancing around the area as he ran.

"That just proves that not everyone who has a palace is inherently evil. This might be the easiest heist yet, once we take care of Medjed, we can take care of Shimizu." Mona said.

"Wait until you see that place, you're gonna wanna vomit. At least I do now that I think about it." Songbird replied.

"We shouldn't let our guard down. Even though there aren't any enemies, that could all change soon enough." Queen said, earning nods from everyone.

"Still...to see this...this truly is the mystique of a bygone era."

"I don't think you can call this a real thing though. Real pyramids are more...rustic, and definitely not retrofitted with air conditioning units."

"Still...what are the odds that any of us will go to Egypt to see the real ones? This is perfectly fine for someone like me, I can indulge in my knowledge of history without leaving my home country." Songbird said happily.

"You know...you sound like a different person when you talk about history. Are you sure you don't want to be an archaeologist or something? Wouldn't that be much better than being an actor?" Panther asked curiously.

"Maybe...I dunno, I don't think I have what it takes to be something like that. Plus, I love acting...I can't just abandon it, despite everything that scumbag did to me."

"Big brother, you are very strong. Hopefully one day you can achieve your dreams, and give our elder sister the nieces and nephews she so desires." Duchess said, causing the boy to sputter, almost falling onto his face.

"Ha! Your sister wants to hijack your future kids? Man that's a laugh."

"Quiet Skull, you there's no way you'll have kids in the future. They'll all come out hard headed and moronic like you."

"That was a low blow Mona...really."

"Whoa...there's someone there." Joker said, causing his friends to stop.

They had almost reached the top of the pyramid, when they spotted a young woman standing in their path. She had long orange hair, that reached down to her waist. She was wearing a traditional headdress on her head, which fell down around her. Her smooth skin was mostly bare, with only a tube top serving to cover he chest. She was wearing a beige colored skirt, with small markings on them. The skirt was floor length, and served to cover the entirety of her legs and feet. She wore a pair of glasses on her face, with black frames and large square lenses. She stood firm, preventing them from going forward, the look on her face was enough to unnerve Songbird, who reached for his gun just in case.

"Hey...is this...?"

"That's Futaba's Shadow, it isn't the real her." Mona said, a look of realization appearing on Skull's face.

"Oh yeah, you've seen her face. True, this one's kinda dressed like a Queen."

"Pharaoh...actually." Songbird correct, sighing at the boy's ineptitude.

"So, you're Futaba Sakura, huh?" Queen asked, earning a glare from the yellow eyed girl, who remained silent. Skull approached her, a friendly smile on his face.

"Hey, where's the treasure?"

"I doubt you don't know it's whereabouts, especially if you are the palace ruler." Duchess said firmly.

"Come on, tell us where the treasure is!"

"Hey, don't talk to her like that! Sorry about that, Futaba-chan...would you mind telling us where your most prized possession is?" Panther said softly, not getting a response from the girl.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Fox said, sounding distressed. Skull turned to face him, shrugging his shoulders.

"Come on, let's just leave her. It's clear she isn't gonna help us."

"Guys, calm down...let's just think rationally for a bit and see if she will help us." Songbird said, giving the girl a small smile. She finally moved, a scowl appearing on her face.

"Those who plunder my tomb, why have you come?" the shadow said firmly, her voice sounding distorted and angry.

"Oh shit...she talked...but..."

"What are you saying? You want us to steal don't you?" Skull asked, turning to face the girl.

"If you think you can steal it, try as you might." she hissed, angrily.

"That sounds rather defiant." Mona noted, backing away from the shadow a bit.

"Perhaps this is that "tsundere" thing where someone is hard or sweet depending on the mood." Fox said.

"No, that isn't it. A tsundere is a girl who is outwardly mean to the man of her affections, but also displays a sweet side when they're alone. Trust me, I know anime, and this doesn't sound like a tsundere. She sounds more like a yandere if you ask me." Songbird said.

"What's the difference?"

"A yandere is a girl who acts sweet and loving towards the man that she loves. And if someone else likes you she'll shank them with a knife, come on, have you never seen Mirai Nikki?"

"Not the time!" Queen snapped, bringing their attention back to the angry looking shadow.

"Considering the state that my palace is in, there is no way that you can steal it." she said firmly.

" _Creepy child!"_

" _You killed her!"  
_

 _"You're a plague!"_

"What the fuck was that? Who the hell is saying that!?" Skull cried, glancing around in confusion.

" _Murderer!"  
_

 _"Why don't you say something?!"_

"Murderer? What...don't tell me.." Songbird muttered, glancing at the shadow.

" _You're the one who killed her!"_

" _It was all your doing!"_

"Alright...my faith in humanity is lost. How dare these fuckers blame her for what happened? How the hell is she at fault? Huh? You fucking shit heads!"

"Songbird calm down, they're just voices." Joker said.

"That belong to real people, now I get why she wants to die so fucking much. Because people are blaming her for her mother's death, something that was out of her control!"

"You are wrong...I'm the one that did it...I'm the one who killed my mother." Shadow Futaba said, causing the Phantom Thieves to look at the young orange haired girl.

A loud scream echoed through the chamber, rattling the entire pyramid, almost knocking them to the ground. Songbird grabbed a hold of Duchess, making sure she wasn't hurt. Despite her being braver, she couldn't help but feel startled by what had just happened.

"My mother exists here...I will remain here...I will do so until the day I die..." the girl replied. Blue flames swirled around the Phantom Thieves, their clothes changing to their spirit clothes. Songbird looked at his gloved hands, glancing around to find the girl who had disappeared from the chamber.

"Our clothes changed!"

"She sees us a threat now...but why?" Fox cried out.

"Dammit...what the hell is going on?"

"I'm having a hard time grasping everything, but perhaps we should regoup and..."

Queen was cut off by a small tremor, which shook the pyramid a bit knocking them all onto the ground. Songbird looked up in time to see a giant boulder slam down onto the top of the stairs. It slowly started to move, falling down one of the steps. He rapidly stood up, grabbing a hold of Duchess's hand, pulling her to her feet.

"Run for it!" he screamed, dashing down the stairs as fast as he could.

"Oh god no...I never saw Raiders of the Lost Ark, I don't know if Indiana survived this!"

"This isn't goddamn movie! Just run for it!" Joker cried, picking up the pace as he ran.

They all made it to the bottom of the stairs, diving out of the way as the giant boulder rolled into the room, destroying the pillars around them entirely, falling into the large hole. Once the ground stopped shaking, they all stood up, moving toward the stairs, only to see a glowing door appear before the entrance.

"That was a close shave...hoo." Skull said, brushing some rocks from his jacket.

"But now what? We're locked out." Panther noted, pointing to the glowing door.

"Even if we wanted to ask Futaba what's going on, it seems the door is shut. What should we do now?" Fox asked curiously, turning to face Joker.

"There is nothing we can do. Let us retreat for now and gather some supplies, we can come back when we are better prepared. You're call Joker." Mona said.

"We're pulling out. Let us reconvene outside."

"Hehe...pulling out." Songbird uttered, earning a glare from Queen who just shook her head in disdain.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday July 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Cafe Leblanc(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _The date for the alleged Medjed cleanse is August 21_ _st_ _. That date is fast approaching. The Phantom Thieves, whom they have singled out, have made any notable actions at this time. Will Medjed carry out their cyberterrorism?"_

"In order to stop them, we need to help Futaba Sakura before the 21st of August. Our deadline is two days prior, so that would be the 19th." Makoto said, a worried look on her face.

"Meeting up in Shibuya and then coming here is a pain in the ass. So let's make it simple and use this place as our hide out for now. Is that alright with you man?" Ryuji asked, earning a silent nod from Ren.

"Is everyone alright with this being our hideout for now?" Makoto asked.

"I'm fine with it, it makes it easier on all of us." Takumi said, setting his drink down on the counter, on top of one of the coasters.

"We must take care not to be discovered by Boss."

"You hear that Ryuji-kun? Keep your outbursts to a minimum, or I'll dress you in a sandwich board advertising frilly panties in Shibuya." Mitsuhide threatened, earning a gulp from the boy.

"There's no telling what can happen in that pyramid. We all need to be cautious, so that place doesn't become our graveyard." Morgana said firmly, a look of worry on his face.

"Man, this is gonna be one crazy summer vacation. We're dealing with an international hacking ring, looking for a treasure in a pyramid, and planning to take down a director who exploits idols and turns them into pornstars." Ryuji said.

"We're busy busy bees...have you ever noticed how bees defy logic? Their tiny wings cannot carry their fat little bodies." Mitsuhide asked, glancing around the cafe.

"Okay...what does that have to do with this?" the blond track star asked, glancing at the ravenette, who took a sip from her coffee.

"Did you know that after a bumblebee ejaculates, his testicles explode, ending its life?"

"Jesus Christ sis, keep that shit to yourself. We don't need you spouting crap you hear on National Geographic on us...fuck." Takumi muttered, unconsciously reaching for his groin. Ren, Ryuji and Yusuke did the same, feeling very uncomfortable with the little girl's comment.

"Still, I have no idea how you find enjoyment in all of this! This is a crisis of whether or not our group continues on, you know!?" Ann snapped angrily, quickly dampening the boy's mood.

"I know that, but if we don't enjoy ourselves, then what's the point right?"

"Heh...that reminds me. While we were in the Mona car, you were looking down my shirt, you damn perv!"

"Shuddup, it was a great view!" the boy proudly exclaimed.

"Oh, you did not just say that. Come on man, show some respect, she's your teammate, you shouldn't be looking at her boobs like that!" Takumi snapped.

"Just because you don't have the nuts to stare at them doesn't mean it wasn't a great view."

"Who the hell said I wasn't looking at them, I just didn't make it obvious jackass!"

"Big brother, you should watch what you say before you say it." Mitsuhide said, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Huh?" the boy said, glancing at Ann who was glaring at the boy. He let out a small squeak, backing away from her.

"Forgive me Lady Ann, don't whip me into submission with your whip, my flesh is tender and would only increase my pain twofold." the boy said, bowing his head apologetically.

"Don't say something like that...sheesh, I don't care if _you_ look, just don't make it obvious." she replied, flushing as she glanced at the wall.

"I wasn't staring at you Lady Ann, I am a gentlemen after all!" Morgana said.

"Well, you couldn't exactly stare because you were in your car form." she said. Makoto sighed, brushing a hand over her hear.

"Will we really be fine like this?"

"You mean surrounded by morons and perverts? I fear we will contract their stupid with every breath we take. I'm sorry Makoto-chan." Mitsuhide said, finishing her drink.

" _And in other news...it seems that the famous idol Risette is rocking a new relationship. That's right ladies and gentlemen, a valuable source has confirmed that she is dating actor Takumi Mashita. The eighteen year old actor arrived in Japan back in early June to work on his film career. It seems the two of them were spotted leaving Jadis and Associates together, can we expect them to be the hottest couple of the year? Or will his drug allegations stop them from achieving true love? I wish them both the best in their budding relationship."_

"Oh my god...that fucking asshole!" Takumi snapped, slamming his fist on the counter.

"Whoa what...you're dating Risette?" Ryuji snapped.

"Hell no, she's like my sister. I told her to tell Shimizu that we were dating so she didn't suspect anything. She also told him that she was Mitsuhide's babysitter, the bastard must have had Kaburagi say this...most likely to get Risette's fan base angry with me."

"Why would he do something like that?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"To get back at him of course, he probably figured out big brother broke into his office. So he's doing this chicken shit in order to make his life a little harder. This makes things a little harder, especially if people will be keeping tabs on him now." Mitsuhide said.

"Guys...I told Ann this on the train yesterday, but I'm gonna tell you too. Don't ask me to hang out unless it's for palace infiltrations okay? Shimizu is a dangerous man, and I don't want you to get targeted by him. I'm sure he's already targeted me, Rise and my sister...I would hate if something happened to any of you. So for now let's not hang out, okay?" he asked.

"Man...that's bogus, are you that scared? We can defend ourselves just fine."

"In the Metaverse yes, but in real life no. You can't take a bullet in real life the same way you would in that world. Just trust me okay? Anyway, I'm gonna go, I gotta take sis home. Ren, if you want to infiltrate, let me know alright?" he asked, grabbing a hold of his backpack.

"No doubt, I'll message you if we make any plans." he said.

"Thanks...and like I told Ann, if something does happen, the key words for Shimizu's palace are, Ryoutaro Shimizu, Jadis and Associates and Temple. Don't hesitate to continue your infiltration for anything in the world, taking down Medjed us much more important right now, even if it means having to ignore Kanami's pain for the time being." he said, bowing his head as he walked toward the doors. Mitsuhide grabbed her computer bag, giving the group a bow before running after her brother.

"Poor guy...the fact that he can't save his sister until he deals with Medjed must be tearing him apart. He's being forced to push us away just because he doesn't want us to get hurt." Ryuji said.

"Hey...would you mind taking a detour to Shimizu's palace? Just to see what it's like? Perhaps we could infiltrate both of them at the same time, we have until August 21st after all." Ann said.

"It's a risk...let us focus on Futaba's palace first, once we get half way through it, we'll infiltrate Shimizu's to the halfway point. Then we'll finish Futaba's right after, is that acceptable?" he asked.

"Fair enough...for now let us all make plans for how we're gonna handle this. Yusuke, you seem very interested in pyramids, would you mind researching maps online as a potential reference guide?"

"Leave it to me, I shall report to you my findings in our next meeting."

"Excellent, I'll do research on traps and trap disarming. Everyone else sit tight, we'll be just fine." Makoto said reassuringly.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"I had high hopes for our infiltration to go by smoothly. It seems the world never throws you a bone when you need it most." Mitsuhide said, running her fingers through her hair as she walked.

"What's wrong with you sis? You're acting so much...livelier than before...it's oddly refreshing." Takumi noted, rattling his keys as he walked her home. She giggled, giving her brother a smile.

"This is how I truly am...but I was forced to hide it back. I figured that if I acted cold and showed little emotion, people would pay more attention to me. I'm a genius after all, people often times ask me for help in school work, but no one ever listens to my theories or findings, or about the thesis's I often read. Normally, I connect with people through books, but for awhile now, I haven't been able to do that."

"So...ripping off that mask set you free?"

"In a way...I just want to be accepted for how I am big brother. Not a lot of people do, I'm surrounded by people who don't understand me. They are much older than I am, so they act and behave differently. They look down on me, not just for my stature but for my age. They say a person as young as me shouldn't be in middle school. When I try to make friends, they just tell me to go play at the swing set with all the toddlers." she said, a frown on her face. The boy sighed, giving her a pat on the head.

"Mitsuhide, you aren't a child...you look like one, but you aren't one. I'm sorry for ever treating you like that, for telling you what you should be wearing and forcing you into things you didn't like. But mom was right, you need to be with kids your age, at least so you can feel comfortable in your age group."

"I suppose, I'm not opposed to making friends. Justine and Caroline seem like wonderful girls, and they text me a lot when they're bored. They said you gave them a pair of phones to chat with me, we're planning on going Ueno soon...I hope you can come along with us."

"Duh...I'll be your chaperon. Just wait until after all of this Medjed junk is over, alright?" he asked.

"Mhmm...thank you big brother...if you hadn't brought me into the palace, I think I would have hidden myself away forever. You brought out the best in me...but I still have a ways to go. The moon is beautiful tonight isn't it?" she asked, pointing to the glowing white satellite in the sky.

"It is...wonder what it would be like to live on the moon. To look down on Earth and see all of the life and beauty on this planet."

"I'd probably be lonely...and cold."

"Hehe...I guess you're right about that." he said with a laugh. As they walked into the alleyway, they heard a loud scream, along with the sound of trash cans being tossed aside. Takumi broke into a run, coming to a stop near the center of it, surprised by what he was seeing.

There was a man, who was clearly taller and stronger, wrestling a purse out of the hands of a maid. The woman was fighting back with all of her strength, trying not to let go of the purse. It was clear that she wasn't going to let go of it, despite the man striking her with his fist.

"Jesus, just let go of it you bitch!"

"Hell no! All of my money is in there you damn thief!" the woman cried back. Takumi growled angrily, walking forward his hand behind his back.

"Hey asshat, let go of the woman's purse, right now!" he said. The thief smirked, turning to face the young man.

"Oh? Are you trying to play hero kid? You better run along or else I'll beat the shit out of you."

"And leave this woman to deal with you, I don't think so. I'm giving you to the count of three to let go of that purse...1...2.." the boy began. The man let go of the purse, stalking toward the boy.

"I let go of the purse...now what are you gonna do big boy?" the hulking man said. Takumi smirked, drawing the model gun from behind his back, pressing it under the man's chin, flicking the safety off.

"I dunno...you tell me man...you know, my trigger finger is twitchy tonight, I might just let it do what it wants."

"Whoa man...let's not be hasty here." the thug said, backing away from the boy, who kept his aim on him.

"Then run, before I pull the trigger...and you better not mess with this woman or anyone else for the rest of your life. Remember this night as the night you almost took a bullet to the head." he said. The man quickly ran off, not bothering to look back.

"You know...someone as young as you shouldn't carry firearms." the maid said, making the boy look at her. He took notice of her French maid outfit, the matching pigtails and bonnet. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had seen her before.

"It's a model, all it fires are blanks...you should be more careful walking out here at night. Wasn't that long ago that Kaneshiro was stalking Shibuya."

"I'll make sure to watch out next time." she replied, sounding almost tired as she spoke. She turned to leave, only for the boy to grab her arm. She looked at him, meeting his gaze.

"Miss Kawakami?"

"Dammit, I was hoping you didn't notice."

"Uh...you're a maid?" he asked curiously.

"It's a side job, keep this to yourself alright? I can't have one of my students telling people about this, especially Chuno. She wouldn't let me live it down."

"Miss Kawakami, you sound a little tired, are you alright? Would you like to come inside for a bit?" Mitsuhide asked.

"I'm alright, Mitsuhide right? Principle Kobayakawa said you'd be joining the alumni for Shujin next year...I can't believe someone so young is already in high school. Anyway, I must be going, like I said, keep this to yourself."

"Sure thing, I'm not gonna tattle on you. Just take care of yourself next time alright? We can't have you collapsing, though now that it's summer you won't have to worry about school." he replied.

"Tell me about it, I'll see you later then." she said, heading toward the open street.

"That was weird...a school teacher moonlighting as a maid, it's almost as weird as teenagers moonlighting as Phantom Thieves." Mitsuhide said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Yup, that is true...come on, let's go inside." he said, leading his sister back to their home.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday July 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: ?**_

 _ **Time: ?**_

 _ **Weather: ?**_

 _ **Objective: ?**_

 _ **xxx**_

Kanami swallowed the lump in her throat as she was forced to sit in front of Ryoutaro Shimizu. The man was sitting behind a desk, a calm look on his face. Standing by him was Koichi Kaburagi, a tall black haired man with tanned skin and scruffy hair. He had little facial hair, and was dressed in a black tee shirt, blue jeans and boots. Around his neck was a Cannon camera, one she was familiar with. Standing by the door was Akihiko Shouji, her co-star in Shimizu's current movie. She hadn't felt genuine fear in a long time, not after she had faced her shadow when she had been back in Inaba with her friend. It had been a long time since that happened to her, and she had hoped to live a normal life as an idol and a movie star, but Ryoutaro Shimizu had turned from wonderful director, to Beelzebub in a fraction of a second. The man smirked as he leaned forward, placing a single file on the table top.

"Kanami dear...you needn't worry...we're not here to hurt you. We're not here to beat you, or to take photos of you for our buyers. You should feel honored that gentlemen around the world get to pleasure themselves to your photos."

"What do you want? Why bring me here? If you're gonna take more pictures of me, just get it over with. I'm sick of doing this shit every day." Kanami snapped, causing the man to slam his hand on the desk top.

"You don't speak to me like that, you understand? Do you want a bruise to match the one on your back?" he asked. The girl narrowed her eyes, deciding not to say anything. Right now, her anger was outweighing her fear, and she didn't want to make a mistake. She clutched her head a second later, feeling a slight pain coursing through it. Kaburagi smirked, reaching into his pocket, placing a candy bar on the desk in front of her.

"Is your sugar low? Hypoglycemia must be a pain in the ass to manage...go on, take it. But if you do you have to do something for us."

"I'd rather die thank you."

"You don't have an option my dear...you see, we have a bit of a dilemma. Go on, open that file in front of you." Shimizu said. Kanami hesitated for a moment, before reaching for the file. She opened it, seeing nothing but glossy pictures inside. She flipped through them, noticing it was of a figure who had been inside the office. One of them had been a mugshot style picture, her face on it making her gasp.

"Takumi." she whispered softly in shock.

"That's right...that whelp little brother of yours. It seems he used your friend Risette and his little sister as a means to distract me. His true goal was to come here...I'm not sure what he was looking for, but he ended up copying a file out of my computer. Kaburagi here did his research and was able to pull up a video of him placing a flash drive in my personal computer. Do you know what that file contains?" Shimizu asked.

"All the sick shit that you're hiding, the videos that you took of all of those girls...the video you took of me when I was hung from those chains."

"You are correct in that assumption. That is my personal collection of films, that is my life's work which I have been working on for years. The ultimate film made by the god of films, Ryoutaro Shimizu. And that little bastard took it from me." he said.

"I thought you said he copied it." Kanami asked, clearly confused.

"He didn't just copy it, he deleted the original file from my computer. So he has the only file that still exists. So here is what we are going to do...if you want to avoid being the star of my next pornographic film, you will get that file from him by any means necessary." Shimizu said, earning a chuckle from the young woman.

"Why the fuck would I do that? If he has something like that he can just turn in to the authorities."

"Ah...that would be the case, however that file has protection on it. You see, if he or anyone else tries to open it on a computer that doesn't belong to Ryoutaro here, it will self destruct. I was the one who installed it, there are years of hard work put into that film, pictures and video that cannot be replaced." Kaburagi replied.

"Yes, it is a wonderful film if I do say so myself...fourteen years of beautiful idols being turned into the hottest stars. All cut into one giant film, that would take nearly a year to completely watch. Let's just say, if that film gets lost...well, you are going to have to spend the rest of your life replacing it." Akihiko said firmly, a grin on his face.

"Not just you sweetheart, Risette has a beautiful body, imagine how many fan boys would pay for a film starring her? Seeing her take all manner of things in her tight little hole. Her breasts bouncing all over the place, I can already imagine it." Shimizu said, licking his lips sadistically.

"You aren't going to lay a single finger on Rise. You and I will have words if we do, I don't give a shit what you do with me. But you do not touch my best friend, got it?" Kanami snapped, shooting to her feet. Akihiko cracked his knuckles, throwing a punch to the idol's stomach, causing her to howl in pain, falling back into her chair.

"I thought I told you, you don't talk to me that way. Don't worry, Risette is safe, at least until you get that file back to me. If you don't, then no only will she have to replace what was lost along side you...but so will your little sisters, Ayumi and Mitsuhide Isoshima. To make things even better, that little brother of yours will be forced to be our main actor along side you. We will work you to the bone until every single inch of that reel is replaced." Shimizu said.

"You're sick...you know that?" Kanami hissed, clutching her stomach.

"I know that...and I enjoy myself...so this is where I provide a little motivation. Here's another file, take a peek if you'd please." Shimizu said, handing her another file.

She opened it, eyes widening. It was a set of pictures, all of them of her, depicting her in various positions, chained up, laying down on a bed, in skimpy outfits and even nude. Some of them looked like they had been taken from her apartment bathroom, she even saw some of Rise taking a shower. She closed the file, tearing it clean in half, tossing the pictures back at the man, who just chuckled, shaking his hand. Akihiko grabbed a handful of her hair, pulling her head back into the chair about to strike her in the face, when the man held his hand up.

"Do not fret...I have plenty more of those...however, if you do not get that flash drive back to me by August 26th, I will post these online for the world to see. Along with a juicy little video, but for that we're gonna have to find the right actor...the actor who will deflower the famous Kanamin!"

"What...you will not, you can take my dignity but you will not take my virtue!" the girl hissed angrily.

"Oh, I'm not going to take your virtue...let's just say someone near and dear to your heart will take your virtue. We'll give him the proper motivation...we've been keeping an eye on a girl that will soon join our cast. He brought this upon himself Kanamin, and now you have to pay the prize. You have a little over a month, if I don't have that flash drive in my hand by then, Kanamin will make her pornographic debut. I've already got a name for it, the Deflowering of Kanami Mashita...Imagine how much merchandise I can sell with it?" the man asked, breaking into a laugh right after.

"I swear to god, someone is going to kill you one of these days. I only hope to bare witness to the day that happens."

"Ah...is that a threat? Akihiko, teach her what it means to threaten me...ah, but not the face. Remember we still need that for our romance movie. Kaburagi, you will secure our lead act understood?"

"Indeed, I shall take my leave. I do not like seeing men abusing women." he said, just as Akihiko grabbed a pair of handcuffs, cuffing Kanami to her chair. She let out a scream, only for his hand to muffle it, a smirk appeared on his face as he started his beating.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday July 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _Hey...I was just calling to ask you if you wanted to infiltrate Futaba's Palace?"_ the voice of Ren said. Takumi glanced at his sister, who took the phone from his hand.

"Joker, I don't think it's a good idea right now. We have little information to go on, we have no means to assess what lies before our path. I think it wise to wait for a couple days while me and my brother gather some necessary tools." Mitsuhide said.

" _Tools?"_

"Yes...I asked Morgana for some recipes and I'm planning on making something out of spare parts. I believe we should infiltrate on the 28th of this month. I reviewed what big brother told me about Kaneshiro's palace, and thought it best to handle all of the exploration we can in as little time as possible. That way we can handle Shimizu's palace as well, I'm afraid to say it, but I'm a little restless."

"I agree with Mitsu, we need some time to plan and get our bearings. Right now we only have a couple grenades, caltrops and other odds and ends. But I'm planning on getting some more stuff, including extra ammunition and magazines. We cannot afford to run out, especially for someone like the scout." Takumi said. He heard Ren sigh on the other line, most likely pondering what they had just said.

" _You're right...I'll relay this to the rest of the team. It would be best if we all focus on supplies while Makoto and Yusuke focus on drawing up plans. We'll meet at Leblanc in three days, the 28_ _th_ _of July...we'll infiltrate Futaba's Palace, reach a good place, and then head to Akihabara to infiltrate Shimizu's."_

"Sounds like a plan...I'll send the layout of the lobby, the Shrine and the garden on the tenth floor via group chat so we're all familiar. This man needs to be taken care of...so I'm counting on you...on all of my friends."

" _We'll get it done...we'll talk more later...see ya."_

"Big brother...I'm planning on making a few things that require my full attention. Do you think you could fetch me these items? I plan to make more smoke grenades and some long lasting lockpicks. I'll need some durable chains for the bolas as well." she said, handing him the folded piece of paper. He looked it over, eyes widening.

"Aerosol cans, newspaper, shot put balls...where am I supposed to get shot put balls?" he asked.

"There should be a sporting good store somewhere in Shibuya, or maybe in Sunshine city. In fact, Sunshine city would be good, Destiny Land has a lot of abandoned things that people won't care if we take. It'll be like a salvage mission."

"Ugh...alright, I'll leave this to you. I'll get the newspaper from the nearby recycling bins, but the aerosol cans will be a bit tough to find...do you have spare fuse?"

"Plenty, don't worry about that aspect, I can handle that easily. Keep this secret, Ayumi and Toni might be listening. I wish that one would go back home, it seems like she's staying here forever now." the black haired girl said, pulling her hair up into a ponytail. She took off her sweater as well, much to the boy's surprise.

"You took the sweater off?"

"There's a heatwave outside, the air conditioner is working overtime. Do you want me to die?" she asked, brushing the wrinkles off her tank top.

"No...I don't want my adorable sister dying. I'll leave it to you." he said, turning to leave the room, not noticing the flush on the girl's cheeks. As soon as he left the room, he ended up bumping right into Toni who had been looking at her cellphone. She gave him an annoyed look, only for it to turn into a smile.

"Aha! Just the man I wanted to see! You promised you'd hang out with me last week, and guess what, now it's this week. So we're going to Ikebukuro, no ifs and's or buts about it."

"I don't have time to hang out right now...besides you shouldn't hang out with me. You know...you could get attacked by pissed off Risette fans." he said, trying to brush the girl off.

"That isn't gonna work on me. We're going whether you want to or not."

"Fine...whatever. You're lucky I have a need to go to Destiny Land." he said, entering his room. He took his black shirt off, tossing it in his laundry basket, grabbing one of the lighter shirts from his drawers, putting it on. He had been wearing a pair of cargo shorts, along with his sneakers. He grabbed his beanie and put it on his head, grabbing his back from the floor beside him.

"What do you need to do in the old Destiny Land?" Toni asked curiously, tying a black ribbon in her hair, making sure her side ponytail was in place.

"No reason, just felt like doing some parkour. I figure that's what you're going for?"

"Mhmm...it'll be fun. We're exploring the castle though and climbing the tower, so don't puss out."

"Fine...let's just hurry up and go. It's too damn hot for me to waste time arguing." he said, taking the lead. The girl clapped her hands happily, a grin plastered on her face. Takumi could only hope she didn't do anything idiotic.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_

 **A/N: Brace yourselves, a Toni centered chapter is coming.**


	30. Preparations

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 30 of Codename: Songbird. This is gonna be a filler chapter, to separate all of the tensions building up in this arc. I felt that it was necessary to have one of these more tame chapters before throwing you all back into the grind. As I said before, the beginning of this chapter is gonna be about Toni. She'll be talking about her favorite sport, Stride. I'm actually basing this sport off the one of the same name from the Anime Prince of Stride, except I'm making it unisex since there aren't any female racers in that anime. It's the only sports anime I watched because it had parkour in it, and It wasn't that bad. This is also a reference to my Hyperdimension Neptunia story. The main character Akira, is actually from the world of Persona 5, though it's the version of it where none of the events play out, it's just a normal world with the same people and places, just no Mementos or anything like that. He was part of Shujin Academy's stride team before he was transported to the Hyperdimension. So yes it serves as a bit of a reference/throwback to that story.**

 **I hope you like this chapter, I'm not gonna be posting a new one until Saturday, as I said before I'm taking breaks between writing, to let my hands rest a bit, and also to play my new game, which I haven't touched since downloading it, because I've been busy writing and finishing the anime that I started. I also decided to quit my job, cause working retail sucks, so I should have more time to work on the story between job hunts. Hell I'll work odd jobs now, I don't care fuck retail. Seriously...anyway, enough of that. Leave your thoughts in the reviews as always. See ya Saturday, same time most likely.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 30

Preparations

 _ **Date: Tuesday July 26**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Location: Old Destiny Land(Ikebukuro)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

The sun was blistering hot, making everyone walked feel miserable. Takumi longed for the rushing cool air from his A/C, but he knew he had things to do. Toni didn't seem bothered by the heat at all, and seemed rather happy that it was sunny. The train ride had been rather uneventful, aside from a few people swearing at Takumi for wanting to _ruin_ Risette with his drugs. Toni had swore up a storm in his defense, sending those fanboys reeling. He was rather thankful that the girl didn't take crap from anyone, because he had saved himself from having to knock them on their asses. Now they were walking through the empty park, since it was too hot for anyone to want to be there. The wind was blowing slightly, but the hot air was the only thing either of them felt. He was at least glad he was wearing antiperspirant spray, but that only helped him so much.

"Damn it's hot as shit...thank god for antiperspirants, I wouldn't smell too pleasant if I didn't have any." Toni said with a giggle, earning a frown from the boy.

"Gee, you are the opposite of a proper lady ain't ya?"

"Proper lady? Pfft, where's the fun in being proper? Ooo, I broke a nail, look at that dress, it's so totally fab. I would totes date that guy, he's super cute...god that shit makes me wanna barf. Now come on, let's go to castle, race ya there!" the girl said, sprinting away from the boy.

"Toni! Goddamn it, I don't have time for this!" the boy cried, following after the girl.

Takumi followed the path, leading in the opposite direction to the water park, cutting across the prize and food booths. Toni wasted no time in jumping on to one, running across them without a care in the world. She reached the end of the row, spinning on her heel, doing a back flip right off the top, landing firmly on the ground, hands above her head. She let out the breath she had been holding, a smile on her face.

"Ah...nothing like a good sprint and climb to get the blood flowing. Come on Takumi-kun, start parkouring already!" she cried.

"Yeah yeah." the boy muttered, continuing his run through the park. He placed his hand on top of a fence, vaulting over it with ease. He landed in a crouch, running straight toward the merry go round that was in his path.

He jumped onto it, glancing around for a few seconds, spotting a few loose screws that he knew his sister could make use of. He picked them off the ride itself, along with some spare bolts, nuts and some washers. Toni looked at him oddly, but didn't say anything, instead she climbed onto the roof of the ride, glancing around the park, loud creaking coming from the ride with her every step.

"It's so fun not having to worry about security or other people...don't you think?" she asked.

"Yeah...it is pretty fun. If only it wasn't so damn hot." he mused, placing his backpack back onto his back. He sprinted through the machine, his heavy footfalls ringing through the empty lot.

"No complaining, come on." Toni said, taking the lead.

The two continued running through the empty park, with the young brunette doing a wide array of jumps and flips. Takumi felt a bit jealous that she was able to move around so freely. He took note of every trick she did, knowing that each one could potentially help him during his heists. He never knew when he would have to climb something high, run across something as fast as he could or leap from a high place to get away from shadows. He would have to talk to his sister Ayumi as well, since she was set to help him learn some things. The pair finally made it to the center of Destiny Land, where the Destiny Castle stood tall.

It was a large pink castle, based off the movie Snow White. It had four tall spires that spanned at least seven stories high. It was made entirely out of old stones, the windows styled after 14th century European castles. There were several small buildings surrounding it, other parts of the castle. He knew it was just a glorified hotel, but he was still impressed with the structure itself. The only thing separating them from entering the castle grounds was a large chain link fence. Toni cracked her knuckles a grin on her face as she sprinted toward the fence, jumping up as high as she could.

"Careful, there are barbs at the top." the boy warned, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"Nothing I can't handle, I should be warning you. Don't want you to stay hung by your pants up here. It isn't a pleasant feeling." she said, easily making it to the top. Once she did, she swung her leg over, followed by her other one, before jumping down to the ground. Takumi followed suit, having tossed his backpack over the fence. Once over it, the two of them made their way to the entrance.

"I heard this place got fenced up because some guy was found hanging from one of the trees. That's why the park closed."

"Oh? That's grisly." he said, pretending to be disinterested. The girl shrugged, walking toward the glass doors, that had the bottom half broken away.

They came into the hotel's entrance hall, finding it in a state of complete disarray. The front counter had been destroyed, the large plants had been tipped over and anything that had been left behind had either been taken or destroyed. They walked over to reception, grabbing one of the maps that had been left in a display.

"Hehe...let's go check this hotel out!" Toni cried, heading toward a nearby hallway. Takumi kept close, keeping his eyes open for any supply closets that might prove useful to him.

"So, how'd you take an interest in parkour? Seems like something a girl would avoid doing."

"I saw a lot of videos on YouTube, thought it was cool. My cousin used to do a lot of it, so I asked him to teach me. He was really awesome." she said, a fond smile on her face.

"He left after your aunt passed away right?"

"Mhmm...it's been me for a long time. I should tell you the truth, remember how I said my house was being fumigated? That was a lie. I wasn't able to make steady payments on the mortgage. So it was repossessed."

"Are you serious? But they can't leave you out on the streets like that? You're only fourteen!" he exclaimed.

"Well tell that to the fuckers who run the banks. My aunt had apparently missed several important payments, leading up to her accident. So I was kicked out, the house was gonna be sold. I asked my cousin to come vouch for me, to at least tell the bank about my situation, but the fucker didn't bother." the girl said. She spotted the stairwell and started running toward it, throwing the door open without a care in the world.

"H-hey, hold up!" Takumi cried, running after the girl, climbing the flights of stairs, taking them two at a time. Toni giggled as she vaulted over each set, using the railing to climb up the sides of them instead of using the steps. They got to the top floor after a minute, entering a hallway filled with hotel suites.

"As a little girl, I stayed at this hotel. I vaguely remember, but it was during my seventh birthday. I hadn't met Ayumi yet...I was totally different, shy and quiet."

"That must have been an amazing time." Takumi said sarcastically, earning a smirk from the girl.

"You love me just the way I am, admit it. I'm the most interesting friend you've got in your contacts list. What other cute girl would wanna race across rooftops trying to lose the cops?"

"I call that being a reckless idiot." he admitted. She rolled her eyes, walking into one of the open suites, seeing the stuff inside had been completely taken, except the bedframe and headboard.

Takumi walked into the adjacent bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet, not finding anything inside. Upon looking under the sink, he found two aerosol cans, which he quickly placed inside his bag. He felt Toni enter the bathroom and turned around, watching her grab the ceramic lid covering the toilet tank.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She didn't reply, instead she rose the lid over her head, slamming it into the tank. It shattered on impact, sending large broken pieces of ceramic and stagnant water all over the place.

"Hahaha! Yes...this is my favorite part of abandoned places. You can break all the shit you want and not get in trouble! Come on, break something!" she cried, urging the boy on.

"No...why?" he asked. She puffed her cheeks out flicking his nose.

"Because it's fun dummy. Don't you have pent up aggression or something? Come on, you got a stick it to the man...unless you wanna stick it in me instead?"

"Your perversion knows no bounds...fine, I'll break something." he said, glancing around the small room. He grabbed a hold of the shower rod, pulling on it until it came off the wall. He snapped it in half with ease, swinging one part of it around for a few seconds.

He slammed the bar into the medicine cabinet, shattering the mirror with ease. He felt a lot lighter than before, taking a second swing, and then a third, breaking the fixture apart. He walked out of the room, dropping the bar as he spotted the ceiling fan. Toni watched with amusement as the boy jumped up, grabbing a hold of the fixture, pulling on it until it came off the ceiling.

"I always wanted to do this!" he said, smashing it onto the ground, snapping the blades in half.

"See? Doesn't that make you feel a lot better? It beats masturbating whenever your stressed out."

"Oh god, tell me you don't do that with my sister in the room?" he said, earning a grin from the girl.

"I don't kiss and tell...you see that television? What does your inner rock star say?" she asked, pointing to the CRT Television which had been left on the dresser. The boy smirked, walking over to it, it was only twenty inches so it wasn't that heavy. He walked over to the nearby window, and with a firm grunt, he threw the device through the window, breaking the glass clean through. The television fell down all seven stories, slamming into the ground, a loud shattering filling the lot.

"Okay, that was awesome. Come on, let's go do something else."

"Alright, the honeymoon suite is around here, it has a balcony. We can use that to climb to the roof." she said, leading him out of the suite.

They found a room near the center of the floor which had crimson double doors. It was firmly locked, but the two of them managed to open it by drop kicking the doors open. The room had been left in pristine condition, the heart shaped mattress in the center. The walls were bright red with pink hearts all over the place. The ceiling was decorated with streamers that came down over the room. The carpets were a deep blue color, the furniture inside being a dark oak. Toni and Takumi shared a look, already knowing what they wanted to do. It didn't take them long to destroy the entire room, leaving nothing untouched. They had sliced the pillows in half, broken the dresser apart, threw the mattress across the room and even torn some of the carpet out.

"Man...what a rush...of course this will only be beaten by climbing this damn tower." Toni said, opening the glass doors, the summer heat instantly assaulting the two teens.

"You've wanted to do this for awhile, but once you do...what else are you gonna do?" Takumi asked curiously, walking out of the bathroom. He had been able to find several more aerosol cans inside, bringing his total to six. He walked out into the balcony, seeing the girl looking around for a few moments.

"No idea, I'll find a new place."

"Isn't this dangerous though?"

"Not really...life is full of dangerous things...sure falling would suck ass, but it's better than most deaths right?" she asked, giving him a serious look.

"I dunno, I'm just...worried about you." he said. She quirked a brow, a catty grin on her face.

"Oh? You're starting to care? That's so sweet of you...just for that I'll give you something special." she said, giving him a peck on the lips. The boy backed away from her, giving her a glare.

"Toni, don't do shit like that!"

"You liked it and you know it. Don't lie...now give me a boost up there, feel free to look up my skirt." she said, giving him a wink. He sighed, lifting the girl up. She grabbed a hold of the edge, pulling herself up with ease. She held her hand out to him, easily hoisting him up.

The root was surprisingly flat, giving them a nice bit of room to run around. Toni continued on her way toward the nearby tower, running right to the edge of the roof. She jumped over the gap, grabbing onto the ledge, pulling herself up onto the window sill. She grabbed the top of the window frame and pulled herself up, keeping her foot planted perfectly on the jutting bricks. She reached up to the edge of the tower's roof, pulling herself up with ease.

"Thank god this part is flat, if it was a cone shaped roof, I doubt I could have made it up here." she said, panting a bit from the energy she exerted.

"Yeah...that's true...I'm gonna take a picture." he said, pulling out his phone. The girl nodded, climbing onto the edge of the tower. She flashed a peace sign and a smile to the camera.

"I'm gonna to a handstand, hang on."

"Are you insane?"

"I'm not gonna do it over the edge, my legs will be over the side of the tower. That way if I slip I'll fall in this direction." she reassured, tucking her shirt into her skirt. She did a perfect handstand, keeping herself balanced on her hands, her legs straight up.

"Do you like my underwear? I picked them just for you!"

"Shut up!" Takumi cried, snapping the picture, ignoring the girl's comments. Once done, he climbed up to the tower himself, snapping some selfies for his collection. He glanced around the park, taking a deep breath, a smile on his face.

"Despite it being dangerous...I gotta admit, the view is wonderful."

"Mhmm...and it looks like I found our next climb." she said, pointing straight ahead at a twenty six story building. He followed her gaze to the top of the building, to the neon green crane that was sitting atop of it.

"Yeah fuck that...I don't wanna die."

"Don't be a pussy, you're being outclassed by a girl four years younger than you." she said, giving him a grin.

"I'm not insane like you." he said.

"Hey! You two are trespassing on private property! Get down from there this instant, you're under arrest!"

"Shit, time to go!" Toni cried, climbing onto the edge of the tower, jumping down onto the flat part of the roof, landing in a roll. Takumi did the same, running after the brunette. Both of them climbed back down into the hotel suite, racing through the destroyed room toward the fire escape.

"Ahahaha...this is the best part of parkour! The rush is amazing, it's like my own personal drug!" the girl screamed, her laughter filling the empty halls.

" _Gee...this one really is insane...but at least I understand her better...and I do admit, this is pretty damn fun."_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Hah...hah...did we...lose them?" Toni asked, looking up at the brown haired actor.

"I think so...I didn't think someone that fat could run so fast though...jeez...now I gotta go home and take a bath. I got major swamp ass." the boy groaned, wiping his sweaty forehead with his tee shirt.

"Yeah, same here...I got swamp tits, there's like a gallon of sweat under them. Why was I gifted with such big breasts?" the girl groaned.

"Come on...let's just get out of here...the last thing we need is to get caught." he said, walking toward the open street. He spotted a vending machine and started walking toward it, keen on getting himself and his friend some drinks.

"What do you want?" he asked curiously.

"Water is fine, soda is unhealthy and wouldn't hydrate you worth a shit." the girl replied, stunning the boy.

"I thought you liked soda?"

"I do...but when I'm freerunning, I don't drink it. It would cause me to crash later and if I need to run, I would be sluggish. Plus we just lost a lot of fluids, so we gotta keep hydrated." she said, giving him a wink. He shrugged, purchasing the large bottles of water from within the machine, handing her one. The two broke them open, draining most of their contents in one go.

"Ah...nothing like cold water after a run. How do you feel? You exercise normally right?" she asked.

"When I have the chance, I don't have a routine or anything. So freerunning is actually really good for me."

"Yeah well...if you wanna get the most out of it, take some protein beforehand. That way you'll have energy and you'll burn off calories." she said.

"Eh...you still giving people shit advice Kotone?" a voice said, causing the girl to whip around, facing a young man that had approached them. He seemed closer to Takumi's age, with scruffy black hair and slightly tanned skin. He had dark eyes, and was wearing a sleeveless black tank top, green cargo shorts and Vans sneakers. He had a skateboard in his hand, a pair of headphones wrapped around his neck.

"Kashou? What are you doing here?" Toni asked curiously, being surprised by his arrival.

"Me...just skating through Sunshine city...I saw you here and figured I would come over. I can see you are still freerunning, and giving people shitty advice. Listen kid, if you want to be successful at freerunning, then get yourself someone better than this one. She'll just let you down."

"Hey! Don't tell him shit like that, where the hell do you get off saying that?" the girl cried.

"What? I'm just pointing out the obvious...it was thanks to you that our team lost that competition."

"Tch..."

"What competition?" Takumi asked curiously.

"She hasn't told you? There's a competition held in Japan every year called End of Summer. Several teams compete to see who can get the fastest times, they have to run in various areas of Tokyo, going through natural and man-made obstacles. Kotone here was on my team when she was twelve, and because of her blunder, we ended up losing it."

"Yes, because blowing out my knee doing a jump you told me to do was my damn fault. Do me a favor and fuck off would you? You goddamn creep!" the brown haired girl snapped angrily. He chuckled, shaking his head.

"You haven't changed a bit, other than growing taller and bustier of course. I hear End of Summer is going to be held in Ikebukuro this year, with the finals being in Shibuya Station. Maybe if you can scrape up some talent you can join. Or you could go solo, doubt you'd get past the prelims though...peace out, To-To." he said in a teasing manner, jumping on his skateboard. The girl pulled her arm back, throwing her water bottle at the boy, hitting the side of the wall, barely missing him.

"Damn it! Next time you call me that, I'm ripping your dick right off your fucking body asshole!"

"Hey! You're causing a disturbance, do you want me to ticket you?" a nearby officer said, earning a growl from the girl. She took a hold of Takumi's hand, pulling him along.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"That asshole Kashou...he was friends with my cousin. We were in this team, for a sport called Stride. Basically, it's a group of five freerunners, who take turns in a relay style race through a preset course. I was the anchor of that team, and had the task of going to the finish line, but I was two seconds slow. I thought I could get them back by going off road, and ended up slamming my leg into a vending machine. I broke my knee, and couldn't make it to the finish line. Took me an entire year before I was able to run again."

"Wow...I didn't know that Toni...I'm sorry to hear that."

"Yeah...I'm sorry to have to tell you. Stride was one of the most fun things I did back in Junior High. But after you have an injury like that, it takes awhile for you to regain your momentum. I've been practicing hard, because me and Ayumi are going to solo the event."

"Are you serious? But didn't he say that was impossible?" Takumi asked. She shook her head, holding her open hand out.

"There are five parts, or relays. The beginning, which will connect to usually is made up of normal running. The second part is the obstacles, you have to do various flips and things to get over some obstacles for points. The third part is the man-made obstacles, which would be Street Parkour. The fourth part is a mix of all three, usually making you go through a normally populated area, like a train station. Finally, the last leg of the race is just a straight shot to the finish line." she said.

"Okay...where does the relay aspect come in?"

"Well, that's what's known as a relation. The teams are made out of six runners and one relationer, who keeps track of where the racers are on the map. There's a small target zone where both teammates will be, they have to clap hands for a successful relation, then they continue. I'm going to do three relays, leaving the last two to Ayumi. She's the most agile girl on our squad and the fastest runner I know, aside from maybe Ryuji-kun. But I trust her...she's my best friend after all." she said, bowing her head a bit.

"I don't think you can do that on your own...it sounds like it's too much of a task...it's too bad I don't have enough time. Or else I would join."

"You'd be willing too? You totally should! End of Summer won't be until September 19th, the day before Summer ends. We'll be in school, but most teams are made from school track teams. The prelims are in August, they start August 25th. Please Takumi...I would love you forever if you joined us."

"Um...I'll think about it okay? I've got a lot of things planned this summer, so I gotta make some time." he said. The girl smiled, wrapping her arms around the boy, giving him a hug.

"Thank you, even just you thinking about it, is enough. I've wanted to do this for awhile, my cousin's last End of Summer was the year when my aunt died, three days before the tournament. He bailed out, which was why I was put in at the last minute. I cost my team the victory that year, but I'm not quitting and I'm not giving up!"

"Okay...now can you let go? You're all sweaty."

"Aw come on? I thought you liked cute sweaty girls?" she teased, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Why do you gotta ruin the moment?"

"Ruin? I made it better, with my sweaty skin and bouncy goodness!" she replied, making her chest bounce a bit. He turned around walking away from the girl.

"Hey, where are you going? Don't leave me here you ass!"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ah man, nothing beats a cold shower in the blistering heat." Takumi said, dropping into his bed, sighing contently at the cool air. His hair was slightly damp from his shower. Toni had taken the shower before him, and had used hot water, despite being boiling hot outside. She said it helped loosen her muscles after freerunning, but he just couldn't do that. The bathroom like enough of a sauna.

"The cans you found are sufficient for now, but a few of them are full...I can't very well use them." Mitsuhide said, glancing at him from his computer chair.

"Why not? Can't you just empty them?"

"Do you know how long that would take? It's also bad for the environment, aerosols are killing our ozone layer." she replied. He sighed, sitting up in his bed, shaking his soaked locks.

"Okay...what will you do with them?"

"Do you have that pack of lighters I asked you to purchase?" she asked curiously. The boy nodded, reaching into his backpack for the twenty pack he had bought at a nearby Larson. She opened it, grabbing a blue one along with some duct tape. She taped it to the side of the can, making sure it was firmly in place. Afterwards, she slipped a rubber band through the small gap in the tape, hooking it over the release button.

"Alright, hold on to your butt." she said, flicking the lighter on, the spark igniting a flame. She pressed the top of the aerosol can, a plume of fire erupting from it, causing the boy to jump back in surprise.

"Jesus...what the hell?" he cried. The girl blew the flame out, a small smile on her face as she unhook the small band she had attached to it.

"Handheld flamethrower. Perfect for dealing with the small stubborn shadows and whatever else is in our way, like rope or something else." she said.

"You're pretty into this...I guess I should rely on you for more infiltration tools then?"

"If you'd like...as long as I can contribute to the group in some way. I wish to be of use to you all after all." she said, a proud smile on her face.

"You aren't a tool sis, so don't refer to yourself like that. You're role from now on is assisting Joker with our tools. He said he had something for us that he scored from our firearms seller. Speaking of which, I picked up several extra cases of blanks, and I want to put them to good use."

"What do you mean by that?" she asked curiously.

"Firearm training of course. We have to increase everyone's accuracy, the area in Mementos should be perfect for this." he said, reaching into his pocket for his phone.

"Mementos...the place Ayumi spoke of correct?" she asked.

"That's right...we aren't doing an exploration, but it will definitely do us good to practice. Hey Ren, yeah...I managed to get some ammo for everyone. I had an idea, we should all go to Mementos and practice with our firearms. The more training we have, the easier our infiltrations will go no?" he said.

" _I have some free time right now...if you want to go I can send a message to everyone. We'll meet up in Shibuya."_

"Sure why not? We can discuss plans while we're at it...see ya then." he said. Mitsuhide stood up, grabbing a hold of all of the tools she had managed to make, which wasn't much considering she still needed to make the next set of grenades. She placed them all in her computer case slinging it over her shoulder.

"It is hot this afternoon, perhaps we shouldn't exert ourselves too much."

"You're right, you aren't going outside in that sweater though. You'll die of heatstroke." he said. She gave him a nod, a frown on her face.

"I'll miss it, but I don't want to get sick either." she said, heading into her room. The boy knelt down under his bed, reaching for his guitar case, which had all of his weapons as well as the spare magazines and rounds he had gotten. He slipped on his shoes and grabbed it, slinging it over his shoulder.

"Hey Takumi, are you doing anything tomorrow? I need a hand in the shop. It's supposed to rain and be really hot, so I doubt you want to be out in that." Erica said, just as he and Mitsuhide reached the door.

"I got some time...I'd love to help you mom."

"Great, I'll let you sleep in but you better be up at noon. Be careful out there, it's really hot. Don't let your little sister get dehydrated alright?"

"I can care for myself mother. I have my water bottle." Mitsuhide said, holding up her metal bottle, which had bunny prints on it. The woman gave her a thumbs up, focusing on her current task, ringing out a customer. The two walked out of the shop, heading toward Shibuya Station.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Alright, just keep your aim steady, an squeeze the trigger as you exhale." Songbird said, earning a nod from Panther who did as he said. She squeezed the trigger, sending a spray at the paper target in 600 meters out.

"How was that?" she asked. He looked at it with his binoculars, giving her a smile.

"You did good, you kept the spray to the center of your target. Just remember, your SGM is full auto so you'll be able to spray your enemies and do minor damage. Of course with flying shadows you can take them down easily. Just keep following my advice and you'll be fine."

"You got it teach!" the girl said happily, grabbing one of the empty magazines, along with the 9mm rounds.

"Songbird, I require assistance. How is it that you take this apart again?" Fox asked, holding up his M16. The boy rolled his eyes, grabbing a hold of the rifle, pressing a switch on the top, pulling the upper downward, before taking it off, pulling out the loading rod as well.

"Are you going to clean it?" he asked curiously.

"Indeed, I wanted to make sure it is properly lubricated. The last thing I need in battle is to have my gun jam because I haven't been taking care of it." he said.

"Well, you should learn how to take it apart and put it back together before you do that. The manual for that gun should be with the case I gave you, did you read it?"

"Yes, various times. I believe another gander at it wouldn't be a bad idea, I shall try my best for now. Thanks for assisting me."

"It's what I'm here for Fox...need any help Joker?" he asked, glancing at his leader.

He grabbed all of the parts to his gun, assembling it with practiced skill. He put the barrel back together, placing the slide onto the handle of the gun, pulling it back until it locked in place. Once it was ready, he slipped a magazine inside and held it up, firing a single round at his target, getting a perfect bullseye.

"You goddamn show off." Skull muttered angrily.

"Hey...I practice with mine whenever I have time. You should do the same." Joker replied.

"Skull, there's something special about the Ithaca that I didn't show you before. Let me see it real quick." Songbird said, earning a nod from the blond who handed the shotgun to him. He grabbed six shells, sliding them into the tube.

"So, what makes this gun tick?" he asked.

"Well, if you hold the trigger down and keep pulling the pump, you can slam fire it, meaning it's almost like an automatic gun. Do you...know what an automatic gun is?" he asked.

"Uh...maybe?"

"You seriously don't know the difference between semi-automatic and fully automatic?" Queen asked.

"Sheesh, don't give me shit...the only thing I play is Call of Duty, that shit doesn't exactly explain anything."

"Ugh...I can explain. A semi-automatic gun is one that fires once with every trigger pull. Like Joker's Desert Eagle, and Queen's Colt Python. Your shotgun is also semi-automatic, and it's pump action, meaning you gotta pull the pump to load a new shell into the chamber. My gun, and Fox's gun are fully automatic, meaning I can hold the trigger down and fire my entire magazine in one go if I wanted too." Panther explained.

"Furthermore, Fox's gun has a select fire feature, meaning it can fire in both semi-automatic and fully automatic. My rifle, which is a modified AR10 had its select fire taken off, but that's because I'm using my rifle for long range shooting instead of close to mid range shooting." Songbird said.

"Alright...for Joker, me, Queen and Songbird's guns, you pull the trigger once, one bullet comes out. For Panther and Fox, one pull of the trigger and all the bullets fire. That's easy to remember."

"At least he dumbed it down for himself." Duchess said, raising her crossbow to her shoulder. She peered through the scope, pulling the trigger, firing the set arrow. It pierced through the paper, sticking to the wooden block that bad been propped against the wall.

"Ah...dammit, I missed the center entirely." she muttered, cranking the string back into place.

"Anyway, as I was saying...if you hold the trigger down on your shotgun, and keep pulling the pump, you can fire all of your rounds. Like this." Songbird said, placing the shotgun to his shoulder. He pulled the trigger, firing the first round. Keeping the trigger down, he pulled the pump back and forth, firing a second, third, fourth, and finally fifth time before the gun clicking empty. The back wall was now filled with hundreds of holes from the birdshot contained in each shell.

"Damn, that was fuckin sick...now I can use this to take down the particularly hard monsters. I'm totally in love with this gun now!" Skull said, happily accepting his shotgun.

"Good, the more you start learning your gun, the better you'll get at it."

"What about you? You aren't practicing that much, shouldn't you work on your aim?" Panther asked curiously, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Maybe...but I'm a sniper. I have time to check, recheck, zero in and take aim, so I'll hardly ever miss. Unless I go from long to mid range shooting because I'm being crowded. I guess I'd have to practice with my handgun though." he said, drawing his Colt 1911 from his holster.

"So, why did you pick that gun? You think it's pretty or something?" Joker asked, leaning back against the table they had brought. He was busy loading more rounds into the magazines he was using. Thankfully, Iwai had given the boy quite a deal with all of the extra rounds he had bought.

"I hold the 1911 dear in my heart. My grandfather on my mother's side fought in World War II. His side arm was a 1911, he said that it saved his life on more encounters than he would have liked. He favored it over the standard issue Katana soldiers were given. When the war finally ended, he had to give up his gun. I don't know why, but he said he never felt right without it. So he talked with his commander to see if he could keep it. Sadly that wasn't the case."

"That's a shame...after fighting so hard, you'd have thought he would keep the thing that saved his life so many times." Skull said with a frown.

"Yup, but he did make some marks on it. He etched the name Christine on the slide, in case someone sold it or something. As it turned out, he was going on a hunting trip and wanted to buy a side arm just in case. He went into a pawnshop and asked for their pistols, and lo and behold, there she was, practically waiting for him. The owner said a military vet sold various firearms from World War II, and that he had kept that one around because of the name. He gave that gun back to my grandfather for free."

"Wow...so there are good people in the world after all." Queen said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"That's right...when my grandfather passed away, he left that gun for my mom. Naotaro was...she was a pessimist, but she never liked being unguarded either. She always kept that gun with her, because it was the last thing she had of him. She kept it in the glove compartment of her car...and...well when she had the accident, the gun was broken. The handle was destroyed, the barrel was bent, and there was no way of fixing it. So it was scrapped...my father let me keep one of the bullets though. I carry it around my neck, the last thing I have of my mother." he said, fishing his necklace from inside his shirt, showing them the .45 caliber round he had passed through the shell casing.

"I've never seen a real bullet before...how were you able to string it together?" Fox asked curiously.

"Well...I had to take the bullet out of the shell, pull out the powder and the primer so it wouldn't fire on me. Then I just drilled a small hold through the top and put the bullet back together. This is the first time I've shown it to anyone, so congratulations, you've earned my trust." he said happily, walking toward one of the unused targets.

"What was that other thing hanging from it...it looked like a flash drive." Joker asked curiously. Songbird frowned, glancing at his leader.

"That is the file I took from Ryoutaro Shimizu...I was going to unlock it on my computer. But I'm pretty sure there's a self destruct function attached to it. Meaning if I open it on any other computer, it will delete itself. I managed to erase the one on his computer once I typed in the password, so I have the only copy. That's also why I'm a potential target, and why I asked you not to be near me while we handle his palace. I have no idea what lengths he'll go to get his hands on it."

"Do you know what the file contains? We might get a picture of what secrets he's hiding if you do." Mona asked, causing him to nod.

"It's a video, I can only surmise what kind of video it is. Comparing it to the statements he made toward my sister."

"That's sick...I can't wait to beat the hell out of his shadow. But first we gotta get through to Futaba. I can't believe she practically taunted us before we were booted from her palace." Skull said, scratching his head.

"It's a defense mechanism...I don't really blame her for it. However, I will reiterate the importance of this mission. Even if something does happen, or Shimizu somehow manages to do something to me, you will go through with stealing her heart. Medjed is a bigger threat right now, we cannot let them attack Japan like they're planning."

"But Songbird...you're practically asking us to abandon you."

"That is the reasonable outcome, Panther. It hurts, but the prevalence of this mission is of importance. Songbird has many plans in case something does happen. We have Risette on our side after all, she will aid us if need be...then there's the other girl that was with us." Duchess added.

"Other girl?" Joker asked.

"My ex-fiancee. She managed to manifest her own persona, I made her a promise. That if she helped me change Shimizu's heart and free my sister, that I would help her change her father's heart. I can tell her home life has been getting worse since we last saw each other."

"Wait...you ran into this girl?"

"That's right Skull, you were right. The heiress to Okumura Foods was my ex-fiancee, and my best friend growing up." he said.

"Okumura...I've heard that name before...yes, I believe she goes to our school right? She's in my class, now that I think about it." Queen said.

"We have a potential ally for the Phantom Thieves, and if we can get Futaba on our side, our organization will be stronger. Let us focus on her palace before we can recruit this new girl. We already have three rookies to deal with." Mona said.

"Hey...I'm a novice now, thank you very much! If anyone is a rookie here, it's definitely Skull. He doesn't know how to swing his bat worth a damn."

"Don't make me shoot you Songbird, you prick!"

"Let's get back to practicing, we can't waste a single moment." Joker said, slamming his magazine into his gun, earning a nod from the others.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday July 27**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Weather: Torrential Rain(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Alright son, I've decided to close the store for today. I doubt anyone is going to show up in this rain storm. So, all you have to do is help me with the new shipment." Erica said, earning a nod from the boy.

"What do I have to do?" he asked, all ready to work. She glanced over to the violin section of the store, pointing right to it.

"You see those Violins over there? I need you to take six of those down and put them back in their cases. I need you to take down six violas too, we're gonna replace those with the new shipment of electric violins and violas. The cases for them are in the storage room in the basement...think you can manage?" she asked.

"Sure thing mom, I got it." he said, giving her a salute. He started walking toward the basement, flicking the light switch on as he started going downstairs.

Once he was there, he grabbed the proper cases and started bringing them upstairs. Since it took two trips, he had to go back to get all of the viola cases. He set them down on the floor and started removing some of the violins from the hanging rack, placing them back into the case. He grabbed another one, looking at it closely, seeing the beautiful finish on the wood. It was glossy and shiny, and looked like a truly beautiful instrument, despite it being expensive.

"What's wrong son? Are you sick?" Erica asked, glancing up from the guitars she was taking down.

"No...just taking a moment to appreciate the beauty of this violin. I never got around to learning anything like this. People like Lindsey Stirling inspire me to learn though." Takumi replied, putting the violin back in its case.

"It isn't too late to learn...if you have what it takes, you can definitely pick it up. Though a lot of kids learn instruments young, it makes it stick you know?"

"Hmm...what was your first instrument mom?" the boy asked curiously, placing the final violin in its case. He set them down on a nearby cart, grabbing some of the viola cases he had brought up from the basement.

"The triangle...it was an easy instrument to start with...my mom didn't want me jamming out in my room at seven am on a Sunday morning." she said jokingly, making the boy chuckle.

"That's true...what inspired you to open a music shop though? And in Japan? Wouldn't California work just as well?"

"I guess...I dunno, I wanted to come back to my home. I'm half Japanese after all...as for why, I thought I told you? I wanted to be an organist to teach kids about the beauty of organ music. But your father ended up ruining everything for me."

"Oh yeah...I forgot...sorry mom, I shouldn't have brought it up." he said, remaining silent as he continued putting the violas back in their cases. The woman sighed, brushing her hair out of her face as she straightened up, arms crossed.

"Honey, it's fine...I'm totally over what happened. You're father is a prick, that will never change. But I got my store through hard work, and some slightly shady dealings. But that's all in the past, now I can focus on making sure our youth has everything they need to play music."

"That is true...it's better than running a clothing shop at least, unless you plan on teaching people about fashion. I'm sure Ann would enjoy that." he said, locking the final case up. Once he placed them on the cart, he started wheeling it over to the other side of the store, taking a hold of the guitar cases.

"You seem rather fond of that girl, I saw the way you looked at her last time she was here. Do you have a thing for her?" the woman teased, causing the boy to blush.

"I'm holding a very expensive electric guitar mom, don't make drop it." the boy said, grabbing a hold of the last case.

"Fair enough, oh you can use the elevator in the back to take those to the basement. Here's the key, I should have told you about it the first time. The door leading to it is beside the back door." she said, handing him key.

"You should have told me we had an elevator, so I didn't have to carry all of those cases four at a time." he replied, pushing the cart toward the back of the store. He unlocked the door leading to the small elevator, pulling the cart with him.

Once downstairs, he moved the cart over to the back room where all of the extra instruments were stored. It was a rather large room, which he still couldn't believe was under ground. With the size of the store and that apartment, he would have figured adding extra rooms down there would have been impossible, but Erica had payed a lot to dig downward just to extend the size of her basement, solely for her organ. That took dedication, and it sort of defied logic too.

He and Erica continued moving things around in silence for awhile. He placed some of the new inventory in the racks he had cleared. He had also taken some of the old amplifiers down to the basement to place some new ones on the floor. Some of the dated music books were also set aside so they could be donated to local schools. After awhile Erica called a break, and now they were just watching the rain fall through the showroom windows.

"Japan always gets assaulted with torrential rain during July. Thankfully, there aren't any typhoons in the forecast, I doubt we could handle one of those." the woman muttered, taking a sip from her coffee.

"I like the rain, it washes away the sadness of the world. After a huge rainstorm, the sun comes out and everyone's happy." Takumi replied, leaning forward on the showcase, peering at some of the instruments kept inside.

"That's a good way to look at it I guess...you're a rather strong young man, if you can say something like that."

"I guess Mitsu's philosophy got to me...if anything you're the stronger of us two. Even after everything that happened, you persevered...you never gave up, so that accounts to something." he said happily, earning a smile from the woman.

"Well...I can't fail my children now can I? Shame, that you have to bear that man's name and not mine. If we were in America, I would have gladly adopted you into the family. But I know for a fact your father wouldn't like that."

"I don't really care, once I'm twenty years old, I'll be dropping his last name legally. I still can't believe his bullshit, he only agreed to sending me here because he had some serious business to handle, without me dragging him down. It's not like he can stop me either, since I'm a legal citizen of both Japan and the United States, I am technically and adult. And I have my Hawaiian Driver's License." he said, showing the woman his ID. She couldn't help but laugh.

"I was half expecting it to say McLovin."

"Oh my god, really?" he asked, earning a nod from her. The two jolted, having heard a knock coming from the door. The two of them saw a young woman holding up and umbrella, peering into the store. Erica sighed, walking over to it, unlocking it and opening the door.

"Sorry miss, we're closed."

"Please, I only need a saxophone reed. It's for a very important concert and the nearest music store is in Shinjuku. I don't have time to go there and back." the girl said.

"Takumi, that showcase in front of you has the reeds. What type of saxophone is it?"

"Alto Sax, please I only got about ten minutes before I'm due at the concert hall."

"Don't worry, we'll get you the reed." Erica reassured. Takumi walked around the counter, placing the reed in the girl's hand. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a bundle of bills.

"How much is it?"

"It's 2..."

"On the house, hope you make your concert." Erica said, cutting her son off. The girl looked at her with surprise, before giving her a thankful bow.

"Thank you so much, you have no idea how much this means to me. I'll definitely come back if I need more parts. Thanks again!" the girl cried, running off up the street. Erica watched her go, before pulling the door closed, checking the sign to make sure the closed side was facing outward.

"Why'd you give it to her for free?" Takumi asked.

"She was in a hurry, plus I could tell she was serious about her concert. I get a lot of customers here, who say they are passionate for music. But that's all just a lie, a passing fad for them. Serious musicians are those who take care of their instruments, look for parts when needed and, run to a music store in a rain storm, ten minutes before their concert just for a reed."

"I guess that's true...if you aren't passionate about music, then what's the point of wasting money on an instrument?" the boy asked.

"Business is business son...but it's my business to make a good judge of character. That way, I can talk them out of wasting their money. If they still insist, they do have a full money back guarantee if they bring their stuff back within the month."

"Not a bad deal...hmm, do you mind if I practice with an instrument? I think I'd like to learn something. Maybe I can try out everything until I find whatever sticks." he said, glancing at the Bass guitars that hung on the nearby wall.

"Sure...just be sure to put everything back. I'll teach you the basics on whatever instruments you try. I'd also like for you to give me a hand around here, I am short handed. Ayumi is the only one trained with these things, so having another person here would definitely help."

"I don't mind, you teach me how to play an instrument, and I'll help you run the place." he said, earning a smile from the woman.

"Excellent! We can start right now actually, go bring me that acoustic guitar there, I'll teach you how to string it. This is something we do for free, but if someone needs new strings, we usually charge 1,000 yen. You'll also have to learn prices, inventory and all of that fun stuff...so be prepared to learn."

"Yes ma'am!" the boy said with a grin.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	31. Infiltrate the Palace III: Futaba Sakura

**A/N:**

 **It's early and I'm too lazy to write an in depth Author's Note right now. Here's chapter 31, read it, love it, comment on it, PM with questions...you all do you. Peace!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 31

Infiltrate the Palace III: Futaba Sakura

 _ **Date: Thursday July 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Location: Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Well, here we are again...are you all ready for the infiltration this time around?" Joker asked, turning to face the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

"Definitely...we spent two days training and gathering things. I have an understanding on what the inside of a pyramid should be like. However, given the fact that this is Futaba's palace, it might be a little different. We must beware of traps, including trap doors, arrow traps and various other things set in place to prevent raiders from entering." Queen said firmly.

"Yes, I have also prepared necessary tools. It took a bit of time and a lot of patience, especially to distract my nosy elder sister. But I believe I did this task justice." Duchess said, setting down the duffle bag she had brought along. She unzipped it, pulling out several canisters, which she placed on the ground.

"These are more smoke grenades, all of them have been color coded. Queen yours will be silver, since you have that sort of color scheme. I've got sky blue, Duchess has pink. Joker, Panther, Mona, Skull and Fox, have black, red, green and yellow and blue in that order." Songbird said, passing each canister out to their respective owner, along with a lighter.

"Whoa...this shit is serious. Now we each got two of these, if we get in a pickle, we can definitely use them." Skull said, glancing at his grenade.

"Indeed, these shall prove quite useful." Fox added, giving Duchess a pat on the head much to her chagrin. She brushed her hair down, grabbing one more canister, which was covered in black duct tape, covering the brand entirely.

"This one is for Joker...I'm sure I don't have to explain how this works." she said, tossing him the can. He looked it over, spotting the lighter in front of the sprayer. He chuckled, giving the girl a nod.

"Thank you Duchess, I will use these tools to the full extent of their abilities. Shall we infiltrate?"

"Yes, we shall...I'll take point, Panther, Skull you two are on me. Queen keep an eye on Duchess for me. Once I give the all clear, Joker can take the lead." the scout of the group said, pulling the loading rod on his rifle.

The boy took the lead, walking into the tomb and down the stairs. The first area had remained unchanged, making it rather easy for him to traverse. The rock from before had torn apart the pillars along with the flat rocks they had used to jump across. Songbird walked toward the edge of the room, jumping across the jutting rock formations, toward the other side of the room. He scanned the area briefly, frowning when he saw the door that had blocked the stairs had remained in place.

"Well...we aren't getting past this place." the boy muttered.

"Shit...I was hoping we could actually be able to go back to the top. Ah...why did Futaba have to change her cognition?" Skull groaned, grabbing a handful of hair in his hands.

"I don't think it was her...I believe it was the demons she's carrying. Those voices were keen on blaming her for her mother's death...poor thing." Panther replied sympathetically. Songbird shook his head, turning back the way he came.

"There's no point in hanging around here, there's no way forward so we have to look for an alternate entrance. The first thing pyramid builders did was build an underground tunnel, not just for air, but in case of cave ins, we might find something outside." he said, hopping back toward the other side. He walked back down the stairs, where Joker and the others remained waiting.

"So, no way forward huh?" Joker said, earning a nod from Songbird.

"We have to search outside for an alternate entrance. We may have to go underground for this endeavor, and without an actual map, we might be in trouble."

"I figured that'd be the case...looks like procuring one won't be so easy this time." Queen muttered dryly. Joker turned around, about to lead his team back outside, when Songbird spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He turned around, seeing Futaba's shadow had appeared behind them, a firm look on her face.

"So...you have decided to take your leave?" she asked curiously.

"We can't go forward, the door is locked." the boy replied, earning a small smirk from the girl.

"Indeed, however if you are going to leave, you might as well do me a favor. There is a nearby town, a man ended up taking something that belonged to me. If you recover it, I will give you a fine reward, what say you?"

"A reward, what kind of reward?" Mona asked curiously.

"Hey now, let's not focus on gold and silver right now. We don't have time to bring you back things. So just tell us where your treasure is!"

"Skull you can't demand things from her like that okay? Listen, it's gonna be a pain in the ass to get this back for you. What exactly is it?" Panther asked.

"A piece of papyrus. It is rather important to me, if you bring it back I will ensure you are rewarded. Is that not enough? Do you require something more?"

"The location to your treasure of course, but that isn't gonna happen." Joker replied.

"Hmm...perhaps if we fulfill her request, this endeavor may prove fruitful. There is nothing to lose, but we might have something to gain." Fox said firmly. Songbird nodded, turning to the shadow, holding his hand out to her.

"We'll recover your papyrus...only if you keep your end of the bargain, is that fair?"

"It is." she replied, giving him a firm shake. He turned to Joker, giving him a nod.

"We'll be back soon." he said, leading his friends out of the tomb.

"Save travels." Futaba's shadow said, waving at the Phantom Thieves as they left.

Once outside, the group of eight walked down the stairs, the sun shining brightly over them. Skull was clearly not happy with the current turn of events, but there wasn't exactly anything he could do. Joker glanced around the area for a few moments, before turning around to face his teammates.

"Alright...splitting up here will be beneficial. We have eight team members, so four of us will remain here searching for an alternate entrance. The other four will head to the nearby town and search for the bandit." Joker said.

"That's a fine idea, I volunteer to stay behind. We'll need someone capable to search around." Queen said.

"I'd like to stay as well, it might help me to understand ancient Egyptian architecture and art." Fox said, standing next to Queen.

"Well, Mona has to go with the group that leaves for the town. I can see it from here. That's at least five kilometers, give or take." Songbird added, lowering his rifle from his shoulder.

"I would like to accompany the group that heads out. I'd rather put my mind on a task than on a potentially fruitless search." Duchess said, fanning herself with a decorative fan, which Songbird never knew she had.

"I'll go with her then, can't have sister going over there without back up. Panther, do you mind staying here with Skull?"

"I'm cool with that, I really don't feel like running in this heat anyway. Searching around here for an entrance will be much better for me." the blonde model replied.

"Same, the less I sweat the better."

"Alright then, we have our teams. Queen, you're in charge here, if shadows start appearing, which I'm sure they wont, radio me on the MetaNav." Joker said firmly, earning a salute from Queen, who turned to face her friends.

"Lets search for that entrance, I'd like to find one before they return." she said. Joker lead the others toward the far left area of the pyramid, where the distant town stood. Songbird fanned his face a bit, sharing a look with Joker.

"That's a big town, it might take us awhile to search for those bandits. You sure you wanna split up?"

"I'm sure, it worked well when we were in Kaneshiro's Bank. As long as we have someone to cover each others backs, we'll be fine. Hey Duchess, you wanna drive?"

"Eh?"

"Are you sure about that?" Mona asked, glancing up at his leader.

"I'm sure, we should all get a turn. Come on, it isn't that hard, plus it'll be good practice for you in the real world." Joker said.

"Um...okay." the girl said shyly, not having expected to be given such an offer. Mona jumped into the air, transforming into his vehicle form. The three Thieves filed into the car, glad to be out of the sun.

"There's a bit of an issue...I can't really see." Duchess said, peering over the steering wheel. Joker reached under it, pulling a lever to lower the wheel a bit.

"There you go, can you reach the pedals fine?" he asked.

"Very much so, yes...I should be fine for now." she replied.

"Alright sis, you don't want to go over twenty when your learning. But there's nothing but open desert, so you can give it a little gas. Just try not to slam into anything, Mona doesn't like that." Songbird said, leaning over the seat. The girl nodded, giving the car a little gas, it wasn't long until the were approaching the city.

"There you go, just keep the wheels straight and you'll be golden." Joker said.

"Hmm...driving isn't as hard as adults make it out to be. Hey big brother, do you think you could let me drive your motorcycle when we get back home?"

"Ha, not on your life." the boy replied, leaning back in his seat.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"So, this is the town...it looks like an abandoned city, unlike any desert town I've seen before." Songbird said, glancing around the area.

"Looks more like a place you'd get computer parts or video games. It makes sense, since Futaba herself is a hacker. Alright, she said the bandit would be around here somewhere. It's a pretty small town, so there shouldn't be many places for him to hide." Mona said, glancing around. Songbird took a look at his surroundings, a smirk on his face.

He broke into a sprint, jumping onto a wooden crate. He reached up for the ledge above him, pulling himself up with ease. He climbed onto the angled roof, standing near the edge, glancing around the area. Taking his rifle off his shoulder, he flicked the scope caps open, peering through the scope.

"That was pretty sweet, you do parkour?" Joker asked curiously.

"Just a bit, a friend of mine is teaching me, figured I could use those skills here. There's a plaza not far from here, looks pretty big. That might be the place where the bandit is located. There are a couple shadows, but I'll take care of them. Stay to the streets, I'll cover you from the rooftops." he said, earning a nod from Joker.

Songbird continued running across the flat rooftops, steadying his breathing as he ran. He came to a stop at the edge of the building, raising his rifle to his shoulder. He shot a distant shadow, the side of its head snapping to the side before it disappeared. He spotted Joker, Mona and Duchess nearby, and with a thumbs up, they continued onward. Songbird climbed down from the rooftop, running around the side of the building and down the opposite street, finally reaching the plaza. The others walked into it followed by him a moment later.

"It's empty...there's simply no one here." Duchess noted, glancing around the area.

"This looks like a hub of activity though, there are some shops around here, so I think some people live here." Joker replied, squinting a bit as the sun was in his eyes.

"Hello there, are you folks lost?" a voice called out, causing the four to turn around. There was a tall man, dressed in a sleeveless shirt with baggy pants, and a large piece of cloth wrapped around his head to keep himself cool.

"Not really...am I to assume you're the man we're looking for? An artifact was stolen from the nearby pyramid, and the ruler has asked us to retrieve it. Why don't you do yourself a favor and give it back?" Duchess said firmly, aiming her crossbow at the man.

"Whoa, let's not do anything hasty here. That woman is insane, I was just doing a little exploration, I had to take something for my troubles!"

"Well it isn't yours, and we won't be able to steal her treasure if you don't give it back!" Mona snapped, pointing his sword forward.

"Steal? Ah, so you're Thieves like me...tell ya what, if you can capture me, I'll give you the papyrus back. Hope you guys are light on your feet!" he cried, breaking into a sprint. Songbird tossed Joker his rifle, sprinting after the man as fast as he could.

"Damn, he's pretty quick...think he could beat Skull in a footrace?" Mona asked curiously, earning a shrug from Joker.

"We should follow at a distance, bar the man's escapes so he gets cornered here...come on." he said, following after his teammate.

"Come on kid, you're too slow!" the bandit cried, throwing a metal trashcan in Songbird's way. The young actor jumped over it with ease, landing in a roll, he took a breath sprinting forward, reaching for the gun at his hip, holding it upward. He pulled the trigger a couple times, missing the man both times.

"Tch...no way I'll be able to get him like this." he muttered, sliding to a stop. He panted a bit, quickly turning around cape billowing as he did. He glanced up at the nearby building, a smirk on his face. He jumped on top of an oil drum, reaching the edge of the roof, pulling himself up with ease. He leaped over the gap in the buildings, landing on the flat roof. He continued running parallel with the street, keeping his eyes peeled.

He glanced down at the street, spotting the bandit not far from where he stood. He fanned his face a bit, trying not to focus on the sweat pouring down his neck. He rose his gun up, taking aim at the man's leg, hoping to incapacitate him. He was just part of Futaba's cognition so he didn't really care if he was injured or not. He pulled the trigger, the bandit screaming in pain, before he sprinted away, down the other street.

"Dammit, I must have only grazed him. Guess Panther was right, I do need practice with handguns." he muttered dryly, dropping down onto the street below, landing in a crouch. He followed the general path the bandit had taken, seeing a few drops of blood on the ground. He turned the corner, seeing he was back at the plaza he had just been at. He ran inside, seeing the bandit was on his own, looking around frantically for an escape.

"Looks like you're shit out of luck." Songbird said, a smirk on his face as the man turned around. Just then, Joker, Mona and Duchess walked into the plaza, giving the man a grin.

"Tch...you cheated, you blocked all of the other streets!"

"You never said we couldn't do that...so cough it up, give us back the papyrus." Mona snapped. The man let out a chuckle, a reddish black energy swirling around him.

"You'll have to come and get it then."

The man shifted into its true form, taking the shape of a large winged bird like creature, with golden feathers. It had an odd looking headdress around its head, along with some other colorful clothing. It had lion like legs, and a long tan tail that moved around wildly. It let out a screech as it flapped its wings, jumping up into the air.

"A flying enemy, gunfire should prove effective." Mona said, bracing himself for battle.

"Garudyne!" the bird shouted, batting its wings hard. The four Phantom Thieves screamed in shock as the powerful wind magic sent them flying back. Songbird hit the ground hard, slamming into the back wall loosing the air in his lungs. He gasp loudly, clutching his side in pain.

"Dammit, Songbird's down, we gotta cover him!"

"Allow me then, those that lay a hand on my brother deserve nothing but pain. Lady Loveless, Ziodyne!" Duchess chanted, pulling her mask off her face. Her persona flashed behind her, with a snap of her fingers a giant bolt of lightning struck the creature, who let out a pained scream, but still remained a loft.

"Ame-no-Uzume, Diarama." Joker chanted, snapping his fingers. The female persona sent the healing spell toward Songbird, healing all of his injuries. The young man stood up, brushing the dust from himself.

"Sorry about that." he said.

"Alright, Songbird's back up, let's hit him hard! Zorro, Magaru!" Mona chanted, urging his persona forward. Zorro send several blades of wind at the bird, who only chuckled as it was ineffective against him.

"Don't worry Mona, I got this. Let's go Phantom, Evil Touch." Songbird said with a smirk, placing a hand on his mask. The Phantom chuckled to himself as it flew forward, slapping the bird across the face, sending him sprawling to the ground, it let out a squeak, shivering in fear from the might of the stronger persona.

"Hell yeah, you inflicted fear on it. Take advantage of this second shot Songbird!" Mona cheered, earning a nod from the young man.

"Hehe, Ghostly Wail." he chanted. The Phantom took a deep breath, an earsplitting screech leading his mouth. It was so frightening that that it made the others jump. The enemy screamed fearfully, slamming its head onto the ground a few times, his screams of pain intermingling with his screams of fear. The Phantom rose a single hand, holding a flintlock pistol in it, just as Songbird rose his own handgun, a smirk on his face.

"Requiescat in Pace." he said softly. Both pulled the trigger, their bullets spinning around each other briefly before striking the bird, making him explode into reddish black smoke. The rolled up piece of papyrus fell to the ground where it once stood, signaling the end of the battle.

"That was epic." Joker said, giving a nod of acknowledgment to Songbird and his persona. The Phantom chuckled, blowing the smoke from his pistol before he disappeared, returning to Songbird's mask.

"We've been improving, I guess the more I open up to you, the stronger my heart gets, in turn that makes my persona stronger. I wish to see just how strong Phantom will be one day." he said. Duchess strolled forward, kneeling down to grab the rolled up papyrus.

"Well...we got the item, let us return to the pyramid posthaste. With luck, Queen managed to find an alternate entrance for us." she said.

"That's right, would you like to drive back Songbird?"

"Sure why not? Good job everyone, we got this done a lot faster than I had expected." he said happily.

"Let's go already! Maybe I'll get to see a sweat soaked Panther when we get back." Mona said, morphing into his car form.

"Dude, you've got some sick obsession with Panther. Why are you so in love with her?" Songbird asked, climbing into the driver's seat.

"Oh, that's because the first time he met her, he saw Kamoshida's cognitive version of her. She was dressed in a pink leopard print bikini." Joker said.

"Really? I would have loved to see that...eh...I mean, don't be so perverted Mona! You gotta respect our teammates!"

"Look who's talking, Mister, I stared at her breasts but didn't make it obvious!"

"Gentlemen, cease your quarrel! We need to return to the pyramid, so let's go!" Duchess snapped, arms crossed in annoyance. Songbird sighed, slamming his foot on the pedal, tearing off into the open street. He turned the wheel hard to the left, pressing the brakes at the same time.

"Deja Vu, I've just been in this place before! Higher on the street, and I know it's my time to go! Calling you, and search the mystery, standing on my feet! It's so hard when I try to be me!"

"Ugh." Joker and Duchess muttered in unison, disdain written on their faces.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Did you guys get the paper back?" Skull asked, wiping some sweat from his brow. Duchess held it up to him, a smile on her face.

"It was actually big brother who got it. He and the Phantom have grown quite powerful it seems." she said.

"What about you? Did you find an alternate entrance?" Joker asked, earning a frown from Queen.

"We didn't find anything, there is an entrance, just as Songbird said. However it is being blocked by a gate, so we cannot use it as an entrance as of this moment. The only way in is through the main door." she said, jabbing her thumb over her shoulder.

"Damn, I was hoping that wasn't the case...how the hell does she expect us to steal her heart if she does this? I mean...I get she's just defending herself but...not letting people in...that's so sad." Songbird muttered, placing a hand over his heart.

"There's nothing we can do...let's just go claim our reward, you four went through the trouble of getting that paper back." Panther said, flicking some of her hair over her shoulder.

"Wow...it's just as I imagined." Mona muttered, a smitten look on his face. Duchess grabbed a hold of Mona, wrapping her arms around his body, cradling him in her arms.

"Let us go kitty, you can't keep looking at people lecherously."

"Ah...hey put me down dammit! I'm not a toy! Songbird control your sister!"

"Sorry Mona, you were the one who were giving Panther lecherous looks."

"He was what?" the blonde model snapped.

"I'm gonna get you back for that one Songbird, just you wait." the feline snapped, shaking his paw angrily at him.

As they returned to the tomb's main chamber, Songbird decided to take the lead, taking the rolled up papyrus from Duchess. As he expected, Futaba's shadow was still in there, waiting for them to return. She perked up a bit as she saw the young actor approach her. He wordlessly handed her the scroll.

"You returned, and you brought along the item. I am quite impressed, I surely would have thought you'd quit." she said, taking the papyrus back.

"Not really, when we want to help someone, we go all the way. So, we brought you the papyrus back, where's your end of the bargain?" he asked. The girl glanced at the unrolled paper, handing it back to him.

"This is your reward, if you wish to infiltrate this tomb, you shall need a map. That bandit made off with this half in an attempt to return. You seem more competition than him, so you get to keep the map. But even then, it will prove fruitless."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Queen asked curiously, slowly approaching the girl.

" _Murderer!"_

" _Come on, say something you monster!"_

" _This is all your fault, she's dead because of you!"_

Futaba's shadow let out a pained cry, grabbing a hold of her head as if to silence the voices. A second later, she disappeared, the floor beneath the Thieves starting to rattle. Songbird started to move back, but it was too late, the floor opened up beneath them, sending them sprawling downward. They all slammed hard into the ground, having expecting something hard. Instead they landed in a quicksand pit, which started dragging them into the center of it.

"Quicksand! Hurry, swim as hard as you can!" Mona cried out, trying to reach the edge. Duchess reached to her utility belt, pulling out a white pistol from it. She took aim at the wall and fire, a hook launched out of it, stabbing into the wall.

"Grab the rope, quickly!" she cried, pulling herself forward. The others did the same, quickly reaching the edge. Songbird grabbed a hold of Panther's hand, pulling her out of the pit, only for him to trip back. The two landed in a heap on the floor, both panting from the adrenaline.

"Thanks Songbird, you saved my life!" the blonde cried, hugging the boy.

"You're welcome...could you let me breathe though?" he choked out, causing the girl to jump off his body, finally letting his chest expand. He stood up a second later, glancing up from where they had fallen.

"A trap door? A damn trap door, she almost killed us!" Skull cried, shaking the sand out of his jacket.

"It was a simple defense mechanism Skull, you needn't alarm yourself. It seems she is harboring a lot of fear, perhaps due to these people that keep shouting at her. Regardless, we have falling from the first floor here. It is safe to say this is a dungeon meant to trap raiders and plunderers." Fox surmised, glancing around at all of the sand falls and the giant pit in the center. Duchess looked around, letting out a scream of surprise, clutching her brother's waist.

"Ah...what?" he cried. The little girl held her hand up, pointing to a corner, where a human skeleton had been propped up, a rusted scimitar stabbed into what would have been his chest.

"Ehehe...it seems someone before us bit the dust, eh?" Skull said, earning a slap to the head from Panther.

"Sheesh, try being tactful! Don't worry sweetheart, that isn't gonna happen to us. Let's just focus on getting out of here kay? Joker?"

"Right...it seems like we can climb up. There should be a door around here somewhere...Songbird, are you up for some freerunning?" the young lad asked, turning to face the scout. He nodded, slinging his rifle across his back.

"Leave it to me...I'll find a way up." he said, moving toward one of the many sarcophagi located in the chamber. He raced up to one, grabbing a hold of the top of it, easily pulling himself up, he grabbed onto the ledge, keeping himself crouched down.

He pulled his rifle off his shoulder, and held it up, taking out the nearby shadows. He glanced at the upper areas, deciding to take care of those as well, it would be a lot quicker if they didn't have to deal with them. Once done, he waved at his friends, telling them that it was safe for them to start climbing up. He continued forward, jumping over a sand pit before continuing his run, keeping his steps as light as possible. He jumped up onto the next sarcophagus, climbing up to the next ledge.

"Damn, he's pretty fast...not as fast as me of course." Skull said.

"Indeed, you've been training a lot. Although I would like to see the two of you in a race. See who really is the fastest of the two." Queen added.

"Perhaps we could make that happen when we have some free time. I heard End of Summer is starting soon, maybe Skull can join." Duchess said.

"Nah...End of Summer is more for parkour based Stride teams. I did track sure, but I'm not that good with parkour. He has what it takes though, maybe he'll join a team." the blond said.

After awhile, Songbird managed to clear out the entire chamber, of both treasure and enemies. He looked around for a few more seconds, before walking down toward the door he had found. Joker and the rest of the team climbed over the side of the ledge a second later, with the two of them helping the rest of the team up.

"I didn't find many good things up here, aside from a Bead, which would help us a lot." the boy said, holding the glowing orb to Joker, who gave him a nod.

"Keep it, we might need it later." he said. Songbird nodded, placing the item in his pocket. He and Joker walked through the door first, seeing the hallway was empty.

"Alright, the map says that if we take this path, there's an area that will lead up to the next floor. There's also another hallway that will lead outside, perhaps that door we found earlier." Queen said.

"We should secure that route first, that way we can use that door to return here. Let's get too it." Joker said.

Systematically, the eight Thieves continued their infiltration, taking down shadows whenever they were spotted. Thankfully, the palace security didn't increase, and Futaba was never alerted by any shadows. After taking all of the canine shadows, they headed toward the door at the end of the hall, pulling the lever, raising the iron gate that barred entrance from the outside.

"We should use this as our escape route. Once we unlock the Great Stairs, we should be able to find a saferoom. Do you wanna continue infiltrating Joker? Or do you wanna regroup and continue tomorrow?" Queen asked.

"I'm a little tired, but I can keep going...we're already here, may as well push on as far as we can today." Skull said.

"Same here, I have yet to appreciate the true aesthetics of this place. I could go for a longer exploration. In the end it shall aid us greatly." Fox said. Joker glanced at the others, earning similar nods.

"Let us push forward then." he said confidently.

Turning around, Joker lead them back to the room they had passed before. Several tall spears had been blocking part of this area, the back wall being lined with sarcophagi as far as they could see. There were some glowing rainbow flames, keeping the room lit. In front of one of the sarcophagi, stood a tall shadow, though it lacked a shape like the mummies they had been seeing walking through the place. Songbird felt rather unnerved by it.

"Look at how placid it is...it's as if there isn't a care in the world for it." Fox said.

"We should be careful, if it's acting like this, it could be a real powerhouse." Queen warned, grabbing her brass knuckles, slipping them over her hands.

"Let's fight it." Joker said, running into the room. Everyone followed suit, standing in a semi-circle around the shadow, that just chuckled darkly at them.

"FOOLISH GRAVE ROBBERS! I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THIS PLACE! HENCE, THERE IS NO PATH FORWARD BUT DEATH!" it shouted. The area shook as it morphed into its true form, that of a giant golden sarcophagus, with an eye hieroglyph cared out at the front.

"A sarcophagus...we're fighting a sarcophagus." Songbird muttered.

"An enemy is an enemy, keep your guard up. This one looks strong." Mona warned, earning a nod from the boy.

"Big brother, let us focus on support. Lady Loveless, Matarukaja!" Duchess cried out, summoning her persona. The Victorian era lady opened her fan, sending a wave of magic over their allies.

"Whoa...look at that, she really does have a persona." Skull muttered.

"You still doubted her? You idiot!" Panther cried, unrolling her whip.

"Phantom of the Opera, Debilitate!" Songbird cried, placing a hand over his mask. The Phantom appeared behind him, shooting high into the air. With a flap of his wings, it sent a stream of glowing feathers at the sarcophagus, all of them exploded around it, lowering its power significantly.

"Carmen, use Agilao on it!" Panther chanted. The exotic dancer flicked her wrist, sending a large fireball at the sarcophagus, who just let out a chuckle as it barely had an effect. It opened up, a mummified hand coming out of it. It swiped Panther with a weird glowing spell, which turned her into a mouse, much to their surprise.

"Aw crap...Panther's been turned into a mouse, she won't be able to attack!"

"What? What the fuck? This makes sense?" Songbird cried.

"Just go with it, it's Futaba's cognition, anything can happen!" the black feline cried, taking a couple swipes at the shadow with his scimitar.

"Persona Change: Kikuri-Hime, Maragion!" Joker called out, summoning the red skinned woman to the fray. She closed her eyes, sending a large wave of flames outward at the shadow, doing a lot more damage than before.

"It's burning, someone use a wind attack!" Queen cried.

"Allow me, time for my other self! Zorro, Magaru!" Mona cried out. His persona slashed the air before him, sending the glowing blades of wind magic at the sarcophagus, causing it to fall over, groans coming from within.

"Quick, let's get it!" Skull cried, dashing forward, club in hand.

After a series of coordinated attacks and magic spells, the shadow finally fell to the might of the Phantom Thieves. The group of eight couldn't help but fall down onto the ground, tired after the fight. Joker panted a bit, but remained standing, reaching into his pocket for one of his rations, as he was starting to lose a bit of energy.

"We managed to scrape by somehow, that one was pretty tough." Panther said, smiling despite the fact she spent most of the fight as a mouse.

"Panther's right, we should be more cautious about how we approach this place. We might run into more resistance as we continue onward." Queen said, screwing the cap of her bottle back on.

"That one took a lot out of me...but I'm still ready to go! You're call Joker, if we leave or if we continue." Skull said, standing back up, resting his club on his shoulder.

"The faster we move, the faster we get outta here." Songbird said, helping his little sister back to her feet. She finished the last of her power bar, shoving the wrapper into one of her many pockets. He started moving toward one of the sarcophagi, running up it until he grabbed the top, pulling himself up.

It wasn't long before the others followed his lead, heading toward the next area. It was a large room, with nothing but sand all over the place. There was a wooden structure serving as a bridge across the room. There was also a larger platform that lead up to a higher area, where Songbird could see a glowing green door. He plinked the two shadows that were in the room, taking care of any threat from them. Joker jumped across the wooden platforms, running straight toward the large tipped over weapon near the other side of the room.

"Whoa...what's this? Some kinda bow and arrow thing?" Skull asked curiously.

"Actually, that's a stationary weapon from the middle ages."

"A ballista, it's designed to take care of large groups of enemies. These weapons were actually thought to have been created back in..."

"Alright, none of that...we can't waste time with some nerdy explanation." Skull said, brushing Songbird off, much to his annoyance. He crossed his arms, glancing away from the weapon.

"I'm surprised you know about this stuff Queen. It's pretty fitting I guess."

"I did some research on middle age weapons, in case we ran into some in here. Still, this one is sort of off, there's a loaded arrow but it doesn't look like we can fire it from here. Even if we did, I doubt there would be a point to it." she replied.

"Let us leave it for now, we might not need it. There is a room up there that we have yet to check out." Fox said, pointing up toward the higher area.

With nothing left to do, Joker lead them up to the next area, pausing to help his teammates up. Once inside the other room, Songbird took his role of scout, taking aim at the nearby canine, putting a bullet through the side of its head, ending it quickly. However, he failed to notice the mummy that was walking around, as it turned around, it spotted him, causing him to slam his gun into it. It morphed into its original form, a giant lamia who chuckled evilly at them.

"A lamia...why the hell would something like this be here?" he muttered.

"It seems odd, but let's just attack it! Johanna, Frei!" Queen cried out, sending a ball of Nuclear magic at the creature, who crossed her arms taking the attack.

"It barely did damage...it must be resistant to destructive magic." Duchess noted, keeping her hand on her mask, ready to summon Lady Loveless on a whim.

"Let me have a turn, let's go Carmen, charge up the strongest Agilao you can!"

"Don't, lamias are part snake, meaning they like heat, fire wouldn't be good. I believe ice is the true weakness to it." Songbird said, glancing at the red themed girl, who glanced at him with a quirked brow.

"Allow me then, Persona! Mabufu!" Fox cried, summoning Goemon. The large samurai blew into his pipe, sending a blast of ice at the lamia, causing her to scream in pain, falling down to the ground.

"Songbird was right, let's finish it!" Mona cried, dashing at the creature, slashing it too and fro with his sword. Fox had the finishing attack, slicing its head clean off with his katana, blood spewing from its neck as it burst into dark red smoke.

"Good call there Songbird, that battle could have ended differently if Panther and Carmen attacked." Queen said.

"It was just a guess...but I just noticed something, is Carmen smoking a blunt?" the brown haired actor. The large dancer pulled the object from her mouth, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

" _It's not a blunt you moron, it's a cigar."_

"Could've fooled me."

"Guys really? This isn't the time." Queen snapped, looking quite annoyed.

"Alright sheesh, forgive me for asking a question and for wanting to know more about my friend's personas." the boy said, holding his hands up in defeat.

"Don't worry Songbird, I'll let you talk to Carmen later." Panther said, allowing her persona to return into her mask.

They walked into the next room finding a giant reflecting statue of sorts. Songbird was quick to examine it, and after explaining that it was channeling sunlight from the top of the pyramid, he said that there was nothing else important about it and lead his friends back the way they came. Looking around briefly, he spotted what looked like a button near the top of the room. Joker gave him a nod, and took the lead, shimming across the small ledge toward the big red button that had been built into the wall.

"So...what do you think it does?" Skull asked curiously.

"Perhaps if you press it, it will make you smarter." Duchess said jokingly, causing Mona to break into laughter, falling to the floor as he slammed his tiny paws into the ground.

"Haha, that's a fuckin knee slapper!" the blond snapped angrily.

"I think Joker should press it, I think this button activates the ballista...if you take a look at the door, it bears the same inscription as the mirror statue in the other room." Fox said, causing Songbird to hum in thought.

"You're right, perhaps this door will only unlock if the barrier is hit with sunlight. Press the button Joker, let's see if our theory is right." he said.

"Alright." the boy replied, pressing the button. The ballista creaked as the arrow was fired, destroying a huge part of the far wall. When the dust cleared, the beam of sunlight shot through the hole, striking the seal in the center of the barrier. It glowed briefly, finally disappearing.

"You two were right, we should be able to get through those doors now."

"Then let's go!" Skull cried impatiently, jumping down to the ground.

Joker and Songbird took the lead, passing through the large door into a large chamber. It looked to be filled with nothing but sarcophagi, as far as the eye cloud see. In the middle of two large sarcophagi was a panel which was glowing green. Joker knelt before it, narrowing his eyes as he tried to read it, only for him to back away, a frown on his face.

"I dunno what language this is." he said.

"Probably hieroglyphics, this is based on ancient Egypt after all." Songbird said. Queen narrowed her eyes as she examined the tablet, tracing the words with her fingertip.

"It's Latin...sadly I don't know how to read it."

"I do...allow me...hmm...lucis deus inferni erit signum falsae commentium...roughly translated it, it means...the light shed by the god of the underworld..shall become the sign...to those who traverse the pits." she said, turning to face the others.

"The light shed by the underworld god...what could that mean?" Queen muttered.

"Only one way to find out...let's keep exploring." Joker said, walking away from the tablet.

After taking down a few shadows...they entered another room filled with nothing but sarcophagi. This room however held something different, there was a statue of a dog-like entity placed near the back of the room. It had its hand held outward, holding a glowing green orb. Joker walked toward it, shoving his hands in his pockets as he looked at it.

"What's up with this weird dog man?" Skull asked curiously.

"This weird dog man is the Egyptian god of the underworld, Anubis. The Ancient Egyptians saw many Jackals around cemeteries, thus they believed that there was a god that watched over the dead. Along with that, Anubis is known as the god of embalming, and was responsible for embalming Osiris after he was killed by Seth. If you wanna compare him to something else, think of him like Cerberus from Greek Mythology, an entity that watches the underworld gate." Songbird replied.

"That's all very interesting, but why is it holding an orb?" Panther asked curiously.

"Well, Anubis is also the one who ferries the souls of the dead to the afterlife, so they can be reborn. Perhaps this orb it holds is a lantern...it would make sense with what the tablet said, the light provided by the god of the dead shall aid in our exploration." Duchess said, examining the orb closely.

"We should take it, we might need it later on." Mona said, earning a nod from Joker, who grabbed a hold of the orb. He placed it in his pocket, spinning on his heel.

"Let's go, I saw another door earlier." he said, leading his team out of the room.

Taking care of a few more shadows, the Phantom Thieves entered another room, recovering a second orb from another Anubis statue. They walked into the final room in that area, being lead back to the main chamber, right above the place where they had dropped. They all looked ahead, seeing the door that was blocking the Great Stairs.

"We're right above where we fell earlier." Fox noted, glancing around the area.

"There's another mirror statue. Perhaps if we find a way to move it, we can unlock that door. Look around, there might be something around here." Joker said. The team split up, searching the area for any clues. Duchess walked up to the statue, glancing at her reflection in the mirror, narrowing her eyes a bit.

"I look like a Victorian era princess, is there a way I could change this outfit?" she asked.

"Sorry kid, that's how your rebellious heart sees you...as far as I know, I haven't seen a spirit armor change." Mona said.

"Why would you wanna change it? Your outfit makes you look like an actual Duchess, it's really cute!" Panther said.

"Does that mean you are alright with that skin tight body suit? You jiggle every time you walk." the girl deadpanned, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"I'm not exactly okay with it, but my heart doesn't lie. In this outfit, I can use my sex appeal to my advantage, tricking shadows and other things to do was we ask. It's actually worked well in the past." she admitted.

"Hey, I got a question...how does your tail work? I thought it was just another whip, but when I looked at it, it looked like a normal tail. How does it move?" Songbird asked.

"I dunno...I've never figured it out myself. I tried tugging on it and it feels like it's attached to me. It also gets in the way whenever I'm sitting down."

"Finally, someone that understands my pain! We should get together and talk about how our tails ruin our sitting positions!" Mona cried, a slight flush on his face. Songbird rolled his eyes, walking toward the other end of the area, seeing the two pedestals that were tucked at the corners.

"Find anything?" he asked, earning a frown from Joker.

"Just these two pedestals...they look like they could be lit."

"Actually Joker, I've been examining these pedestals and they look like something can be inserted. Perhaps you should place those two orbs there to see if that does something." Fox said.

"That might be a good idea, go for it man, nothing ventured, nothing gained as they say." Songbird said. The boy reached into his pockets, pulling out the orbs he had recovered. He placed both of them in the pedestals, seeing them sink down a bit. The area rattled a bit, and they turned around, seeing the statue's mirrors shift, seeing the beam of light fly straight toward the sealed door, destroying the barrier before it.

"Nice, now we can go up the stairs!" Panther cried cheerfully, a look of relief on her face.

"It's about time, I was so tired of walking around this place. Hopefully we can make it to the top." Skull said.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, we might have to do a little more exploration. Let's just go up the stairs and see where we are." Mona said, jumping down to the entrance hall. The others jumped down as well, with Songbird lowering his sister down so that Joker could catch her.

They crossed over the gaping maw before the stairs, opening the door. The eight Phantom Thieves continued running up the stairs, a look of excitement on their faces, which was completely diminished when they saw another barred door blocking another portion of the stairs. They all groaned, falling down onto the floor.

"Damn, here I was hoping we could make it to the top in one go." Skull cried, slamming his fist onto the ground.

"Mona, do you know how close we are to the treasure room?" Songbird asked curiously.

"Still a long way, we're probably a quarter of the way in. We're not where I wanted to be on day one, but we did good." the feline said.

"Hey, there's a saferoom right here, we should go take a break in there, assess our situation." Panther said, waving the others over from where she was. Everyone stood up, moving quickly toward the saferoom. Once they were all inside, they all sat down, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Fuck me man, what a pain in the ass...at least we did some exploration, and there's plenty of things we haven't seen in the map yet." Skull said, glancing at the papyrus that Queen had set down on the table.

"I'm beat man, though I am happy...I got to indulge my curiosity about Egyptian pyramids. Any time my knowledge is useful, it makes me feel like a more involved part of the team."

"Glad to hear it Songbird, everything you said was very knowledgeable. I'm actually interested in studying more about Egyptian history now." Joker said happily.

"Moving on, I believe this is a perfect place to continue from. We've been here for three hours already, that means six hours have passed in the real world. We should regroup and rest for tomorrow." Queen advised earning nods from the Thieves.

"I agree with that, I'm ready to kiss this pyramid goodbye for today. I wanna get some ramen and eat it in the comfort of my air conditioned bedroom."

"I agree with Skull, I'd like to study the fundamentals of Ontology while cuddling in my cool bedroom. Perhaps I could get myself a salad as well." Duchess said happily.

"A salad? Never heard of a nine year old eating that...I would have thought you'd like to eat some candy or something."

"I'm not a typical nine year old Mona...as you know, I am quite different than the norm. I just wish I could get rid of this damn dress, it's too poofy." the girl said, looking at her Victorian dress with a frown.

"We should head out, we can meet up in Leblanc tomorrow and make more plans."

"Indeed, it shall be up to you to gather us up Joker." Fox said, earning a nod from their leader.

"Okay, let's pull out then...great job everyone, especially you, Duchess. You did exceptionally well for your first infiltration."

"I thank you Joker, I'm not one to care for praise, but I wouldn't mind if you did it more often." she replied, flushing a bit. Songbird picked the girl up, placing her on his back, making sure his rifle didn't bother her.

"Come on kiddo, we're getting some ice cream on the way home, you deserve it for being awesome. If it wasn't for you knowing Latin, we would have been totally screwed."

"Cherry Garcia then, it's my favorite." she said with a firm nod. The Phantom Thieves sighed contently, happy that they could take a break from their infiltration.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	32. Infiltrate the Palace III: Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Alright, after partially infiltrating Futaba's Palace, the Phantom Thieves move onto Ryoutaro Shimizu's Palace. This is where the original stuff starts kicking in, and you get to see first hand the kind of monster this mother fucker is. From here on out, the chapters are gonna get dark, if you weren't already aware of it due to the stuff you've already read up until this point. It is gonna get a lot darker as we go on. However, I did handle it with the utmost respect, so no sexual acts will be shown of any time, I do not condone that kind of shit, but everything will be implied, and well...you already know what Shimizu is doing. So you have been warned, I hope you have enjoyed these two chapters, I will see you all Tuesday with the next two. See ya later taters!**

 **Also, be sure to check out New Meme Time Megamix V: Everyone's Final Soundclown Mashup. This is what I listened to when writing most of the story, the creator mashed up 70 or so songs together and it just came out sounding so damn awesome. So make sure you listen to it. Also go sub to Jonathan Young, his music has kept me sane for quite awhile, and he's just an amazing dude all around, he's almost at a million subs so help him get there and check out all of his awesome stuff.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 32

Infiltrate the Palace III: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Friday July 29**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Kanami and Rise's Apartment(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Weather: Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Kanami, you have to tell somebody about this! Look at yourself, you came home all beat up!" Rise cried, glancing at her friend, who was lying in her bed, flipping through a magazine. It was one she had done before she had met Director Shimizu, it was filled with pin ups and sexy bikini shots of her, now she didn't think she could ever do something like that anymore.

"I simply can't Rise...he said that if Takumi doesn't bring back the video file he took, he'll leak my pictures on the internet. There's nothing I can do about it, our house is being watched, and whenever I leave, Kaburagi follows me so I don't tattle. I can't do anything."

"Then let me fucking do it. What the hell is he gonna to do me huh? Yu taught me self defense, and Naoto taught me how to use a gun. I have my permit with me, do you actually think they can do anything to me?"

"Please Rise don't! They threatened me with you, saying that you'll be forced to replace that video with me. Not just that, Ayumi and Mitsuhide too...I can't, if I do anything they'll be taken." Kanami said, covering her face with her magazine. She didn't want her friend to see her tears. Rise growled angrily, turning away from her friend.

"Dammit...if only I wasn't so weak...if only Kanzeon could attack instead of support!"

"Kanzeon? Your persona? I thought you lost that power after the dance festival ended years ago."

"I did...for a time, but I've recently found a way to connect to her again. It's another world, where people's distorted desires take physical form. It's there that Shimizu's shadow exists, and hides his treasure. In order for him to admit his crimes and leave you alone, is to make him have a change of heart." Rise explained. Kanami sat up, groaning a bit in pain as she grabbed her bruised ribs. She panted a bit as she lay back against the headboard, holding back her tears of pain.

"A change of heart...you mean, like what the Phantom Thieves do? Have you met them?"

"No...I haven't met them...and I can't tell you how I got to that world. Just know that there is a way we can end this, but we have to let Takumi know. He's involved in this after all...we need his help."

"What can he do? Because of what he did, I got beat up for it...I can barely walk, let alone breathe! Whenever I get up to even take a piss it hurts...what can he do? He's just getting himself in more danger." Kanami snapped angrily, earning a sigh from her best friend.

"There's something we can all do, and that's fight his shadow...dammit, if only Yukiko wasn't busy at the Inn. If only Yosuke and Chie weren't on that trip in Hokkaido, and if only Yu and I were still together, there would be something we could all do. We're not a very good Investigation Team anymore...now that the Mayonaka Killings are over." she said sadly.

"What about...what about Teddie? Can't he help us?"

"I don't think so...he made manager at Junes not that long ago, I doubt he'd be able to come over to Tokyo...this isn't fair. My grandmother is getting worse, me and my boyfriend broke up, and now my best friend is being extorted...I wish I could do something, anything!" Rise cried, snapping her arm forward, punching a hole right through the plaster. Kanami sighed, brushing her bangs out of her eyes.

"You're gonna fix that, got it?" she asked.

"Sorry it's just...I want the old Kanami back, the carefree meat obsessed, cow joke loving idol I got to know. You know...I used to be jealous of you, when I quit and you took the spotlight as Kanamin, I couldn't help but hate you. But then I got to know you, and after all the shit we went through, you're like my sister...I can't hate seeing you like this."

"I know Rise, I know that...but we can't do anything. He's got pictures of both of us, and his threats are real. He killed a reporter who found out everything at his daughter's birthday party in Destiny Land, he had Hana Song killed because she went back to Seoul to tell the Interpol about him. Kaburagi erased several reports made on social media about him, he's got all his bases covered...face it, my career is over. Come August 26th, everything will end." Kanami said, bowing her head in disappointment. Rise sighed, pinching her eyes as she tried to think. She reached her back pocket for her cellphone, tapping her screen a few times before calling.

"Who are you calling?"

"A friend, she's gonna help me help you. Don't worry about anything, I'm going to save you. Then we'll get Kanamin's Kitchen back and do a summer concert and everything. I know it'll be hard to forget everything that's happened, but trust me...you'll be just fine." she said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"Thank you Rise...for being my light at the end of the tunnel. I'm gonna take nap okay?"

"Go for it, sleep well...if you need medicine just call me." she said, walking out of the bedroom. Once she was in the kitchen, she spoke into the receiver.

"Sorry about that, Takumi...we need to meet up...it's serious...very serious. Is there a way you can bring the Phantom Thieves here?"

" _Bring them there? I dunno about that...what's wrong Rise? You can tell me anything you know?"_

"I can't tell you here...Kanami is...fuck...I need to speak to your leader, if he's here then I'll be able to explain everything. It's urgent, please meet me at My Own Maid in an hour. I'll owe you big time." she said, sounding desperate. She heard a sigh on the other line.

" _Alright, I'll talk to him and head out when I can...Rise...please don't make me worry, if it's anything about Kanami, don't hesitate to tell me."_

"I won't, I'll tell you everything, I promise." she said, ending the wall. She walked back to her bedroom, grabbing one of her many purses. She reached for her drawer and opened it, pulling out the .38 Caliber Revolver she had purchased some time ago, along with some spare bullets. It felt a bit awkward in her hands, despite her loving nature, she couldn't leave without it. Especially now that her friend's life was in danger.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Why did we have to meet up here again?" Morgana asked, sticking his head out of Ren's bag.

"We're meeting up with a close friend, she's like my sister, and apparently to the rest of Japan, her boyfriend." Takumi said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked.

"Huh? We're meeting with her? In Akihabara of all places?"

"It's close to her home, so it makes it easier than meeting up in Shibuya. She sounded urgent, so I really hope she's alright." he said, arriving at the Maid cafe. The two girls outside of it opened the doors, bowing to them.

"Welcome Masters, we hope you enjoy your time at our cafe!" they cried in unison, surprising both Ren and Morgana who had never set foot inside the cafe.

"Thanks girls, I hope you two are having a great day already." Takumi said, giving them a bow before entering the cafe. The boy continued walking, greeting all of the maids and butlers by name as he walked, heading toward the VIP part of the cafe.

"Wow...you know all of them by name?" Ren asked curiously.

"I've been here a lot. This is where me and Kanami meet up, as well as meet up with Rise when she doesn't wanna be seen in public. The owner and managers are super chill about it. It makes it the perfect place to relax, and the service is amazing too."

"Gah!"

Ren and Takumi paused looking at the other side of the cafe, seeing a girl repeatedly apologizing to a customer. It was a girl that the two of them knew, from Takumi's previous commercial shoot. She grabbed the platter she had dropped along with all of the food and quickly scampered to the back, looking very embarrassed as she walked. Takumi chuckled, shaking his head.

"Well...it's a perfect place to relax, whenever Clara can keep it together. Come on, it seems she's already waiting." he said, arriving at the VIP area. One of the maids opened the rope allowing the two to walk into the last booth in the cafe. Takumi didn't even get to sit down, Rise had shot to her feet as soon as she saw him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Oh Takumi, thank you for coming...you have no idea how worried I am." she cried.

"About me?" he asked. She released the boy, shaking her head. She glanced to her left, seeing the curious gaze Ren was giving her. She gave the boy a smile, holding her hand out.

"It's nice to meet you, my name is Rise Kujikawa. Would you...like an autograph or a picture or something?" she asked. The boy shook her hand, a smile on his face.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Kujikawa-san, you may call me Ren. I'd love to have you sign something, but it's clear that you are stressed at the moment. We can do that at another time." he said.

"Alright, and please call me Rise, a friend of Takumi's is a friend of mine. Of course, he's more like a little brother now." she said. The three of them took a seat, with Ren placing his back between himself and Takumi.

"Hey, are you gonna introduce me? I'm the most charming one here." Morgana said, causing the idol to look around in confusion.

"Who said that?" she asked.

"That was Morgana, our friend. He's a cat." Takumi said, holding the bag up so the girl could see.

"You idiot, why did you do that?" the cat cried, though to everyone else it sounded like loud mewls.

"Calm down, you're gonna bring attention to us. The reason why I introduced her is because she already knows about us. Remember? We went to Shimizu's palace together. What's the point of beating around the bush?" the boy asked softly.

"That's right...tell me Rise, how was it that you were able to get your own Persona?" Ren asked, leaning forward in his seat. The girl flushed glancing away from him.

"Um well...it's a long story...do you recall the Midnight Channel? It was a legend surrounding Inaba back in 2011. People were being murdered and no one knew why. That's originally when I got my persona...I wasn't the only one, several of my close friends have their own persona, but we've all lost touch with them. It wasn't until recently that I felt Kanzeon again." she replied.

"I'm sure you'll explain it to us in detail later, I'd personally like to know more about this. We are very busy at the moment, planning to infiltrate another palace actually. What was it that you needed us for?" Morgana asked, having calmed down a bit.

"It's...it's pretty serious. Takumi, I want you to remain calm as I tell you this alright? It does involve your sister."

"Kanami? What happened to her? She isn't hurt is she?" he asked, a look of worry on his face. She gave him a small nod, taking a shaky breath.

"A couple days ago...she came home late...turns out Shimizu threatened her. Akihiko ended up hitting her pretty hard, enough to crack a few of her ribs. I took her to the hospital, having to lie to everyone about how she got them, but they said she'll have to stop doing strenuous activities for a couple months while she heals." she said.

"Shouji...I swear to god, I'm going to murder him." the brown haired actor spat, grinding his teeth together in anger.

"Please...don't do anything foolish. At least not until I finish speaking...Shimizu...he knows that you stole his file. He gave Kanami an ultimatum...if she doesn't recover that file by August 26th, he's going to leak various nude photos of her online."

"What?" the boy cried, covering his mouth right after. A few patrons looked over to their booth, but a few of the maids were quick to calm them down. Ren placed a hand on his shoulder, silently calming his friend down.

"Please Rise, continue what you were saying." the frizzy haired boy said, earning a nod from the idol.

"It gets worse...he said that the file is protected, that if it's opened in another computer, it'll self delete. If that has already happened...he said that she would have to be the main actress and replace all of the lost video. Not just that, he said that I would also be forced to take part, along with Takumi's little sisters." she said. The two teenagers remained silent, not wanting to make another outburst. Takumi grabbed the napkin dispenser, squeezing it enough for it to bend slightly.

"What else did he say?" he asked, trying to keep himself calmed down.

"He said...that you'd be the main star...having to take the lead role. That he wouldn't stop directing us until his movie was replaced. He said that he wanted to make merchandise out of all of us, to turn us into the most famous pornographic stars in Japan. He said that forcing a brother to do that stuff with his sisters was going to make him millions. Among the nude pictures of Kanami, he has pictures of me taking a shower, and told her that he would make sure my career was so destroyed, I'd have to resort to porn to make a living." she said.

"This...this is truly horrible...this is way worse than Kamoshida or Madarame...hell even Kaneshiro looks like a saint. I can't believe one of the most famous movie directors in the world, famous for so many romantic films, is a sick piece of shit beneath the mask." Morgana muttered, anger clear in his tone.

"Hey...I know Phantom Thieves only steal hearts...but you're gonna have to hold me back when we face him. You'll have to prevent me from taking a kill shot, because at this rate, I'm going to wipe him off the face of this planet."

"I know how you feel Takumi, this is your sister Kanami, and your little sisters. But remember, we do not kill." Ren said firmly.

"I asked for you to be here Ren, because I know who you are. You're the leader of the Phantom Thieves, please I'm making a personal request, for the safety of my best friend, my sister. You have to take this man down, I fear he might kill her. You've read what he's done, so you know he isn't bluffing...we don't have much time." Rise said, clasping her hands tightly.

"We've already taken this mission, the thing is we're already infiltrating the palace of someone important. Medjed is going to attack on August 21st, and is going to attack all of Japan. I know your request is urgent, both of them are." Ren said firmly.

"Thing is, Takumi told us about Shimizu's palace, and how much security it has in it. It has more than all of the palaces we've been at, which means Shimizu is on his guard, and now that he's threatened Kanami, he must be more on guard. We're short handed and lack tools...this is a mission that requires the entire team. It's going to take a lot of planning, but we'll get it done." Morgana added, a firm yet disappointed tone in his voice.

"Trust me Rise, I wanna tear this asshole a new one. I wanna go there right now and beat the shit out of his shadow, make him suffer in the real world. But we can't jump the gun, it's too dangerous...four of us went in last time, and we almost didn't make it out. However, when we do go in, you'll come with us, and so will Haru. We need all the hands we can get to bring this fucker down."

"Alright...but please, I don't wanna hurry you, but Kanami is scared about all of this. I just wanted to let you know, I have to go...I've left her alone for too long and I don't feel safe. She's so hurt she might not be able to defend herself. Thanks for coming out here, I promise I'll give you all something awesome for your troubles. See you." Rise said, bowing apologetically before leaving in a hurry.

"This is serious, I didn't think it was this bad." Morgana muttered quietly.

"Same here...we can't focus solely on Futaba's palace, no matter how much she insists it. I know Medjed is the bigger threat, but Shimizu is the most dangerous one." Ren replied, brushing some hair out of his eyes.

"I think...I think I'm going to return that video file."

"What? But that's our only evidence! Once we change his heart, we have to submit it to the police."

"I know that Morgana, but my sister is in danger...didn't you hear? If I don't return that, my sister's career will be ruined. Not just that, we will all probably get caught and forced into his sick little movie. I will not put my sisters in that kind of danger again. I am not going to sit by while this man ruins my Kanami's life, I've had that happen to me and I am not going to let it happen to anyone else." Takumi said, standing up from his seat.

"You're thinking too fast...going in there now, on your own is dangerous. Do you actually think they're gonna let you go once you go there? They're gonna blow you away man...think about your family, our friends...what would Lady Ann think? She'd be devastated if something happened to you." Morgana said, causing the boy to quirk a brow at him.

"Why should she be devastated? I'm just some guy, I'm no one special."

"You're an idiot then, just as idiotic as Ryuji...haven't you seen the way she looks at you? How she ran after you the night you told us about Shimizu? You're a dumb ass if you didn't notice, it's clear she likes you."

"Huh? Are you sure about that Morgana?" the boy asked.

"He's sure, and I'm sure too...I've seen the way she looks at you. Especially when she insisted on you going to Inokashira Park, and I've never said this but she talks about you when we hang out." Ren said. The boy frowned, bowing his head as he retook his seat.

"She shouldn't bother with someone like me then...the only thing I'll do to her is bring her grief. I'll probably ruin her modeling career with those damn drug allegations. They're stuck to me like fucking leeches at this point. It doesn't matter, I have to bring this file back or my sister gets forced into the porn industry, or worse...I can't have that happening." Takumi replied.

"Oh brother...I practically just gave you my blessing to date Lady Ann you idiot. Now is the time to think, not act so let's plan everything out and act out every single role. We will take this fucker down, count on it!" Morgana said firmly. Takumi sighed, giving him a nod.

"Fine...then let's make a plan...I doubt you wanna infiltrate Futaba's Palace after all of this anyway." the actor said, earning a nod from the boy.

"No...we're going to infiltrate Shimizu's instead. I'll call the others up, we're going to plan and we're going in. Once we explore a good portion of it, we'll find a saferoom and pull out. We're gonna have to alternate palaces if we want to nab both treasures. That means our route needs to be secured by August 19th for both palaces, and our calling cards will have to go out the day before each date is due, the 21st for Medjed and the 26th for Shimizu."

"Two targets in one month. If taking down Medjed won't raise our popularity, this definitely will. I'd rather we have Futaba's help for Shimizu's palace...but at there isn't a moment to waste. Call everyone together, we need to get this done, ASAP." Morgana said earning a nod from Ren, who stood up and walked toward the bathrooms.

"Hey Mona...are you sure Ann really likes me?" Takumi asked curiously.

"She basically said you could stare at her chest and as long as you don't make it obvious. That's one clue, and she was flushing when you were talking about her tail."

"That's an odd thing to flush about."

"Well, you were looking at her tail, which in turn means you were staring at her butt." the feline said.

"Oh...well I guess I get that point...I dunno man, I've never been in a relationship, I doubt I know how to handle it. I think I'll stay friends with her for now...I'm too busy with this to focus on that." Takumi said.

"That would be for the best...getting involved with a teammate isn't recommended, but sometimes it can't be helped. I just wish she noticed me that way...if you do start something, take care of her okay?" Morgana said, earning a nod from the boy.

"I will, I'll take care of her right now, and be there when she needs me the most. Just like I'll be there for any of you, so don't be scared to ask for help or to talk, because I'll always be there to help you." Takumi said, a grin on his face. He reached for his phone, scrolling through his contacts until he found Haru's name.

"Well, I'm gonna call Haru...I know Rise wants to be there, but with my sister being injured, there's no way I can leave her unguarded."

"This Haru girl...are you sure she can be trusted?" Morgana asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah...she's really sweet, but she acts a lot different than when we used to hangout. I feel like her father is probably pressuring her into things she doesn't want. Just like my father did to me at one point, it's why I promised to change her father's heart, should he have a palace of course. Well, this is gonna be interesting." he said, clicking the contact. Once it started ringing, he held the phone to his ear, crossing his fingers.

" _Taku-kun! I was hoping you'd call me!"_

"Hey Haru...are you doing anything of importance?"

" _I'm...I'm on a forced date with Sugimura...he's busy searching for the perfect suit though. Why, is something the matter?"_

"I need you to come to Akihabara as fast as you can. We're infiltrating Shimizu's palace today, and we need all the hands we can get. Think you can manage?" he asked. The girl remained silent for a few moments, before a lot of shuffling was heard, followed by a dinging bell, and a car door slamming shut.

" _I'll be there in twenty minutes, I just have to get some things. Our meeting place is unchanged correct?"_

"Yup, thanks Haru."

" _No problem Taku-kun! I'll always be there to support you when you need it! See you soon!"_ she said, almost excited as she ended the call. Takumi glanced at his phone screen, staring at it in confusion.

"She seemed...eager." Morgana said. The boy hadn't even noticed the feline climbing up to his shoulder to listen into the conversation. He just shrugged.

"Maybe she just wanted to get away from that Sugimura character, I've never met him. It's obvious she doesn't like him...anyway, we need to prepare. I'm gonna message Ryuji and Ann, tell them to pick up my sister and my guitar case. We're gonna need to be really prepared for this."

"We'll be just fine...it'll be a little different than Futaba's Palace, but I'm sure we'll get it done!" Morgana said happily.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Meeting in a back alley was rather weird, but Takumi knew he couldn't exactly talk out in public. Ren and Morgana had been waiting for the others to steadily arrive, first it had been Makoto, followed by Yusuke. Ryuji and Ann arrived a few minutes later with Mitsuhide in tow, the blond track star carrying his guitar case, which contained his weapons as well as all of his ammunition and the weapons belonging to his sister. The final person that arrived to the group was Haru, who felt very out of place. After a few moments of silence, Takumi decided to speak, pushing Haru forward much to her chagrin.

"Alright then, before anything else I'd like to introduce Haru. As I said before, at one point in time, we were set to be married. But at the age of fourteen, I refused to marry her, and my father called it off. It was the last time I saw her, she's one of my closest friends to date, and despite us being out of touch for awhile, we managed to find each other. You can trust her alright?"

"Hmm...do you go to Shujin Academy perhaps?" Makoto asked curiously.

"Yes, we're in the same grade Nijima-San. I normally just keep my head down and focus on my work. I don't like standing out, especially being the heiress of Okumura Foods." she replied softly.

"Okumura Foods, holy shit...this girl is probably the richest person on the planet, she's totally loaded! Not just that, apparently it was announced that by her marrying another heir to a very prestigious company, it would lead to a future merger. How'd you manage to befriend someone like her?" Ryuji cried.

"You already know the story jackass...besides, who gives a damn about her money? We're not here to discuss this crap. Anyway Haru, I'll introduce you to everyone. This is Ren Amamiya, he's the transfer student everyone always talks about. You already know Makoto, then there's Ryuji and Ann, Yusuke Kitagawa, former pupil of Madarame, and my little sister Mitsuhide, but you've already met. Then there's the final member of our group, Morgana." he said.

"Why am I last?" the feline asked, causing Haru to look around, she glanced at the floor where Ren's back was, eyes widening a bit.

"The cat talks?"

"A side effect from going to the Metaverse. Now that we have gone over the introductions, let us speak about this infiltration. We must hurry, before someone calls the authorities." Mitsuhide said, glancing over her shoulder at some people who were looking right at them.

"Yes...right now, we're not that far from Jadis and Associates, the location of Shimizu's Palace. I will say that place is probably being watched carefully. Me, Haru, Mitsu and Rise were the only ones that went in, we don't know much of the layout. But we do know that security is extremely high, higher than in Futaba's Palace. That means we need to tread carefully, we go in groups of two to watch each others backs. No objections?" Takumi said.

"I've got none, except there's gonna be a group of three, it'll be a bit uneven." Ren said.

"I'll go in whatever group my brother chooses for me. I believe for this infiltration, we should travel in a small group, four or five people at most. If security is tight, we cannot risk being spotted." Mitsuhide said firmly.

"I agree with her, can't afford being caught. So we'll split up, four stay outside waiting for the first team's signal. The second team will go in and meet with the first, we will continue doing that until we find a saferoom." Makoto said.

"We'll decide that once we're there, alright Takumi, take us there." Ren said. The boy opened the MetaNav, holding it up slightly.

"Here goes, Ryoutaro Shimizu, Jadis and Associates, Temple." he typed out, hitting the navigate button. The area around them distorted, fading away into nothingness, before reappearing.

Now in the Metaverse, Songbird grabbed a hold of his guitar case, pulling out his rifle and all of his other effects. Once everyone had checked their weapons, and had hidden the cases in the alley, the brown haired actor took the lead, walking through the crowd onto the red carpet. He took a deep breath, glancing up at the ten story temple that towered high above them. The movie theater around it just made him hate it even more, knowing exactly what kind of movies were most likely being shown there. Joker stood next to him, eyes narrowed has he took in the entirety of the tower, memorizing every single detail it had to offer.

"It reminds me a bit of the tower from Pokemon Gold and Silver, you know the one that was burned down?" he asked.

"That's what I was thinking, though it's more fitting to say it looks like the Bell Tower. You see all of the shining lanterns on every floor? They're made out of crystal, after all this is just his glorified temple." Songbird spat, looking quite angry now that he had gotten a good look at the tower.

"Alright then, now that we're here let's decide on who's going in." Queen said firmly, turning to face the team.

"I think Songbird should go in, he has that right. It's his sister after all, and he's the scout, he can take out a major portion of the shadows. Joker obviously goes in because he's Joker." Panther said.

"Indeed, I agree with that Panther, so I shall go with my brother. This does concern me as well. After all, he was the one who asked me to be in his little film, and I want the pleasure of wiping him out of this world myself." Duchess said firmly.

"That's three, anymore volunteers?" Queen asked curiously.

"I'll go, I know some of the layout as well, besides I'd love the supreme pleasure of destroying all of those shadows. I've been dying to slice them apart with my axe."

"Holy shit, are you a sadist or something?" Skull cried, backing away from the Okumura heiress, a look of fear on his face. The girl just gave him a giggle.

"Perhaps, I do get some enjoyment out of watching my enemies suffer." she said, giving him a wink.

"That makes me uncomfortable." Fox added, shuddering a bit.

"If there are no other volunteers then, we're gonna have to pick a fifth person to go. Anyone who has healing spells or medicine should go, to keep an eye on injuries." Queen said.

"Mona is small so he should go." Panther suggested.

"I can't, if we need to make a speedy get away, I should be prime and ready for that. Especially if the palace is crawling with monsters, it would be better for me to enter with the second team. That way, I'll be able to head toward the exit faster." the feline said.

"I need to keep command of the second team as well, since Joker will be leading the main group, I believe Skull should remain with me to provide some extra muscle. Fox, Panther it is between you two to decide who goes in."

"Hmm...though I wish to study the aesthetics of this place, I fear my own anger might cause trouble. I appreciate all forms of art, and the fact that this man is abusing the art of film in such a disgusting way...it makes me want to slice him in half." Fox said firmly, squeezing his sheathe rather angrily. Songbird cringed, he had never seen the artist that angry before.

"I guess that means I'm going in then...though I do tend to have a fiery temper, especially with disgusting perverted shit like this. I might not be able to hold myself back, so you two better hold me back." Panther said firmly, earning a silent nod from Joker.

"Before anything else, we need to give Haru here a proper code name. We can't refer to ourselves by real name. As you know, I'm Songbird, this is Joker, then there's Skull, Mona, Panther, Fox, Duchess and Queen. Is there anything you'd like to be called as? Instead of the temporary once I gave you?" Songbird asked.

"I wanna be called Beauty Thief." the girl said, a smile on her face. The Phantom Thieves shared a look, with Joker quirking a brow.

"Beauty Thief...are you sure about that?"

"Yes of course, so in this world that shall be my name." she said.

"Um...alright, I can't really say not to that...let's just get going then. Joker I'll take the lead and scout ahead." Songbird said, pulling his rifle off his shoulder, pulling the loading rod. The frizzy haired lad nodded, allowing him to go ahead. The others followed him at a distance, watching him glancing around the area.

Once he made it to the front doors, he pulled one open and quickly but quietly walked inside. The lobby was completely empty, not even the receptionist was present. It was quiet as well, which made him quite nervous. He kept his rifle raised as he walked forward, peering through the scope. A shadow appeared before him, causing him to pull the trigger of his run, killing it before it rose an alarm. He quickly shifted his aim, having spotted another one in the arcade. He shot it with ease, nailing it right between the eyes. Spinning around his heel, he reached for his back for a throwing star, which he flicked at a shadow behind the ticket counter, nailing it right in the forehead, and killing it instantly. He let out a sigh, shuddering a bit.

"There's a lot more security than I would have wanted." he muttered, glancing at his friends.

"That was pretty sweet, where'd you get the shuriken?" Beauty Thief asked, earning a small chuckle from Duchess.

"I procured those...they were made with paper mache and razor blades. Cognition is a beautiful thing is it not? Our prospect of an object is rather normal, but in the eyes of someone else, it becomes immensely realistic. Model guns shooting bullets, fake knives and swords having an edge, and now paper shurikens being as deadly as the real ones. I think this will make an excellent topic for my thesis."

"There's no one at the reception...you said you got a keycard for the elevator from there right?" Panther asked curiously. Songbird nodded, quickly moving toward the desk, jumping over it. He looked around, opening and closing drawers, searching for the correct card.

"It was gold, and had a picture of a cherry tree on it. The only one I found was this silver one, it has a movie reel on it." he said, placing it on the counter. Joker took a hold of it, looking it over.

"Perhaps we need to search around the theater. We might run into the man's lieutenants, Kaburagi and Shouji."

"Wait...you think those two bastards are here?" Beauty Thief asked, earning a nod from the leader.

"I don't think so, I know so. If those are his right hands in the real world, then they'll hold a lot of power in this theater. We might even run into their shadow selves here. Often times, Palaces like this attract strong shadows, if Shouji and Kaburagi have shadows in Mementos, and Shimizu has his own palace, it's likely that they joined forces." he theorized, placing a hand under his chin.

"We should continue exploring, but let us keep our guard up. Duchess you should be up front with Songbird, both your weapons are quiet, so you'll be able to take down more shadows and cover each other as well." Panther said, earning a nod from the ravenette. They continued walking forward, glancing at the golden elevator on the top of the stairs.

Rather than walking up to it, Songbird started moving toward the left, moving in the direction of the Screening Rooms, which were numbered 5-12. As he walked, he noticed a pair of solid silver double doors, which had a film reel on it, along with the sneering face of Shimizu, a wink on his face. Songbird grabbed a hold of the door handles, trying to open them, but they didn't budge.

"Locked...guess we aren't getting past this part." he said.

"The other doors on the left are closed too, how are we supposed to get through?" Beauty Thief asked, a frown on her face.

"There's a card slot on the wall there, perhaps that card big brother procured will open it." Duchess said.

"Worth a try, go for it Joker." the young actor said, earning a nod from the young man. He walked over to the wall and swiped the card, three beeps filling the silence. Songbird tried the doors again, this time being able to open the doors.

The entire hall in front of them was empty, with the screening rooms being at either side of the halls. The even numbers were on the left while the odd numbers were on the right. All of the electric signs were displaying the names of films currently being shown and in which theater. There were kiosks filled with pamphlets and other things scattered about, along with some bathrooms and decorative plants placed outside of every theater.

"Looks like a normal movie theater." Panther muttered.

"Except the movies they're showing aren't normal. Let's proceed with caution." Songbird said, dashing toward the nearby kiosk, kneeling down on the ground, he peered around the corner, spotting a shadow dressed like a security guard, holding a flashlight in his hand. It reminded him of the people who kicked loudmouths out in movie theaters. Duchess moved forward, laying down flat on the ground near a large tree pot, being completely missed by the light shining from the flashlight.

"Songbird, may I proceed?" she asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Go for it, little sis." he whispered. The girl nodded, peering through the scope of her crossbow. She took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as she fired her arrow, nailing the shadow right under the chin, killing it instantly.

"That was pretty good. How is it that you can carry that crossbow without it being too heavy?" Beauty Thief asked, causing Duchess to look at her. She started spinning the crank, using it to set the string in place.

"It's actually a lot lighter than you'd expect. This one is more of a toy look alike than an actual crossbow. You can't really make a model crossbow, because it could still fire real arrows." she explained, earning a nod from the older girl.

They continued moving along, walking toward theater number seven, which was the nearest one to them. Songbird stopped right outside of it seeing the lit up poster with the name of the film. It had Ryoutaro Shimizu's name right at the top in glittering golden letters. The image was of a young woman, with long brown hair and bright colored eyes. The background was light blue in color, and showed what looked like a hotel room. The young woman on the poster was sitting on the bed, not wearing an article of clothing, her arm covering her breasts. At the bottom was the title of the movie. _"Hana Song's Ultimate Ride"._ Just reading the name made Songbird's blood boil.

"Isn't Hana Song one of the actresses Shimizu took advantage of?" Joker asked.

"Yes...he didn't just take advantage of, he had her killed because she left for Seoul. She was going to tell the International Police about this pornographic scheme of his. I didn't know he had filmed her too."

"I can't believe that her final legacy was something so horrible and disgusting...she didn't deserve this." Panther said, anger laced in her voice. Duchess walked toward the door leading into the theater, trying to open it, only to find it locked. She glanced at the wall, seeing another keyslot mounted to the wall.

"It seems only those that possess keycards can go inside. It may sound horrid and disgusting, but perhaps viewing the film will give us some insight on how Shimizu's heart works."

"How could you suggest that sis? I'm not letting you watch something like this!"

"She's right though...the more evidence we witness, the more we can expose to the world. At the moment we can't exploit the video file you own, but if we see at least something, or get Hana Song's last words, we'll be able to give her family a bit of closure, and show to them the kind of monster that robbed them of their daughter." Joker said firmly.

"I think we should continue exploring a bit more...we should leave watching these as a last resort. We haven't found anything else in this hallway any way." Beauty Thief said.

"I'll go scout ahead, I don't think I can look at this poster anymore." Songbird said, walking away from the theater.

He pressed himself against one of the large standing signs, which thankfully only had pictures of Shimizu on it, instead of movie posters. He saw three security guards walking around back and forth, their flashlights shining brightly around the slightly darkened hallway. It made it a lot harder for him to take aim. He managed to take out the nearest one, allowing him to move forward, but he ended up stepping in the light of the second guard, causing him to spring at him.

"Halt! Let me See your Ticket!" he shouted. Songbird growled, slashing him across the chest with his sword. It morphed into its true form, that of a tall, red skinned man, holding two Katana's in his hands.

"I won't let you harm Director Shimizu!" the shadow cried dashing at Songbird, who dodged the attack with ease.

"Nice one Songbird!"

"Naturally, time to attack! Come, Phantom of the Opera!" the boy chanted, removing his mask from his face. The Phantom appeared behind him, launching a Megido attack at the shadow, who crossed his swords to block it entirely.

"It was ineffective!?"

"We're gonna have to figure out it's weakness! For now let's hit it with everything we've got! Kikuri-Hime! Mafreila!" Joker chanted, summoning the goddess of life to his aid. The red skinned woman charged the spell in her hands, throwing it at the enemy shadow, a blue smoke cloud filling the area. It ran forward, swiping his swords at Joker, trying to land an attack.

"This one is tough, we're gonna have to get physical." Songbird said, slinging his rifle and drawing his sword.

He jumped in between the shadow and Joker, parrying one of the attacks, pushing back with ease. The two nodded and ran forward, slashing and parrying each attack thrown at them. The shadow grinned, throwing a punch at Songbird, sending him sprawling back to the floor. Joker sprung forward, uppercutting the shadow in the chin, spinning around his heel, driving his leg into his chest, sending him flying back into one of the kiosks.

"Carmen, Maragion!" Panther cried, placing her open hand on the ground. Carmen giggled darkly as she appeared before her other self, throwing the giant balls of fire at the shadow, lighting it on fire, its screams of agony filling the empty hallway.

"Beauty Thief, finish it off!" Songbird cried, climbing back to his feet with the aid of his sister.

"My pleasure Songbird, come Milady, finish it off with Psio!" the peach haired girl cried, summoning her persona. Milady sent out a violet wave of energy at the shadow who grabbed its head in pain, falling to the ground.

"Now I can proceeded with the rest. Time to show my strength!" the heiress said, running at the shadow with her axe over her head. She let out a shout, slicing the creature clean in half, causing it to burst into smoke.

"Aw...it died, I wanted to hit it some more."

"Note to self, don't mess with Beauty Thief." Panther muttered, cringing as the girl pulled her axe free from the ground.

"That one was particularly tough...since this is a shrine, there are gonna be more physical based shadows here. Probably samurai, or warriors or who knows what else, we should take caution." Joker said, sheathing his dagger.

"I agree...we need to be more careful. Now we know that if we step in the light, they'll come at us...with that tidbit, we'll be able to adopt a safer approach. Duchess, when you can relay that to Queen. For now we should focus on finding a map or something. We can't keep going around blind." Songbird said, earning a nod from Joker.

After a few minutes to collect themselves, the small group continued walking forward, with Songbird and Duchess taking out the last few shadows in the short hallway. They reached the final Screen room in that part of the theater, not finding any other way to go. There was a poster on the wall, advertising another film, though this once had a Coming Soon banner right above the poster. Songbird's jaw dropped when he saw the picture on it, unable to formulate words. He pulled his fist back, throwing the hardest punch could to the glass, shattering it on impact.

"What's wrong?" Panther asked curiously.

"Just look at this disgusting shit! I need to destroy it!" he hissed angrily. The title of the movie was _"Ayumi Isoshima: Underaged"_ which was what had caused the boy to lash out in anger. He tore the poster apart, turning it into confetti and throwing it all over the place.

"You must remain calm, I understand how this looks, but they are nothing more than cognitive posters. When we leave this place, it'll be bound to be put back up. We should focus on finding a way out of here...unless we find a card that will lead us up on the elevator, we'll be stuck." Joker said, calming the boy down.

"Hmm...you know I've been thinking, these films are normally played from another room. Usually behind the screening room, perhaps we might be able to find something if we find a way to the film room." Beauty Thief said, earning a nod from Panther.

"You're right, maybe we'll be able to get a key from a janitor. They should have master keys to every door in this place. We should find the film room."

"Okay...without a map that'll be hard though. Did you also notice that most of these screen rooms have no film? The only films on this side are about Hana Song, and that fourteen year old girl who committed suicide, Tsubaki Kasugano. There were some Coming Soon posters, but this one with Ayumi was the only one with an actual portrait."

"Do you think there's any relevance in that?" Songbird asked curiously.

"No...but we might be able to find something if we go to the screen rooms with films. If they have no films, then the window that the projector sticks out from will be closed. But if we go to a screen room with a movie playing..."

"The window will be open, and we'll be able to get into the projector room. Let's go back to Hana's screen room...we might be able to find a way up there." Joker said, taking the lead of his group. They ran back toward the other end of the hall, arriving at the theater from before.

Joker swiped the silver card on the slot, gaining access to the theater.

To Songbird, it looked like a normal theater, having over a hundred seats facing a giant white screen, that was currently showing movie trailers. Several people could be seen sitting in the front seats, leaving most of the back seats untouched. One particular scene in a trailer showed graphic images that Songbird grew angry at. All of them were of Hana Song, being tossed around, slapped, forced into outfits and various other things. Panther kept Duchess's ears plugged as she walked, much to her annoyance, but she was at least thankful that someone cared enough to do that. Joker arrived at the back of the room, seeing the large window with the projector sticking out of it, currently projecting the film into the screen.

"Beauty Thief was right, we can easily get up there...Songbird you go first, clear the area if you need too." Joker said, handing his silenced Desert Eagle to the boy. The boy jumped up to the edge of the window, pulling himself up, finding the room empty. He saw one shadow standing with his back facing him. Two rounds to the head were enough to take him down.

"All clear." the called down. Joker climbed up, holding his hand out to help Duchess up, followed by Panther and finally Beauty Thief. Songbird walked over to the other side of the room, seeing all of the reels that were placed on the shelves. He grabbed one from the top of the stack, seeing the title on the side.

"Hana Song's best squirt video, Jesus Christ...this poor girl must have gone through hell." he said, shortly before smashing the reel, stomping the film until it was destroyed.

"Let's keep looking, now that we're up here, we can start searching around." Panther said, opening the only door. She stuck her head out, finding the hallway to be completely empty.

It ran parallel to the one below it, with projector rooms numbered 6-12, just like the screening rooms on the first floor. The only difference here was that there was a Security office at the end of the hall. Songbird pressed himself against the wall, finding the door to be wide open. There was a single security guard sitting in front of various monitors. Though he wasn't looking at any of them, in fact he was looking at one monitor in particular, which was currently showing Tsubaki Kasugano's film, the sneer on his face told the Phantom Thieves everything they needed to know. Joker walked up behind him, driving his dagger straight through the base of his neck, causing him to disappear entirely.

"There's a card on the desk, it's a bronze card...and has a reel on it." Joker said, showing it to Songbird. He looked it over, seeing the black letters on the bottom.

"It says, Holy Grail Production on it...what the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Maybe there's a movie somewhere with that title?" Beauty Thief suggested.

"Perhaps, seeing as this place is a shrine as well, there might be something like that here. But I believe this leads to the room where Shimizu's most beloved film is located, his Holy Grail if you would."

"It's an elevator card, this will lead us to the third floor. Come on." Songbird said, moving out of the room.

"There's a map as well, look here...it seems there's another projector room for the Screen rooms 1-5. There's another security room there, this map only shows the lay out of the first and second floors. If we take this hallway, we'll appear back at the staircase in that leads to the lobby. There's no need for us to go down into the Screen rooms anymore." Panther said.

"Alright then, our next place is the other Security Office. Let us go there now." Joker said, taking the lead once more.

The group of five started running toward the other hallway, briefly walking past the golden elevator. Thankfully, now shadows had filled the main floor, so they didn't have to worry about that. Joker came to a stop in front of the sealed double doors, spotting the card reader on the side of the door. He pulled out the silver card and swiped it, seeing it beep twice, flashing red briefly.

"Damn...this card doesn't work here."

"But the silver card opened the door on the bottom floor, and we opened those doors from this side. What do we do now?" Beauty Thief asked, looking a bit worried.

"Let's check the bottom floor, perhaps we can do the same thing we did to get the bronze card." he said, leading them downstairs. They walked toward the Screen Rooms, labeled 1-5. Just like before, the silver card failed to open these two doors, proving useless to them.

"It seems the silver card only works for the hall pertaining to screen rooms 6-12. That means we might have to find the silver card that will unlock rooms 1-5 in order for us to access that security room."

"Ugh...what a pain in the ass. Why can't one card just open everything, if only I hadn't dropped the golden card, we could have had a straight path to the treasure!" Songbird snapped.

"There's nothing we can do now...let's just see where the Bronze Card takes us. Perhaps by exploring the third floor we may find the silver card we need." Joker said, earning a nod from the boy. They all walked back toward the elevator, standing in front of the solid gold doors.

"Tch...solid gold, he probably thinks his movies are gold, enough to net him millions. That sick fucking bastard." the brown haired actor muttered, clenching his hand tightly. Joker swiped the card on the panel, causing the elevator doors to open.

"Well, let's see what lies ahead, be prepared. We're going up a single floor, but that floor might have traps and shadows crawling all over it. Panther, does that map show anything else?"

"Not really, just the entire lay out of the third floor, it seems the fourth and fifth floors are completely missing, and it shows partial parts of the sixth floor."

"Alright, so we might have to find a way to the Sixth floor in order to get the second map. Maybe if we're lucky, the security office on the second floor will contain the next half of the map. Let's just focus on this." Joker said. He looked at the panel briefly, noticing the numbers were written in Hiragana rather than with numbers. He pressed the button for the third floor, urging the doors to close. Songbird closed his eyes, mentally preparing for what he was going to face next.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	33. Infiltrate the Palace IV: Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone, welcome to chapter 33 of Codename: Songbird. So, we're gonna have ourselves a bit of a serious talk...this chapter contains some very serious subject material. So I want you all to know that if you wish to skip this chapter's exploration bits, you can go ahead and skip them. I did write some stuff near the end of the chapter that will explain or allude to what happened, though you will miss the boss fight if you do skip it. I want you all to handle it as mature as possible. There isn't any graphic scenery written in this chapter, but the subject matter is very very serious, but also a very real thing that happens in our world. You also get to learn more about Takumi as well.**

 **I am going to post Chapter 34 as well, so I hope you look forward to that as well. Please let me know what you think about this chapter, as well as the 34th chapter. I might end up slowing down on my posts, because I am running out of chapters to post. I've been very busy this week, both with my personal life and some other stuff. I have also been considering starting a Youtube channel to start a Let's Read series, where I read my own personal stories, but that isn't coming along as well as I was hoping. It's just been a stressful week overall, I haven't been able to write much or even play games. But I am getting back in the groove of things. I am also planning on doing Let's Plays on YouTube, sadly I still haven't been able to figure out how to record my Persona 5 gameplay without getting a capture card on my ps4. I am also trying to get internet set up as I am currently on my Neighbors wifi signal which isn't a realiable one. I guess there will be more news on that as it develops. For now I hope you all like this chapter, though it might leave a sour taste in your mouth. It sure did on me and I wrote the damn thing. Let's just say, Shimizu is becoming the most fucked up villain I have ever created.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 33

Infiltrate the Palace IV: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Saturday July 30**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Ryoutaro Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

The doors slid open, revealing the third floor for the first time. This was a place that Songbird had never visited in the real world. Jadis and Associates owned the top to floors of the building they were located in. He didn't know what the other eight floors were in particular, but since this was Shimizu's cognition, it was safe to assume that they played some role in the grand scheme of things. The hallway was empty, which gave them a bit of peace of mind. It was styled in the same manner as a temple would be, with tatami floors, and soft colored walls. There were large windows that showed the outside world, but were covered with almost floor length curtains that blocked most of the incoming light. Above them were florescent lights, instead of more traditional lamps like he had seen in other temples. There were paintings of dragons on the walls, along with one that showed Shimizu in his Kunnashi garb. Songbird spotted a door not far from where the elevator was, and lead everyone toward it, quickly and quietly opening it. As soon as he stepped in, he saw it distort, seeing it as a plain office with cubicles in it, but the room itself was just a waiting room, with a table, some cushions to sit on and a steaming kettle of tea. He ushered everyone inside, closing the door right after.

"So, we found the first saferoom. We haven't had much difficulty, aside from dealing with more shadows than normal in some areas. Still we haven't seen anything out of the ordinary, or anything that would shed light on why Shimizu enjoys doing this." Joker said, leaning back against the wall, loading his empty magazines with bullets.

"I noticed that too, I would tell the others to come up here, but without the Bronze card, they won't be able to make it to this saferoom. We'll have to set up the teleport circle beforehand so Mona can bring them here." Panther added, placing the map on the table. Songbird looked at it, finding the room they were at.

"Alright, the lay out of this floor is rather extensive. There are a lot of rooms to go through but the lay out is simple. Just a square, but there's a set of doors here on the opposite side of the room. I believe this will take us to an area of interest. Let's be careful searching these rooms, there may be strong shadows hiding within. With luck, we'll find the Silver card that will take us to the other Security room."

"Which means we should leave the room in the middle for last. Knowing Shimizu, he's probably locked it up tight, most likely hiding something sick inside it. We might run into Kaburagi or Shouji as well, let us tread carefully." Duchess added, earning nods from everyone. Panther rolled up the map, placing it inside her ammunition pouch. With a nod from Joker, they left the saferoom, heading up the hallway they were at.

Songbird took out one of the nearby shadows, allowing his sister to shoot the farthest one, her arrow embedding itself in the wall. He continued walking slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that caught his attention. He spotted a ventilation shaft near the top of the hallway, which could eventually prove useful. He mentally jotted its location, keeping his steps soft as he made it to the first room. He grabbed a hold of the knob, slowly turning it, only for it to remain unmoving. He let out a sigh, about to tell his leader that the door was locked, when Beauty Thief walked up to the door, reaching into her shirt for a lockpick. She placed it inside the lock, jimmying it around for a few seconds before an audible click filled their ears.

"You know how to pick locks?" Panther asked softly.

"For one to better themselves as a Phantom Thief, research is needed. So I conducted some on my own, in preparedness of future infiltrations. I wish to change my father's heart, once I find proof that he has a palace, if he has one, I will be going in to do it. So I needed to be ready." she said, opening the door. She aimed her Grenade Launcher into the room, finding it empty.

"You brought a grenade launcher? Why would you bother doing that? You only have one shot." Duchess said.

"I like watching stuff blow up." the heiress replied, stepping into the room. Songbird looked around, searching for the light switch, since the room was practically pitch black. When he found it, he flicked it on, squinting a bit.

"Oh my god...look at all of these pictures!" Panther cried, glancing around the room. The blonde model was right.

All over the room were glossy portraits. They were pinned neatly onto some cork board, as well as hanging from a clothes line. Some were black and white, others were in full color. There were some on the opposite wall, framed in wooden frames. Songbird walked toward the desk on the other side of the room, finding various canisters of camera film, photo negatives, photo solution, red light bulbs and camera parts. But what he found near the computer was what angered him the most. It was a glossy picture of Kanami, bound by her wrists and hung from her bindings, arms above her head. She was completely nude, save for the violet bikini bottom she was wearing. The look of fear on her face told him all he needed to know.

"This is Kaburagi's Redroom." he said.

"Huh? Redroom?" Panther asked curiously.

"It's a place for developing photos. It is also known as a black room, but the use of red light bulbs has led it to be called a red room as well. It is a place where film is kept so the light doesn't ruin them. Looking around this place, I can tell that Kaburagi enjoys taking a lot of pictures for Shimizu." Duchess said, a disgusted look on her face. Songbird grabbed Kanami's picture and tore it to shreds, littering the entire room.

"Guys...I found something rather alarming." Joker said, turning around to face his friends, holding a manila file in his hand. Songbird walked over to him, looking at the picture.

"What the hell...is that me?" Panther cried, eyes widening in shock. Songbird looked at it, seeing it was indeed a picture of Panther. It looked to be of her walking out of the subway train. Songbird grabbed the pictures, flipping through them, there was one of her inside a fashion store, another one of her and Shiho at the hospital, and a picture of her talking on the phone in Yongen-Jaya.

"You're being watched, since you are associated with me, Shimizu must have put Kaburagi up to it. He must have used his cybernetic knowledge to not only find where you live, but also learn your routine." he said.

"That's so fucking sick...that makes me wanna punch him right in the balls!" the blonde cried angrily.

"You must keep yourself calm Panther, we cannot attract attention right now. Now that you know that you are being targeted by Kaburagi, you must take the proper precautions to prevent him from harming you. I'd advise not traveling alone." Duchess said, earning a nod from the blonde. Songbird placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a smile.

"Nothing is going to happen to you, I promise. You're my friend, and I will protect you. So don't worry about a thing, if you want I could get you some mace or something. Little sis has a lot of it." he said. Duchess reached into her pocket, pulling out a small can of Pepper Spray.

"I never leave home without it. You never know, you could turn a corner and a lolicon could be laying in wait for me." she said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Thanks Duchess, I appreciate this." Panther said, slipping the small can into her pocket.

"I've found a set of keys, perhaps they open something in this floor. We should continue searching." Beauty Thief said, earning a nod from Joker.

They left the Redroom, walking down the hallway. Songbird knelt down at the edge of the hallway, peering around the corner, seeing a lone Usher walking around, shining his light on the floor. He paused near the edge of the hallway, shining his light on the back wall before turning around. When he did, Songbird walked out from cover, pressing the barrel of his gun to the back of his head, pulling the trigger before he could react. He ran forward, stopping in front of a set of golden doors, leading into the largest room on the third floor.

"What the hell is this place? Casting Room 1?" he asked.

"This is probably a room where people audition for movie parts. Or rather, where Shimizu and Kaburagi abuse the actresses and take naked pictures of them." Joker said. He tried using the Bronze card on the card reader, but the doors didn't open.

"Looks like we'll have to keep searching. Let us continue." Beauty Thief said cheerfully.

Reluctantly, the Phantom Thieves continued moving forward. Songbird and Duchess teamed up to take the last few shadows on the side of the floor, arriving to the next locked door. Beauty Thief tossed the brown haired actor the keys she had found, and to his surprise, they worked. He stepped into the room, glancing around seeing it was drastically different. This one had a single couch on it, which was black in color, along with a lone wooden desk, and a laptop on it. He noticed there were several cameras set up around the room, two large ones on tripods at either side of the room, a smaller one that was on the desk, facing the couch, and one mounted on the wall above the entire room, pointing to the center of the room.

"What is this place?" Panther asked curiously. Songbird walked around the desk, pulling one of the drawers open, backing away from it.

"Condoms, lubricants and sex toys...I know exactly what this is. This is a film room, they probably get most of their actresses but creating fake jobs. They come, say that they have to audition but in order to do that they have to make a film that will be sent to the directors. Kaburagi's ID is in this one, so I guess he's the one who does this." Songbird replied.

"It would make sense for him to do that, since he's the one that knows how to work the internet. It wouldn't be past me if it was him who created the ads. He probably satisfies some sort of sexual desire, and once he has his movie, he gets rid of the ad and the number so the actress can't contact them. Essentially they exploit young women with fake jobs. Imagine how they must feel afterwards?"

"Sickening, he truly is a villain...not to mention he's doing this to other girls. Imagine how many young women's lives were ruined, sweet people like Kanami, Hana Song and Tsubaki Kasugano." Beauty Thief said.

"This ID card has a scanner code on it. We should go to the final room in this floor before heading back to the Casting Room." Songbird said, tossing the lanyard with the ID to Joker, who placed it in his pocket.

Songbird almost sprinted out of that room, especially after finding out what it was actually for. His grip tightened on his rifle, as he quickly rose it, shooting the nearby shadow. He continued walking forward, shifting his aim and pulling the trigger. The kickback didn't bother him as he walked, he just wanted to take his aggression out on something. He slung his rifle and broke into a sprint, jumping onto one of the shadows, ripping the mask clean off its face. He quickly drew his pistol, shooting it through the temple before it could even attack. He broke the mask in his hand, tossing the pieces to the ground.

"Sorry about that, I had to get this pent up anger out." the boy said, turning to his leader, who gave him a nod.

"Just be careful." he said, coming to a stop before the final door to be found on the third floor. He saw there was a card reader slot mounted to the wall, meaning it could only be opened by an ID card. Joker pulled out the one he had gotten in the Filming room not that long ago, and swiped it, opening the door.

This room was a lot more different than the previous too. This one was filled with computer equipment. There was a desk top placed at the very back of the room, on a wide table. It had three monitors all hooked up together, being plugged into a rather beefy looking CPU. There was a laptop on the left side of the room, along with several video cameras, which were plugged into the USB ports of the laptop. There was a bed in this room as well as a shelf, which was filled to the brim with DVD cases, all of them placed neatly inside the shelf. Aside from the bed, there was a small night stand and a dresser in the room, along with a mini fridge and a microwave. It was clear that this room was where Kaburagi slept. Walking toward the computer, Songbird pressed the Space bar a couple times, bringing it out of sleep mode, and luckily it didn't have a password on it. He grabbed the mouse and started clicking some icons, opening one of the files.

"Editing software...so this is where he cuts videos together. I was told that Kaburagi not only took the pictures of the actresses, but also took video. He uses his skills as an ex-cybercrime officer to get around the authorities. That's why the cops probably haven't caught them yet, because he deletes his presence online."

"Can you do that?" Panther asked curiously. Duchess gave her a nod, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Indeed you can, if you are knowledgeable on computer tech, you can easily mask your IP address, that way you aren't using your real one. You can even access the Dark Web, a part of the internet where you can do whatever you want. You can post fetish videos, torture porn, look for hitmen, sell things for money including child slaves, and a lot of other grim stuff I'd like to refrain from talking about."

"That's disgusting, I can't believe this guy gets away with it! It pisses me off, especially knowing he used to be an officer of the law!"

"That goes to show Beauty Thief, no one can be trusted in the world, even those who are there to protect and serve. Tch...I know that feeling to damn well." Joker said, rubbing his neck. Songbird turned around, glancing away from the computer, grabbing Panther's SMG from her hip. He flicked the safety off and held it up at the computer, firing the entire magazine at it.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"He was cutting together a trailer, one that showed Kanami being sexually abused." he said firmly. The blonde sighed, frowning as she looked at the wall. She squeezed her arm, keeping herself from literally setting fire to the room.

"Well, I hope you have more bullets, I found something even worse over here." Beauty Thief said, pulling one of the DVD cases from the shelf. She handed it to Songbird who looked at it, eyes widening.

"This is...this is a little girl! She can't be older than eight years old, don't tell me this is what I think it is!"

"I'm sure it is." she said. Songbird closed his eyes, gritting his teeth so hard he almost cracked a molar. He clenched his fists tightly, and if he wasn't wearing gloves, he was sure his palms would have been bleeding.

"Joker, please search this room for anything useful. I fear the Phantom is going to explode from me at any second, and the last thing I need is to alert the guards." Songbird said, shoving the MP5 back into Panther's hands, quickly leaving the room.

"Go talk to him Panther, we'll take care of things here." Joker said, earning a nod from the girl. She walked out of the room, closing the door as she left. She pulled the empty magazine from her gun, slipping a new one inside. She found Songbird not far from the room, leaning back against the wall, holding his top hat in his hand.

"Hey...you okay?" she asked, strapping her gun behind her back. The brown haired boy looked up at her, quirking a brow.

"You ask me that question after what we saw in there?" he asked curiously.

"Okay...yeah it's bad, I know...but I wanted to make sure you're doing alright. Trust me, I was holding myself back in there...I could feel Carmen wanting to burst from me and set the place aflame."

"You should have let her."

"Then we would have been compromised. We've been doing well up until this point, do you wanna get booted from here?" Panther asked, crossing her arms, a look of annoyance on her face.

"No, I don't...but you gotta throw me a bone at least. That bastard has child porn in there, _Child Porn_...poor innocent kids, probably hired as extras, taken and turned into that. Makes me wonder where the parents are, I bet you they're all involved somehow." he said, slamming his fist against the back wall.

"I doubt it, no parent would willingly do that. Maybe they were extorted by Shimizu, who knows...what we do know is that we have to keep our cool. Once we make it to the treasure room, and send the calling card, we can unleash hell on him."

"I know...I just...can't help but think about all the people that have been hurt by this guy. So many have killed themselves because of the horrible shit he's done. Others has been ruined entirely, driven to hide under a rock and be away from society. And the victims...the poor victims who were killed by this man." he said, looking at his hand, a frown on his face.

"That's what we're here for Songbird, to make these assholes confess. This guy isn't getting out Scot-free. He's going to jail for a long time, maybe he'll even get the death penalty. Kaburagi and Shouji aren't getting away either, all three of them have to pay. We'll just work together to clear this palace."

"With Medjed riding our ass?" he asked, earning a smile from the girl.

"We'll beat them both! We're Phantom Thieves after all, we have to help society even when it refuses to be saved. It's sort of our job now." she replied. He chuckled, placing his hat back on his head, tugging on his gloves.

"You're right, we all volunteered for this job, so we gotta do our best. I do have one favor to ask of you, if you're willing...?" he said, adopting a serious look on his face.

"What would that be?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in curiosity.

"With everything that's happened surrounding Shimizu...I might not hold myself back. If you see me raise my rifle, or my handgun to kill his shadow, no matter what, promise me that you'll stop me. By any means you deem necessary."

"Songbird...I..."

"Promise me...shoot my hand, tackle me to the ground, pin me to the floor, tie me up with your whip. Whatever it takes, do not let me kill him. He's done too much, and I know I won't be able to stop myself...given the chance I will take the shot...I need you to be the one that stops me. Because I don't think anyone else will." he said, glancing away from the girl.

"You...trust me that much huh?"

"We're friends no? If you couldn't hold yourself back from anyone, I would do my best to stop you. Because killing someone...you shouldn't have that on your conscience. So please don't let it be on mine." he said, grabbing a hold of her hands. The girl flushed, looking away from the boy, finding the wall more interesting.

"Um...okay, I'll do my best." she said softly. The boy smiled, giving the girl a hug, much to her surprise.

"Thank you Ann."

"N-no problem Takumi! Any time."

"Ahem...you two about done here?" Joker asked, causing the two to jump back from each other.

"I uh...yeah, what? Did you get something?" the blonde model asked, earning a nod from the black haired lad.

"A rose gold keycard, it looks like it'll open the door we passed on the way in...would you like to take a look?"

"We're made it this far...we need to find that silver card anyway. We've wasted enough time here as it is, we need to hurry up." Songbird said.

"We should still be careful, you never know when you might get ambushed." Beauty Thief said.

"Alright then, since the halls are cleared, we should allow Joker to retake the lead." Duchess said, earning a nod from the young man, who started walking back toward the room they had passed.

"You didn't see anything inappropriate in there did you?" Songbird asked softly. Duchess shook her head, flashing the boy a smile.

"Beauty Thief destroyed those DVDs for you. Every single one on the bottom shelf depicted underaged children...I know they aren't the real copies...but they needed to be destroyed." she said.

"Thanks for that then...you have no idea how much better I feel knowing that."

"You're very welcome Songbird!" Beauty Thief said cheerfully, giving the boy a grin.

The group of five finally returned to the golden doors they had passed several minutes prior. Songbird didn't feel very comfortable knowing something grim might be stored in that room. But he had steeled himself for whatever was going to be flung their way. Giving a nod to Joker, the young man swiped the card he had found, getting three beeps in approval. The doors rattled a bit as they slowly started to open, finally revealing what lied behind. Panther's hand instantly flew to Duchess's face, covering her eyes from what they were witnessing.

The room was styled like some sick twisted version of a love hotel, with three king sized heart shaped beds, being covered with crimson sheets. The carpets were royal blue in color, and the walls were painted white with various colored hearts. Flashing yellow bulbs had been installed near the ceiling, and were flashing on an off every few seconds. Aside from that, the room was something completely unlike anything they had seen. Several large cameras had been set up around all three beds, with tall tripods, currently recording what was going on.

To say Songbird was shocked was an understatement. He was completely speechless by what he was seeing. Several young women were being filmed in this room, in various states of undress, and one was in the middle of intercourse. There was one girl tied by her hands from the ceiling, pleading to be let go but the cameraman was unmoved by her please and continued to film while another man kept touching her. There was one person that stood out from the others as he was currently snapping pictures of everything that was happening.

He was a tall scruffy haired man, with slight stubble on his chin. He was wearing a white tee shirt, along with baggy black jeans that had various pockets attached to the legs. He had a fanny pack around his waist, most likely filled with camera parts, lenses, memory cards and various other things. He had regular sneakers on his feet, around his neck was a Cannon camera. He had a smirk on his face as he came up close to the chained up girl, snapping a picture of the sexual abuse she was being put through.

Songbird growled angrily, waking a step forward into the room, only for Panther to grab a hold of his hand, holding him back. He took a deep breath, only to be hit by the horrible stench of sweat and blood and other bodily fluids. That just made him even angrier, he pulled his hand free from her grasp, kicking one of the cameras that had been set up stomping it hard with his boot until it was in pieces. The man with the camera turned to face him, a look of anger on his face.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing you little asshole? Do you just walk into other people's rooms and break their shit?"

"When it's disgusting shit like this, yes! Koichi Kaburagi I presume?" Songbird asked. The man smirked, eyes glowing a brilliant gold.

"That's my name, what of it?"

"So, you get pleasure from stringing these girls up like puppets and fucking them until their raw? You like filming and taking pictures of them for your own enjoyment? What the hell is wrong with you?" he snapped angrily.

"Hehe...nothing is wrong with me...this is all just acting my friend. People pay loads of cash for sweet vixens being taken from behind. Especially the fanboys who love to see their idols stretched open before their eyes. It doesn't matter what it is, it's just a movie, an act!" Kaburagi's Shadow said, voice sounding distorted as he spoke.

"This is not a movie! This is not an act, this right here is sexual exploitation! Don't turn around and tell me that this is all fake because it's a movie because it isn't! How dare you use that as an excuse for the horrible crimes you are committing?"

"Yawn...cry me a river...kid, I used to be a cop. I don't really give a shit about the laws anymore, on the internet, you can do anything. I've made a killing helping Ryoutaro out with his films. In turn, he lets me take the useless girls from his movies and lets me do whatever I want with them. He's even let me take a few of the kids, the fruits that aren't ripe sell for a higher price you know!"

"You sick son of a bitch! How dare you treat people, especially children this way? Have you no shame? Do you not care about the psychological damage you are giving them?" Beauty Thief shouted, her face turning red from how angry she was.

"Not really...they're all actors to me...hmm, what do we have here? That little one in the Victorian dress...yes yes! I can totally use her for a new film...how about we go to the back room for a casting video? I promise to be gentle." the man said, almost tauntingly. Songbird ran at the man, socking him right across the face. He grabbed a hold of his tee shirt, punching him as hard as he could with all of his strength, knocking him down to the ground. He grabbed a hold of his camera and smashed it on the ground, causing him to scream.

"Ha...take that you fucking prick!" the young actor cried, spitting at the shadow.

"You...you don't know what you just did." the man said angrily, earning a smirk from Songbird.

"What...teach you a thing or two? Come on asshole, hurry it up..if you're gonna fight then stand up and fight us like a man. It's time to knock you down a peg!"

The man growled angrily, grasping his hair as he morphed into his true form. He took the shape of a tall monster like man, with bulging muscles and defined pectorals. He wore a mask over his face, the same one a dominatrix would wear, with silver zippers around the eye and mouth holes. He was wearing thick leather straps across his body, strapped to a pair of leather shorts, which did nothing to hide the massive erection in his pants. He was wearing a pair of leather boots as well, and had a whip in his hands. Songbird also noticed the large camera that was around his neck. It was clear that this man saw himself as a dominator and felt power from dominating all of the girls he forced into his films.

" _ **Phantom Thieves...you will become my slaves!"**_

"Slaves? We're going to show you that you can't force people into doing whatever the fuck you want!" Songbird shouted angrily.

"Come, Ame-no-Uzume! Hama!" Joker chanted, hand on his mask. Ame-no-Uzume snapped her fingers, sending a stream of papers toward the Dominator, but the attack had no effect. Joker growled, knowing his chance to OHKO the man was impossible.

"Lady Loveless, use Debilitate!" Duchess chanted, urging her persona forward. The Victorian era lady gave the Dominator a curtsy, before sending a glowing green wave of energy at him, decreasing his power significantly.

" _ **Your attempts are useless!"**_ the Dominator cried, grabbing a hold of his camera, aiming it directly at the little girl.

"Watch out, he's planning something." Joker warned, earning a nod from the younger Thief. Panther ran forward, unfurling her whip, flicking it at the Dominator, the man seemed to enjoy every single lashing he got, much to their surprise.

"Physical attacks don't do much, he seems to enjoy them!"

"Then he's certainly going to love this, bam!" Beauty Thief cried, firing a grenade at the Dominator, causing him to fall down to his knees.

" _ **No please...I don't like pain!"**_

"Well no you're in a world of hurt! You're going to feel every single razor sharp slash of my axe. Let's go!" the heiress cried, leading the charge.

The Dominator screamed in agony from all of the slashes, punches, lashes and gunshots he took. Beauty Thief drove her knee into his chin, spinning her axe above her head before bringing it down on his shoulder, causing some blood to spray out of the gash. The Dominator flipped onto his feet, grinning as it grabbed a hold of his camera.

" _ **It's time for me to capture you on film, my lovely!"**_ he cried, taking a picture of Duchess. The little girl screamed in pain as a powerful bless spell sent her sprawling back, knocking her completely out.

"Duchess!" Songbird cried.

"Go, we'll handle it here." Joker said, drawing his handgun, firing his entire magazine at the Dominator, making him scream in agony.

"He's weak to firearms, let's unload everything we have on him." Beauty Thief cried, flicking her grenade launcher open, the ejector sending the spent shell flying out.

"That's fine by me." Panther replied, pulling out her MP5. She took aim at the Dominator, squeezing the trigger back, spraying the man's chest with rapid gunfire. Her gun clicked empty, and she stepped back, pulling a new magazine out. Beauty Thief took her shot, firing another grenade at the Dominator, causing him to fall back down.

"All-out-attack!" Joker commanded, jumping back as he drew his dagger. Panther and Beauty Thief followed along, throwing all of the attacks they could at the weakening shadow.

"Duchess, are you alright?" Songbird asked softly. The girl groaned as she sat up, clutching her head.

"Did I get knocked out?" she asked.

"Yeah, you took a Bless attack, I guess that's your Achilles heel in this world. Wind is mine, so we need to make sure that doesn't happen again."

"Oh trust me, it's not going to...Lady Loveless! Psiodyne!" she chanted, channeling her anger through her Persona. The Dominator screamed in pain as the psychic attack struck him, causing him to slam his head down onto the ground as hard as he could.

"He's confused, now is our time to unleash all of our power. Let's attack at the same time!" Joker said, earning a nods from his friends.

"Carmen, Maragion!"

"Phantom of the Opera, Megido!"

"Persona Change: Byakko, Garudyne!"

"Lady Loveless, Freidyne!"

"Milady, Psiodyne!"

The Dominator looked up in time to see all of the magical spells coming at him. He held his hands out to shield himself, screaming in pain as the entire room shook from the explosion. Songbird waited for the dust to clear, grabbing a hold his rifle and started to walk toward the defeated shadow. He had morphed back into his normal self, holding his hands up to protect himself, screaming when the barrel was placed directly on his forehead.

"Listen to me you piece of shit, you are going back to your real self. You are going to grab every single picture, movie, file and DVD and you are going to put them all in a little box. Nice and neat, then you are going to wait until we change Shimizu's heart. You will turn yourself in, but not without making your confession public. You will go through every social media outlet and you will post all of the atrocities you have commit over the years. If you don't do any of this, I will find you wherever it is you hide, and I will kill you. Are we clear?"

"Crystal clear...please don't kill me...it wasn't my fault. It was all Shimizu, he's the one that told me to do all of this...you have to believe me!" shadow Kaburagi said fearfully. Panther walked up to the man, slamming her boot right into his crotch, grinding her heel into it, his screams of agony filling his room.

"We don't believe you, we have proof that you did this for your own enjoyment. Do me a favor and don't lie to my goddamn face, because if you do, I will do this to your real self too. Now give us the silver key that opens the Projector rooms, unless you want me to cut your dick off."

The man shoved his hand in his pocket, pulling out the silver card. Panther snagged it out of his hand, giving her friends a smile, just as the shadow started to disappear.

"Remember, if you don't do this...we will kill you." Songbird reminded, earning a nod from the man who finally disappeared. He didn't drop an item like normal, most likely because he had given it to Panther.

"Alright then...we're done on this floor. Let's go back to the saferoom and regroup, we've been here too long so we need to pull out." Joker said.

"Okay...let's go, I am a little tired myself." Songbird said, a small frown on his face. It was clear he wanted to continue, but he didn't want to put his friends in any danger.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"So...that's our current standing in Shimizu's Palace?" Makoto asked, earning a nod from Joker.

"Yes...Kaburagi was the one who managed, filmed, cut and edited Shimizu's movies. Not only that, he sexually exploited children, with no remorse whatsoever. He is beyond saving." Mitsuhide said, taking a sip from her Green Tea. After pulling out, the Phantom Thieves had decided to go to My Own Maid to take a break and discuss various things. Takumi had remained mostly silent, looking out the nearby window with a bored look on his face.

"We threatened his shadow, hopefully he backs off in the real world. But Akihiko Shouji still stands in our way. With luck, the silver card we acquired will give us another bronze card and will take us to a higher floor. If we take care of him, then Ryoutaro will have lost both his left and right hand men, and Kanami will be safe from abuse." Ren said.

"But that means Shimizu will be on edge and will increase the security levels significantly. The lobby kept spawning more shadows while you two were on the third floor. It was almost like Mementos...they kept...respawning." Morgana said.

"I believe that removing his confidants is necessary. He will become sloppy in the real world, and that will give us a weakness to exploit within his palace. Just like Madarame with his locked door and Kaneshiro with his unreachable bank." Yusuke noted.

"Yes, that will indeed make him vulnerable...however we must keep in mind that anything goes in that palace. We might run into an impasse and without proper tools we might not make out with much." Makoto said.

"What do you think Taku-kun, since this heavily involves you, what should we do?" Haru asked curiously, setting down her tea cup. Takumi sighed, turning to face his friends.

"We should proceed with caution, anything can come at us, something worse than a dominator with a hard on. I just...I need some time to get my bearings...I got so pissed off in there that I let my rage control me half of the time. Can we please focus on finishing Futaba's palace from now on? I'd like to take some time to gather myself before we continue with Shimizu." the boy said firmly.

"We can do that." Ren said. The boy gave him a thankful look, standing up from his seat, heading toward the exit.

"Damn...this is hitting him hard huh?" Ryuji muttered, a frown on his face.

"My brother can be an emotional person...seeing all of those horrible things, being reminded that Shimizu is abusing Kanami. All of the children that have been exploited by the three...it's a terrible thing to have to bare witness too." Mitsuhide said.

"I'm gonna go talk to him...Ren whatever you decide, I'll follow to the letter." Ann said, following after the actor.

"This really is making everything so much more complicated...I know these palaces bring about strong emotions. But I dunno how Takumi will react the further we explore Shimizu's palace. His Persona could suffer greatly if his emotions aren't in check." Morgana said.

"You mean...he's at risk for his persona disappearing or rejecting him? That's possible?" Haru asked.

"Sometimes if a persona doesn't think the summoner's heart is strong, they will withdraw most of their power. They'll become weak and even loose the will of their rebellion. However if one emotion outweighs the others, in this case anger, his persona could go crazy and that could be bad."

"He could suffer from a psychotic breakdown correct?" Mitsuhide asked, causing the others to gasp in shock.

"I'm afraid so...this palace isn't like anything else he's seen. And since it involves someone so close to him, he might lose it. That will lead to him injuring himself, his comrades and more importantly Shimizu's shadow. I want nothing more than to destroy him, to wipe him off the face of this Earth...but we can't do that." Morgana said firmly.

"Perhaps exploring Futaba's palace further will give us time to think about how we tackle this one. Exploration is inevitable, but maybe keeping Takumi from those disgusting things will benefit him in some way." Yusuke said.

"He'll go in anyway, I sensed that in him. He wants to protect those that mean everything to him...he saw Ayumi's poster in there, he saw pictures of Kanami half naked. He isn't backing out, he just needs to contain his anger, and unleash it in a single burst when we steal Shimizu's treasure." Ren said, causing everyone to look at him.

"But if he does that, then he might kill Shimizu's shadow." Haru said firmly.

"That might not necessarily be a bad thing...but I know he wouldn't do that. Besides, I'm sure someone will stop him before he pulls the trigger, have faith in him. He might end up surprising you." Ren said, finishing the last of his coffee.

It didn't take long for Ann to find Takumi, he was in fact not far from the maid cafe. He was in a video game store called Super Potato, one of the biggest in Akihabara specializing in video games and video game accessories. It was a place where one could buy virtually every console every created. He was glancing at some N64 Games that were on sale when she approached him. He glanced at her briefly, giving her a small smile before glancing back at the games he was looking at.

"You came to make sure I was alright didn't you?"

"Yeah...I'm a bit of a worrywart, especially when it involves friends. I know how you feel, I wanted to vomit when I saw that stuff. It reminded me of Kamoshida, how he treated me and Shiho. The fact that there's someone out there with such a disgusting hobby...it makes me sick to my stomach." the model replied, glancing away from the boy.

"Yeah...I was happy when we left the palace, but I felt like part of me died in there. This is the reality of the world, the reality that people refuse to see. They see someone with a happy outlook but ignore the signs of something dark and atrocious laying behind the mask. I wasn't kidding when I said I had lost faith in humanity...calling an innocent girl a monster, sexually exploiting children...I'm scared Ann...to see something worse than this." he said, setting the game had been holding back on the shelf. He turned to leave the store, heading straight to some nearby vending machines.

"Hey...you shouldn't say something like that...I know it looks really fucked up and bleak but...not all humans are bad." Ann said firmly.

"I know that...not all people are bad, you aren't...I'm trying not to be...none of our friends are. But that doesn't change the fact that there are fucked up sick bastards out there who do the grossest shit imaginable for profit. It's hard for me to believe we can achieve anything other than genocide if left alone with a spent fuel rod and a spark plug." he said, grabbing the bottle of Dr. Pepper Cherry he had bought for himself. He handed Ann some of the left over pocket change so she could buy herself something.

"Well, you can't give up that easily...that's like...being in line to get some chocolate crapes, and leaving when they run out. What was the point of you waiting in line? Might as well get a strawberry one right?" she asked.

"Uh...I don't follow your logic."

"It's like this...why give up on the entire human race, when the only plague is the handful of fuckers who do evil shit?" she asked.

"Because anyone can become evil at any time? Because it just gets shoveled under the carpet and ignored like shit? Come on, Ann...people have died because of this man. People are driving a teenager girl mad because her mother commit suicide, some fucker was extorting people for money, an old bastard plagiarized his pupils works, a teacher abused his students in more ways than one. All of that shit was fucking ignored and is being ignored, what's to say some other dark shit isn't happening right now that people know about but will not fucking talk because they're too scared too, or some other shit?" he asked, taking a drink from his soda.

"I don't know alright...but what I do know is that we have to make the most of it alright? Take Shiho for example...she was sexually abused by Kamoshida, threw herself off a roof and is fighting every day to regain her mobility. She is proof that we can come back from the worst things in life...we get to come back Takumi, and when we do, it is beautiful. You no longer traverse through the darkness, you can finally shine in the sunlight."

"I'd rather walk the road less traveled in silence. I'd rather keep my friends close and my enemies closer. You don't understand, there were a lot of people who hurt me in the past. I talk about my father a lot, because he was a major part of it...but there were others, that made me feel low. I lied...when I said I hadn't gone to school since fifth grade...in fact, I spent eighth and ninth grade in an American school." he admitted, leaning back against the soda machine.

"Huh...what?" Ann asked softly, earning a nod from the boy.

"See? I'm a walking contradiction...I hate liars with a passion, and yet I lie to people all the time. I used my acting to solidify those lies, so I can develop and toss away the masks I don't need. Who's to say this whole Phantom Thief thing isn't just another mask?"

"Because it isn't...if it was then you wouldn't be fighting so hard to free Kanami. Don't tell yourself that all of this is just an act Takumi Mashita, because it isn't. And if you say that it is and that all of us mean nothing to you, then I will hate you forever." the blonde said firmly, about to walk away, when he grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stop.

"Wait...I'm sorry, I'm just...stressed, confused, hurt...I dunno what to do. Medjed is about to pull some attack on us, my sister's career is going to get ruined, we got two palaces to explore, two hearts to change...I just...I don't know what to do. But please don't just walk away." he said, almost whispering the last part. The girl sighed, pulling her hand from his grasp, turning to face him.

"Alright...what were you getting at before? Someone hurt you in the past right? Mind telling me who that was?" she asked curiously.

"It was in the eighth grade, after Haru and I broke our engagement. My father took me to America to...rethink everything and to basically mold me into his little tool. I had just turned fifteen by that point, June 2nd to be exact, so I had to start a new term in middle school. There was this guy, who liked Japanese movies and anime and stuff, said he was a huge fan."

"What was his name?"

"Does it matter?" Takumi asked curiously. She shook her head.

"I guess not, figured it could throw it all into perspective, but if he hurt you, I doubt you'd want to say the name."

"Heh...you're right about that. I guess I longed for friendship, I didn't have friends here, aside from Kanami, Haru who I couldn't contact, Rise and some of her friends from Inaba, but they were all busy. So I wanted a guy friend, someone I could hang out with, do sports with and wasn't prissy and whiny like some of the girls I hung out with. I was fifteen so don't judge me so harshly."

"It's perfectly fine...after hanging out with girls all the time, I figure you'd want to find some guy friends to interact with." Ann said, giving him a smile.

"Yeah...that's what it started as...just finding some friends. Turns out, no one wants to be friends with the foreign squinty eyed kid from across the pond. People were racist, and disgusting, but this one...we'll call him Tom...he was different. He actually cared, asked me to hang out, and wanted to play video games...I finally thought I had a friend...so we started growing a little closer, becoming best buds, ignoring the rest of the school, that's practically what it was in eighth grade. But I noticed he had started mooching off of me." he said, pausing for a drink of his soda. He glanced up at the sky, a frown on his face.

"He introduced me to his other friends...who at first were cool. But I noticed then that they were taking more interest in my stuff than anything. They would ask for money, which I didn't mind letting them borrow, asking me to buy them food, skateboard accessories, video games, and at one point, an entire console with a television. I didn't care, I just wanted my friends to stay by my side."

"What changed?"

"Well I...you're gonna think I'm weird." he said, hesitating a bit. She gave him a smile, taking a hold of his hand.

"I won't...trust me."

"Okay...I guess...I may...have maybe...started liking Tom." the boy said. She gave him a weird look.

"Like...as in...love?"

"Yes...do you think that's wrong?" he asked curiously.

"I'm not one to judge people on their preferences. We're young and we can like whatever we want...I take it the more time you spent with him, the more in love you fell."

"That's right...it was weird, because I was always taught to like girls, my father always said that I needed to be a gentlemen. And yet here I was falling in love with a man, my age. I guess I just wanted to tell him, and I did...he didn't take it well."

"What did he do?" she asked curiously.

"He told the entire group that I was gay. He kept calling me names, faggot, homo, cock sucker...I was just confused with why someone I called my best friend was doing that. He told a lot of people about it at school and they made fun of me for it. I took it all in stride, because I could just put on my mask and forget it. But those were dark times for me...eventually I just ask my father to drop out of school. I had to pay each of those guys a million dollars each to keep their mouths shut, so they wouldn't tell my father that I was apparently a little fairy." he said. He moved back one of his bracelets, holding his wrist out to her. Ann gasped a bit, seeing the scar on his wrist. She took a hold of his wrist, running her fingers across it.

"I'm sorry you went through that Takumi...I don't know how that feels, but being made fun of for your sexual preference is disgusting. But it's more disgusting that someone you started falling in love with, would not only mooch off you, but take advantage of you and extort money from you as well." she said.

"Yeah...you're right...as a consequence, I tend to watch myself around new people. I like to study them to see if they're worthy of my attention, everyone who wanted to be my friend was just someone who wanted me for my stuff, not for me. That was one of the reasons I decided to leave America...so I could just leave that shit behind. It also made me realize that love is a double edged sword, man or woman, if a person has bad intentions, it doesn't matter what gender they are, they will do anything they can to hurt you."

"Sadly that is also true...still at least you're okay with your sexuality."

"You could say that...after what happened though, I doubt I'll ever see another man like that again. I have since lost my attraction to them, and before you ask, no I don't like any of my guy friends that way." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Yeah I figured, sometimes it's bad starting a relationship with a close friend, it might put your friendship off or even ruin it entirely."

"Mhmm...and there are a lot of cute girls here...I just wanna try to find myself a good woman you know? I'm fine being bisexual, but it's something barely no one knows. So the fact that I told you means that I have immense trust in you...I'd like to ask you to keep it a secret okay?" he asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"Of course, I wouldn't dare share this with anyone, I'm not that callous." Ann said, giving him a smile.

"Hey guys, there you are." Makoto greeted, causing the two to look up, seeing the rest of their friends.

"Oh...um...I'd like to apologize for leaving like that...this whole thing is making me really uneasy." Takumi said, sounding apologetic.

"Hey it's cool, I remember when we were fighting Kamoshida, I let my anger get the best of me too. It's totally normal, just know that we'll be there for you every step of the way. So when the time times to stomp him to the ground, you get to call the shots." Ryuji said, clapping the boy's shoulder.

"Indeed, it feels wrong if any of us were to take the final hit, after all your sister is directly involved." Yusuke said.

"Thanks guys...I just felt like an ass leaving like that...but...I'm happy that we're all friends. So, is Haru part of the team full time now?" he asked curiously.

"I'd love to join you whenever I can...however, my father makes it quite challenging. I was able to leave Sugimura's side today, but I doubt I'll be able to do anything for a few days. It works perfectly, you can handle Futaba's Palace and I'll prepare some things for Shimizu's palace. Call me when you decide to go back in, I wanna crush his nuts under my shoe." she said, a grin on her face.

"Ah...fuck me...don't say stuff like that...cute girls shouldn't say that!" Ryuji exclaimed, placing his hands over his crotch.

"Come on, we've decided to take tomorrow off to gather our bearings. We need to make a sound plan to finish exploring Futaba's palace before it's too late. We were gonna head back to Leblanc." Ren said.

"Okay...we're gonna need all the help we can get. First we gotta help Futaba Sakura out, so that she can finally get over these feelings. We're gonna cut it close, but I know in my heart we'll defeat this evil!" Takumi said firmly.

"That's the spirit...let's go then, before the next train leaves!" Ryuji said, handing Takumi his guitar case.

"Oh, can we stop for ice cream on the way big brother? I feel like we all deserve some after going to such a disgusting place." Mitsuhide said, sounding almost childish as she spoke. It was a welcome change for the boy, who ruffled her hair lovingly.

"Sure kiddo, it'll be on me this time. It's blazing balls and we all need something to cool off after all the hypocritical fuckshit we witnessed in that shithole." he said.

"Yes, Cherry Garcia here I come!"

Takumi smiled happily at his sister's antics. He reached into his pocket for his phone, a sudden thought entering his mind. He sifted through his chat log, pulling up one of the profiles Alibaba had created. He tapped it, opening the message log.

 **Takumi:** _Hey...Alibaba...I need your help with something._

 **Takumi:** _If you can see this message, then respond...it's important._

 **Alibaba:** _What do you need? You know I can't do anything about Medjed until Futaba's Heart is changed_

 **Takumi:** _I understand...but we're actually dealing with another dangerous person, Ryoutaro Shimizu._

 **Takumi:** _I fear he might do something against me, or one of my friends._

 **Takumi:** _So...I need you to create a program for me...something that will kill his hard drive. I stole one of his most precious videos, and I know he wants it back._

 **Takumi:** _Think you can manage?_

Takumi watched the screen intently, seeing the three dots flashing a few times. He didn't know if she was going to respond, but he was banking on her agreeing. To his surprise, she did.

 **Alibaba:** _Alright...I'll help you. Just make sure you get yourself a beefy flash drive, it'll take some space..._

 **Alibaba:** _You owe me for this one...I'd like a Nintendo Switch_

 **Alibaba:** _With a spare controller, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokken Tournament and...Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild._

 **Alibaba:** _And we're going to play them all, this is punishment for saying my memes were trash..._

 **Takumi:** _Sigh..._

 **Takumi:** _Fair enough...I'll bring you those items when I can..._

 **Takumi:** _Thank you..._

 **Alibaba:** _You're very welcome (; \\[T]/\\[T]/\\[T]/_

 **Takumi:** _Heh...I can tell you and I are gonna be great friends..._

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	34. A Hairy Situation

**A/N:**

 **Well, if you think last chapter was messed up, then this one will blow it out of the water. Coming right off where 33 leaves off, this one will show the aftermath of Kaburagi's change of heart. so I look forward to hearing about your thoughts behind this. I do hope you guys are all liking this stuff, despite it being very dark in nature. Have a good day, sorry for the short Authors Note!**

 **Brace Yourselves, Maximum Sass Takumi is inbound.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 34

A Hairy Situation

 _ **Date: Sunday July 31**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: ?**_

 _ **Location: ?**_

 _ **Weather: ?**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Dammit, where the hell is Kaburagi? He was supposed to be here an hour ago!" Shimizu snapped, slamming his fists onto his desk. Akihiko frowned as he looked up from his phone, glancing at his director and mentor.

"Just stay calm old man, he'll be here...he's been acting strange though. Ever since Saturday, I tried contacting him and all he said was that he had things to think about...what the hell could that even mean?"

"I'm not sure, but I do agree that he's been acting strange. August 1st is tomorrow, and Kanami hasn't done anything to recover that file. It has to be recovered by any means necessary Akihiko...if we don't...then all of my work will go to waste...I've been working on that movie for the last four years of my life, getting young supple actresses to be in them. I've had to cut corners and use my romance films as a means to recruit them, but it matters not. Once this film is complete, it will net me millions." the director said, a grin on his face.

"Just as long as I get my cut, I don't give a shit. I'm the one acting as your enforcer here, so I can't have people going to my father and letting them know I'm involved in this sick shit. It could kill him." the young man said with a sneer. The door to the office suddenly opened, causing both men to look up at it. Koichi Kaburagi walked in, closing the door behind himself.

"About goddamn time you showed up." Shimizu said. The man took off his camera and placed it down on the desk, along with a file before turning around.

"I've come to deliver my resignation...I've come to realize what a horrible man I have become. I was once an officer of the law, and now I've abused my skills to do something horrible...so I will be taking my leave of this project."

"Huh? Am I hearing you correctly?" Akihiko cried, stunned by the man's words.

"You are...I'm sorry but this has been on my mind for awhile now. It's fine taking pictures of women, but of young children...I feel disgusted...I have a son, a daughter...how could they face someone as horrible as me? I plan to turn myself into the authorities when I can...I just can't take it anymore."

"You will do no such thing...for if you turn yourself in, we all fall. We cannot have that happening, Kaburagi...you and I have been working together since 2009. Remember, it was I that gave you a job after the S.D.F. fired you. You cannot do this to me, we have a quota to fill...so take your camera and get ready for today's shoot." Shimizu said. Kaburagi turned around, glaring at the man.

"What part of resignation do you not understand? I am not going to take those types of Photos ever again. Today's shoot featured eight year old girls, I'm not going to do that...I'm sorry. Find yourself another camera man and editor because I'm not going to do it. I've already archived my hard drives, collected everything I could and set it aside. It's going to be disposed of at a later date. For now, I think I'll grab a drink." Kaburagi said firmly, walking toward the door. Akihiko closed the distance, slamming it shut before the man could walk out.

"So sorry Koichi, but you can't leave...I have no idea what you are going to do with that stuff. So...you'll have to continue on board...we need someone to bring Takumi Mashita to us, to recover that file. We need you to bring him here, along with that blonde model...Ann Takamaki. She seems to be close to him, we'll use her as a means to show him that we mean business." he said firmly.

"I'm not going it, find yourself someone else to do that...because I am not going to do it." Kaburagi said firmly. The sound of a handgun being cocked made him jump, he turned around, finding the barrel of a Beretta M9 being pointed right at him.

"I say you're going to do it...whether you want to or not. Remember, I know where your wife lives, and your children. If you don't want to return home to find entrails hanging from the picket fence...you'll do as we say." he said firmly, a smirk on his face. Kaburagi glanced over his shoulder, seeing the placid look on Shimizu's face. He bowed his head, giving the man a nod.

"Excellent...now then, I've had someone track their movements. Takumi Mashita lives in Shibuya, and has been heading to Yongen-Jaya, to a cafe called Leblanc. It seems his friend Ann is also transferring to Yongen on that same train. Your task, is to capture the two of them before they board that train, and bring them here. Is that understood?" Shimizu asked.

"Yes...it will be done...but I'm not harming them."

"Whatever, that'll be up to our main man Akihiko...it seems you've been promoted to right hand, seeing as our good officer has resigned."

"I'll be happy to to oblige you, Director. Now then, go get them, or else I'll put a bullet in your kids heads. Be back in two hours, or I'll start with your daughter, and I may just have my way with her."

Kaburagi nodded, walking out of the room withholding his anger. There was nothing he could do, all he could do was comply.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Thanks for lending me a hand you two...I wasn't expecting so many customers this early." Erica said, giving her son and his friend a grateful smile.

"It's no problem mom...still, half of an orchestra all looking for replacement instruments this early in the morning? I was quite surprised." Takumi said.

"Well, at least you know they care a lot about their music right?" Ann asked, earning a nod from the boy. Erica sighed, writing down her profits before slipping them into a black bag. Once she dropped the register and made sure everything was in order, she placed all of the black bags inside the safe behind her.

"We made a killing today, once I replace all of the instruments we just sold and pay the bills, we'll still have quite a lot of money. How about we have a cookout somewhere for the summer? You can invite all of your friends if you want."

"Sure...how about we all go to Miura beach? I rented some suites for us on the week of the 29th of August. It's only three days, but I can extend it to the 2nd of September."

"We can't...school starts the second, remember?" Ann asked, earning a frown from the boy.

"Right...I forgot that. School starts after labor day in America, so I got used to going in after the first Monday in September...I guess I can try to get the 27th and 28th added to our week, we would come back on the 31st, it would make for the perfect last day of summer vacation, wouldn't you say?" Takumi asked.

"It would...considering all three of my children will be heading to Shujin the next day. I can't believe this...Mitsuhide in high school at such an early age. I don't even have to tell you to watch out for her, make sure she feels safe in that school. I've heard plenty of rumors already." the woman said in a scolding tone.

"Don't worry Isoshima-san, I'll make sure Mitsu is protected during the school day. Though she'll be with Ayumi most of the time since they'll be in the same grade right?"

"That's right...oh that reminds me, I haven't planned Ayumi's birthday party...she wants to have hers with Toni since they both have their birthdays in August."

"Well...how about we hold it at the beach? It'll be my gift to them, we can all screw around and stuff. We'll buy a huge as melon and have them smash the shit out of it!" Takumi suggested.

"Yes...that's a perfect plan...I have to make sure the store will be fine for a week...we still have a lot of time to plan everything. Well you kids are free to go, thanks again for helping me deal with that rush."

"It was no problem Isoshima-san...we were happy to help."

"Aw sweetheart, I've told you to call me Erica...I never really liked being called by last name. I guess that's the American in me speaking out. Takumi is the same right?" the woman asked.

"Yeah...I got used to being called by name, so being called by my last name and with honorifics...it's just odd now. The only one who still does is Haru, but that's because we spent a year together."

"Hey, what's up with that? Are you two into each other or not? She seemed really attracted to you." Ann asked curiously. The boy shrugged, glancing at his phone screen.

"She's cute, but I only see her as a friend...it was awkward. Being forced into a relationship is different than falling in love. I will say that we did give it an honest try, but it was just weird."

"Aw...so Haru was your first kiss?" the girl teased, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Yup, once we got over the shyness we just went for it. It was awkward but we kissed a lot. We just never got used to a relationship though, knowing that we were forced into it, and had expectations from us...it wasn't what Haru wanted and it wasn't what I wanted either. I filmed Fleeting Angel 2, told dad to fuck himself and that was that. We left for America shortly after and...well you know the rest." the boy said, scratching his head.

"It'll be alright, one day you'll find that special someone...I just hope it happens soon, I want grandkids." Erica said, earning a giggle from Ann.

"Come on, Mom...don't pull an Ayumi on me!" the boy whined, placing his glasses back on his face.

"We should get going...Ren and the others are waiting for us there. I'm surprised Mitsu wanted to go ahead of us...she did say she wanted to start writing the draft of her thesis." Ann said.

"You two take care of my little girl alright? I'm happy that she's found friends that are willing to give her a chance. Despite you being older than her, she feels comfortable around you, and that makes me happy. Make sure she's taking her vitamins too, she hates that stuff but we both know she needs them." Erica said, getting a thumbs up from Takumi.

"I'll wait for you outside, hurry up okay? It's blazing balls and I really don't feel like sweating today." Ann said, walking toward the back door. As Takumi was about to leave, Erica grabbed his hand, pulling him to a stop.

"Do you like her?"

"Huh...what?" he asked curiously, clearly confused by her question. Erica puffed her cheeks, almost like Ayumi did when she was annoyed.

"Don't act ignorant, I saw how you were looking at her...if you like her, just tell her. She's a very beautiful girl, and she seems sweet and down to earth. Someone like her will do you well...most importantly, she isn't fake."

"I know...it's just, I don't think I'm ready for a relationship right now. Let's just say, I haven't had much luck in that department in the past." he said, a frown on his face. She placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him a smile.

"I know that...I doubt I'll ever find someone like that again. I have my little girls to share my unconditional love with. You're young, but I can tell you have an attraction to her...so don't let her slip. I think she likes you too, maybe a date is what you two need."

"Yeah...maybe...thanks mom, I'll see what I can do." he said, giving her a hug. She smiled, hugging the boy back, kissing his forehead.

"Do me proud son, I wasn't kidding about those grandkids either." she said, giving him a wink. He sighed, shaking his head as he walked back into the apartment. He made sure he had all of his tools and firearms, before walking back down the stairs, now wearing his boots. He walked out into the alleyway, glancing around for a few moments.

"Ann? Where are you? Don't tell me you went ahead to the station dammit, I really don't feel like running." the boy said, walking toward the edge of the building.

He didn't spot his blonde friend anywhere, making him start to worry. He spun around on his heel, starting to walk back toward the open street, reaching behind his back for his model gun, just in case. He knew it wouldn't do anything, but it would at least fool someone. The boy didn't notice the figure that ran up behind him until it was too late. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head before everything went black.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Where the hell are they? We were supposed to infiltrate twenty minutes ago?" Ryuji snapped, glancing at his phone, staring at the unanswered messages. Makoto glanced at the group chat, seeing the the two teenagers weren't online.

"It is odd...my brother is always a punctual person, he made it so after he missed Shimizu's deadline." Mitsuhide said, glancing at her own phone.

"It is rather worrying, neither he nor Ann have been replying to messages and calls go straight to voice mail. Perhaps they're still helping Isoshima-san?" Yusuke said. Mitsuhide shrugged, dialing her mother's number, putting it on speaker.

"We shall see if that is in fact the case."

" _Hello? Is something the matter Mitsu? You almost never call me."_

"Nothing is wrong mother, I am simply curious about big brother's whereabouts. He hasn't arrived at Leblanc yet, so we wanted to know if he was still at the store helping you out."

" _He hasn't gotten there yet? That's odd, he left nearly half an hour ago. Maybe the trains are running late?"_ Erica said.

"That isn't it, we were just at Yongen Station and the train from Shibuya arrived five minutes ago. He should have been on that train unless they decided to walk, and knowing Ann that isn't the case." Ryuji said, having taken a hold of the pink cellphone.

" _That is strange...alright, I'll check to see if they're upstairs and call you back in a few minutes."_

"Many thanks Isoshima-san, we await your call." Yusuke said politely, with Ryuji ending the call.

"This is bad...remember what Takumi said before? That he was likely a target of Shimizu?" Morgana asked.

"Yeah...what of it?" Makoto asked curiously.

"You don't think something bad happened to them do you? Do you think the house was being watched?" Ren asked.

"With Kaburagi on Shimizu's side, we aren't for certain...Futaba was able to bug this place with no one knowing. I'm sure Kaburagi was able to do the same...there is the matter of those pictures we found in his palace. There were some of Ann among the multitude of naked pictures of Kanami. She's being watched...dammit, perhaps we shouldn't have come straight here after all." Mitsuhide said, biting her lower lip. Her phone started ringing loudly, making her almost drop it. The Phantom Thieves decided to ignore the dubstep ringtone in favor of getting their answer.

" _Mitsuhide? It's mom...are you sure he isn't in Yongen? The house is empty, Ayumi and Toni went out to train for End of Summer. He and Ann left the house not that long ago, I checked everywhere but I didn't find anything."_ she said.

"I suppose he might have gotten off the train and went somewhere nearby for food. He does tend to follow Ann around a lot when she's hungry. We'll check around here and let you know, thanks mother."

" _Huh...okay, be safe alright?"_ she asked. The little girl ended the call right after, standing up out of her seat, grabbing her computer bag, slinging it over her shoulder.

"Where are you going?" Ryuji asked.

"Back to Shibuya, it's clear that they weren't on that train. If they are not responding to our calls or messages, that means something ill befell them. My apologies, but I cannot infiltrate without by brother there." she said firmly, walking toward the stairs.

"We can't let you go back to Shibuya alone dummy. You might act like an adult, but your still a little girl. You know that bastard has his eyes set on you, and if he sees you alone then who knows what he'll do." Ryuji said, grabbing his bag as he stood up.

"He's right, we can't let you go there alone. We're coming with you, Alibaba will have to wait, especially because our teammates could be in grave danger." Makoto added.

"Then let's go to Shibuya, we can't afford to waste time." Morgana said, jumping into Ren's bag. The frizzy haired lad was concerned for the safety of his friends, especially after what he had witnessed the day before.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi jolted awake from the cold water that had been splashed at him. He sat stunned for a few moments, before looking around at the immediate area around him. He found himself inside a large room, one that looked vaguely familiar to him. He noticed the heart shaped beds at either side of the room, along with the video cameras and the blinking lights mounted around the top of the room. The blue carpet was in pristine, almost new condition, save for a few pieces of trash, and wrappers that had littered the floor. He heard the sound of a bucket being dropped, and glanced up, seeing the smiling face of Akihiko Shouji. He narrowed his eyes, leaning back in his seat, noticing his arms had been bound behind his back with zip ties.

"You must be wondering why you are here, right?"

"Not really, I already know why I'm here...the question is why is a tool like you here? Don't you know you are just being used?" the boy asked. Akihiko growled under his breath, punching the boy across the face. Takumi shook his head, moving his jaw slightly from the strike.

"You are in no condition to be snarky with me. So unless you want your girlfriend to get beat to shit, you'll do everything Shimizu asks of you...understood?" he asked.

"Girlfriend?" Takumi asked curiously. The man snapped his fingers, and the lights on the other side of the room came on, revealing what was hiding within the shadows.

"Ann!" the boy cried. The blonde girl had been bound by her wrists and hung up on a chain that came down from the ceiling. She was still dressed, but he had noticed a few bruises and scratches on her arms and face.

"Yeah...that one fought back...I'm not used to that, so I had to use a little force on her. Sorry about that, but in my defense she was trying to hurt me, so I took it all as a threat." Akihiko said, earning a glare from Takumi, who tried breaking out of his bindings.

"When I break out of these, I'm going to break your face, you piece of shit."

"Ah...I figured you'd threaten me with that...which is why I was told to bring someone else." he said, snapping his fingers once more.

From the other side of the room came Kaburagi, pushing Kanami forward, the girl's noticeable limp slowed her down, causing the man to press his gun into her neck. Akihiko reached for the hook next to him, placing Kanami's bound hands into it, before pulling the chain. He handed it to Kaburagi, who continued pulling until the young idol was inches off the ground. He tied the chain up in the back of the room, making sure it wouldn't slip from its hold.

"Kanami, are you alright?" Takumi asked.

"I'm sorry little brother...I tried going for help and Kaburagi caught me." she said, a disappointed look on her face. He shook his head, giving her a smile.

"It'll be alright, we'll get out of this...I promise you." he said. Akihiko slammed his fist into Takumi's stomach, causing him to cry in pain. He gasped for air, tears running down his cheeks.

"We'll get out of this, I promise you...god, how lame can you get? Is this how far the world's star actor has fallen? You were such a good kid, before all of those pesky drug allegations. But it doesn't matter, at least I got your role...which is a good thing. After watching the two of you kiss, I had an idea...maybe we could add the two of you to Shimizu's movie...it'll be called The Forbidden Fruit, the sexual adventures of Kanami and Takumi Mashita. It'll make us millions!"

"Fuck you! You are disgusting, exploiting people for money has to be the worst thing you can do as a human. Don't you care about them? Their families? What the hell is wrong with you?" Kanami spat.

"News flash honey, a lot of people do a lot of horrible things. We all gotta make money somehow, it just so happens were good at making money using little sluts like you." Akihiko said, grabbing a hold of her breast, squeezing it lightly. Kanami headbutted the man, sending him sprawling to the ground.

"Take that asshole!" she cried. The man quickly stood up, back handing her as hard as he could. He grabbed her throat, squeezing it hard.

"Let her go! I swear to god if you keep hurting you, I will kill you!" Takumi cried, pulling on his bindings as hard as he could. Akihiko let go of Kanami, who coughed loudly as she struggled to breathe.

"Kill me huh? I don't think you wanna tempt me boy." he said, walking over to where Ann was chained up. He smirked, lifting her head slowly, licking his lips.

"I've seen her on the cover of Vague...I always wanted to be in a film with a model. You know, I am a very professional actor...Count Cockula over there's the one that fucks kids. I'll tell ya, last week he made a film where he forced several twelve year olds go to at it, all at gunpoint, it was hilarious watching them cry for their parents."

"You sick bastard." Kanami spat, glaring daggers at the man. He grabbed Ann's throat, squeezing hard.

"I could let her suffocate...is that what you want?"

"Let her go, she has nothing to do with this! Whatever you want to do, take it out on me...it was all me, just let her go!" Takumi cried, bowing his head. Akihiko smirked, releasing his grasp on the blonde who started breathing a bit raggedly, her eyes slowly opening.

"Hey Sleepyhead, you were out for sometime...I hope you are enjoying yourself. I know your arms might be numb, but it limits your abilities to fight should you break out." he said. After regaining her bearings, the blonde model glanced around the room, noticing Takumi and Kanami bound and chained. She saw the sneer on Akihiko's face, and gave the boy a glare.

"I don't like that glare...it's making me uncomfortable."

"You made a mistake...once our friends find out what you did with us, they'll come searching for us. Not just that, you're entire operation will be shutdown." she said.

"Ah...right, which is why I had Kaburagi send them all a chain message. If you want Takumi Mashita and Ann Takamaki to be returned unharmed, you will stay away from Jadis and Associates, but if you do decide to tell the police, or mount a daring rescue, all you'll get back is two body bags. Not to mention if any of your sexy lady cohorts get caught, they will be property of Ryoutaro Shimizu. We planned ahead sweetie." he said, patting her side. The girl spat in his face, making him frown.

"You really aren't helping your situation here sweetheart. You're the one that's chained up after all, so you can't fight back. Meaning when I do something like this..." he said, tearing her shirt right off her body, tossing it aside.

"You can't defend yourself." he said.

"Tch...is that the best you could do? I'm not scared of you, I've been put through much worse. In fact, I kind of enjoy not feeling my arms. That way when I break out if here, I won't feel the pain of my hands breaking when I snap every bone in your body." Ann replied, glaring right into the man's eyes. He backed away from her, turning to face Takumi.

"She's a feisty one...you've picked up a nice looking girlfriend. I didn't think you had it in you. We dug up quite a lot about you, you know...even found out you have a thing for guys...I guess they'll be an audience we can exploit you for." he said.

"Did you read the fine print in that article?"

"Fine print? What are you talking about?" Akihiko asked. Takumi smirked, cocking his head to the side, his wet locks falling out of his eyes.

"Yeah, the fine print said Akihiko Shouji is a sissy fairy, who likes taking elephant cock up his ass." he said. The man growled angrily, grabbing a hold of his shirt, pulling his arm back to strike him, only to stop when the door opened.

"Akihiko dear boy...don't hurt our guests."

"Tch...you got lucky." he said, letting go of the teenager, stepping back as Ryoutaro Shimizu walked into the room.

"Now then...Kanami Mashita, Ann Takamaki, I apologize for the manhandling, my young assistant doesn't know how to handle women. It's nice to see you again, Takumi Mashita." the man said.

"Trust me, I'd rather cut off my own dick, put it in a blender and drink the pulp, than to be face to face with you." the boy replied.

"Quite...well, I called for you here because you have something of mine...my video file?" he said.

"Actually, I got it right here." Akihiko said, holding up the boy's necklace, which not only held his bullet, but also the flash drive.

"Tch...give that back to me. That necklace is the last thing I have of my mother." the boy shouted angrily.

"I don't give a damn about your necklace, I just want the flash drive." Shimizu said, pulling it from the necklace. He tossed it to the floor, stomping on the bullet as hard as he could, a sneer on his face.

"Now then...you've minorly inconvenienced me...so here's how it will go. Since you thought it was such a good idea to steal this from me, you will not get to star in the next half hour of it. And guess what, you've got your co-stars, Miss Takamaki and your very own sister Kanamin."

"You're insane if you think I'll do what you ask."

"Just do it kid, it'll save you the trouble." Kaburagi said, stepping up to the two, a frown on his face.

"That's right...you will be in a beautiful set...and you'll get to be in my Holy Grail of movies. The best of the best for the world wide web! It's even going to be a live broadcast so that people see that it's the real Kanamin. I wanted it to be Risette, but the bitch sprung before I could catch her, such a shame. However this blonde vixen will replace her...you get two girls virginity, that should be enough of a reward. We can get a guy in here if you want." Shimizu said.

"Hahaha...you know, I hear you talking, but all I can focus is on is, ooh look at me, my name is Ryoutaro Shimizu, I force people into porn to satisfy some carnal urge, because I'm so awesome and cool."

"Hey, respect the Director!" Akihiko shouted, about to punch the teenager, when Shimizu grabbed his arm.

"Let him say what he wants...he is trapped so he cannot do anything. His friends won't be able to help, and neither will the authorities. I've already removed all proof of what we do here without them knowing. Even if they do show up, all they'll find is a love hotel set for my latest romance movie. Everything has been archived, and now that I have my Holy Grail back, I can move my operation to the new set." Shimizu said proudly.

"You know, one day you're gonna get your comeuppance. I bet you are doing this shit because you can't even have sex yourself. Only people who can't get any resort to pornography to satisfy their urges. So what's the issue? Your dick so shriveled up that no girl will wanna suck on it?" Ann asked, a smirk on her face.

"Hmm...it seems you two don't have the adequate amount of motivation...you three will be in my film...right now, I am filming some stuff for When Idol's Fly...so I'll be back at around two in the afternoon to begin directing. Akihiko will sadly have to come with me, but he will be back to help me direct it. However, if you refuse to cooperate, well...Kaburagi, may I see your gun?" Shimizu asked curiously. The man sighed, handing him his Glock 18.

"What...are you gonna shoot me? That's bad for your films man, you can't shoot your actors." Takumi taunted, earning a smirk from the man.

"You're right...I can't...but I can shoot the people who are useless to me." the director said. He rose his gun up to Kaburagi, who's eyes widened in shock.

"No...wait!"

Takumi's eyes widened as the loud bang echoed through the room. Kaburagi's unmoving body crumpled to the ground, blood flowing from the hole in his forehead. Shimizu tossed the gun aside, not feeling a single ounce of remorse. The young man's ears were still ringing from how loud the gunshot was. Shimizu stepped up to Takumi, a smirk on his face as he leaned down to his level.

"The next one will go inside your girlfriend's head...so unless you want her to die, you will do as I ask...is that understood."

"Fuck you."

"Excellent, come now Akihiko...don't be bothered with the useless tools. We have much to discuss while we film the last of my next hit." Shimizu said. Akihiko followed along, closing the doors right after, an audible click filling the now silent room. Takumi just stared at Kaburagi's body, watching the blood pour out of the man's skull. A moment ago he had been alive, and now he was dead. He was doing his best to prevent himself from vomiting, but the urge was starting to beat him.

"Are you guys okay?" Ann asked after a few moments of silence.

"I'm fine...my arms are numb...but otherwise I'm alright...what about you Takumi?"

"Yeah...a little covered in blood and brain matter, but still alright."

"How are we gonna get outta here? We're chained up and your bound...there's no way we can escape." Ann said, bowing her head.

"Sweetie don't give up...if you give up then they'll take advantage of that. We can't give in, especially because of who we are." he said firmly.

"Face it kiddo...we screwed the pooch. Rise left to get some things in Shibuya, and I thought it was a good idea to head out to the police. But Kaburagi was laying in wait...I guess he was the one that caught the two of you?" Kanami asked.

"Yeah...I was waiting for Takumi to get ready, and he came up behind me with a rag. I was able to get away from him, but he managed to knock me out...I'm sorry Takumi, I should have stayed inside the store. We wouldn't be in this mess if I had waited inside."

"Ann it isn't your fault, none of this is your fault...however, Shimizu is in for a surprise, especially if he plugs that flash drive into his computer. Let's just say, I got a little gift for him, thanks to Alibaba."

"Huh...Alibaba?" Ann asked curiously.

"Who's Alibaba?"

"A friend of mine...I asked her last night to make me something, and she delivered. Had that fucker fooled the entire time...ah...well, time to get out of here." Takumi said, twisting his wrists as hard as he could, snapping the zip ties. He rubbed his wrists a few times as he reached into his shoe.

"How'd you do that?"

"It isn't that hard, all you have to do is tighten the ties, which I did without them noticing. Then you just keep twisting your wrists until they snap. It takes practice...wow, they didn't even bother to check my shoe...what idiots." he said, pulling out a black butterfly knife from inside. He spun it around his thumb a couple times, catching it with the blade out. He cut through the bindings holding his legs to the chair and stood up, stretching his limbs.

"Ah...freedom tastes so good." he said, walking over to his sister.

"Takumi, you have to be careful. At any moment they'll be able to get us...this place is most likely rigged with cameras."

"It isn't...the only place on this floor rigged with cameras is Shimizu's office. This is most likely the tenth floor, which means I know how to get out. Don't worry about a thing, we'll be fine." he said, cutting her bindings, catching her as she fell. She sat down on the bed behind her, shaking her arms to get the blood flowing through them.

"I gotta admit, you're prepared for anything aren't you?" Ann asked, as the boy approached her. He gave her a smile, sliding the blade through her bindings, catching her in his arms.

"I knew something might happen, so I slipped my balisong into my shoe before I left." he said. He pulled off his tee shirt, which was still slightly wet, pulling his undershirt off, handing it to the girl.

"Here, put that on...I still can't believe Akihiko did that to you...and Shimizu ended up shooting Kaburagi like that."

"Yeah...I've never seen a person die before...I'm just...trying to keep myself together." the blonde said, pulling off her torn shirt, slipping the white tank top over herself. It was a bit tighter on her, but she couldn't complain. Takumi knelt down, grabbing the discarded handgun, along with his chain, seeing the bullet's casing had been bent out of shape. Takumi frowned, slipping the chain into his pocket.

"Okay...how are we gonna get outta here?" Kanami asked curiously.

"Just keep quiet and follow me...it's gonna be a tight squeeze though, so make sure your tits are as flat as you can get them, alright sis?" the brown haired actor said, earning a glare from the girl.

"They're not that big."

"They're the size of planets...let's just go." he said, walking toward the door. He tested the knob, seeing they were closed. Turned to Ann, who was holding a camera tripod in her hands, as a makeshift weapon.

"Something wrong?" she asked. He shook his head, reaching for her bangs, pulling the bobby pin that kept them pinned down. She sighed, brushing them out of her eyes. He stuck the pin inside the lock and bent it downward, slipping a paper clip he had picked up from the floor into the lock.

"Do you know how to do this?" Kanami asked.

"It's a trick I picked up, sadly I can't tell you where I picked it up... it would be bad for business." he said, earning a slight nod from the girl. An audible click told the boy he had succeeded in opening the door. He grabbed a hold of his gun and peeked through the slightly opened door, seeing the hallway was empty. He quickly moved out of it, heading up the hall.

He pressed himself against the wall, holding his gun tightly in his hand, hands shaking. He saw a few people walking around, but they were all interns and part of the film crew. He frowned, trying to come up with a way to get past them. They were all just as innocent as the others who were working there. He let out a gasp, a grin forming on his lips, as he turned around, leading the two women back the way they came.

"You have a plan...right?" Ann asked.

"Of course I do...it's inconspicuous." he said, giving the girl a wink. He opened the door to the costume room, glad that it was empty. He set his gun down on the table and walked over to one of the costumes.

"Alright then...time for a little dress up." he said, searching for some thing to wear. He found a spandex suit, which was a bright blue color and had a cape attached to it. He tossed it to Ann who looked it over.

"Hell no, I'm not putting this on...look at this, it's spandex."

"Honey it's all we got...make sure to put this mask on as well. We can't have them seeing your face. Here Kanami, I got you this Victorian era dress...it'll do for now." he said, handing his sister the white, almost wedding dress looking gown. Kanami and Ann shared a look, knowing they had no choice.

After a few minutes, Takumi walked out, dressed like a security guard. He was wearing a black cap that had the word security written on it, he wore a tight white shirt with long sleeves, and a black tie. He was wearing a pair of black slacks and some nonslip shoes. He had on a fake badge on his left breast, along with a utility belt, which had a fake baton, a fake radio and surprisingly enough, a real gun. He had put on a fake mustache as well, to make himself look different than the others.

Ann was wearing a tight fitting blue spandex suit, which accented her every curve. It did nothing to hide her bountiful chest, though thankfully it didn't have a keyhole like her Phantom Thief outfit. She was wearing a pair of white gloves and matching white high heeled boots. The cape around her neck went down her back, reaching almost to her waist. She had pulled her hair out of her pigtails, tying a bandanna around her head, donning a black face mask.

Finally, Kanami was the one that stood out the most, having put on the white gown that went surprisingly well with her body shape. It resembled more of a wedding dress than anything, though it didn't have the long train that most dresses did, and was completely sleeveless. Takumi had been able to find her a veil, which she put on and draped over her face, so that people didn't instantly recognize them. Takumi took a deep breath as he walked, placing a hand on the gun at his hip as he walked, tipping his hat to the few people that were in the halls.

"Excuse me...what are you doing?" a man cried out, causing him to stop. He turned around, giving him a firm look.

"Ah...yes, I'm escorting these two ladies to the fourth floor. I got a call on my radio asking me to bring them down there personally. They're filming a commercial where a young super hero saves a bride to be from a giant octopus...we're already late so may we go?" he asked.

"Yes...right after I see your Identification." the man said. The others decided to leave, having other tasks to attend to. Takumi shared a look with Ann who just shrugged.

"My identification? Why do you need to see it?"

"To know you aren't just another person in costume. Director Shimizu doesn't like random people stealing costumes." the man insisted.

"I suppose...well my name is Sinclair...I'll show you my ID...it's right here." Takumi said, punching the man in the center of his forehead, knocking him out. He shook his hand in pain, turning to the girls.

"Let's get the fuck outta here." he said, leading them toward the nearby elevator.

Once they were inside, he pressed the door close button until they slid shut. He pressed the Lobby button, and the small room started moving downward. He kept his hand on the gun, swallowing the lump in his throat. Once they reached the lobby, he took the gun out of his holster and wiped his prints from it using his shirt before setting it down on the floor. The three continued walking toward the door, with the boy tipping his hat to the receptionist as he walked out into the city. Once they were clear of the building they started running toward the train station. They jumped over the turnstiles not caring if they got caught, luckily they didn't. They boarded the train to Shibuya, breathing a sigh of relief when the train stared to move.

"Holy Jesus, Mary mother of Christ...I almost pissed myself." Takumi said, dropping into his seat, his heart beating hard in his chest.

"I cannot believe we just walked out of there...ah man...they have our phones! We can't go into the..." Ann said, cutting herself off.

"We'll be fine, as long as we get home, it'll be fine. Not a word of this to anyone, except our friends...we need to be careful from now on. Kanami, you aren't going back to Akihabara. You'll stay with us in Shibuya."

"I can't do that little brother...what about Rise?"

"If she's smart, then she'll avoid that place like the plague. I'm sure she has her gun and she knows how to use it. Right now, we gotta focus on us." Takumi said, earning a nod from the two girls.

"Still...I can't believe those bastards did that...Kaburagi didn't deserve that end, despite the gross shit he's done." Ann said softly.

"Tch...as far as I know, he deserved to take one between the eyes, the bastard. He had it coming for everything he did to me and the other girls, for all the times he sexually abused me and took pictures of me with that sick grin on his face. God, I only wish I had the pleasure of taking him out myself." Kanami hissed, her hands shaking with rage. Takumi sighed, leaning back against the seat, glancing up at the ceiling. Ann wrapped her arm around him, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Thank you Takumi...for getting us both outta there. I was so scared I was gonna die...I acted brave, but I was so scared." she said softly.

"Well...you had me fooled...have you been practicing your acting recently?" he asked. She looked at him, giving him a smile.

"I have...so you took notice?"

"Mhmm...like I said, you had me convinced, you let your anger speak, that was true method acting. A+ performance." he said.

"Awesome! I'll be an amazing actress in no time...but for saving my life, you deserve a little reward." she said, giving him a wink. He looked at her curiously, only for the blonde to press her lips against his. Kanami let out a small giggle, glancing away from the two. Before the boy could even react, Ann had pulled away, shifting her gaze elsewhere, her face being flushed pink.

"Hey Ann?" the boy said, grabbing her attention. He smirked, giving her a kiss, much to her shock. He pulled away after a second, giving her a wink.

"I like you too...but let's save this stuff for afterwards...we're too busy right now." he said.

"Okay...I'll hold you to that."

"Not to rain on your parade or anything, is there a place where I can get some curry? I'm fucking starving." Kanami said, causing the two to laugh.

"There's my older sister. Don't worry, I know just the place!" he said happily.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"That's it...the whole story." Takumi said, setting down his coffee cup once he had told his friends what had happened. Kanami was downstairs in the cafe, most likely putting Sojiro out of business with all of the curry she had been eating.

"I can't believe that happened to you both...I'm so sorry...we shouldn't have split up." Makoto said, bowing her head.

"It's not your fault Makoto...we were caught off guard...but they took our phones, so I'm sure they'll discover the MetaNav." Ann said.

"Actually, your phones are in our possession...Erica found them on the ground next to big brother's guitar case. It seems they were of no use to them, they were smart. They probably thought someone could ping your phone and find your location." Mitsuhide said, handing Takumi and Ann their phones back.

"Okay, let's discuss this meeting. We can't beat around the bush anymore, the last time something like this happened, people's lives were at stake. We cannot do that again...we can't limit ourselves to palace infiltration on alternate days. We need to infiltrate both at the same time." Ren said firmly.

"At the same time? What are we gonna take one during the day and one at night? Are you crazy?" Ryuji exclaimed, eyes widened with shock.

"I agree, if we spread ourselves like that, we'll get too tired too fast. We'll not be able to use our full power."

"Yes...I considered this too, which is why we're splitting up."

The result was instantaneous. There were audible complaints from Queen, Ryuji and Fox, while Takumi remained silent. Ann was still getting over what had just happened so she hadn't said anything, she just wanted to eat her food in peace before speaking her mind. Before it could get out of hand, Ren rose his hand, instantly silencing the bickering.

"Now...I know what you are all thinking, but before what happened today, we had some wiggle room. Right now, we don't...our friends got kidnapped and almost killed. We cannot afford to waste a single second, so we're splitting up. I'm putting Queen in charge of Futaba's Palace, Yusuke, Morgana and Ryuji will remain with her. I'll take everyone else to Shimizu's Palace."

"Alright...I suppose that'll work. The plans remain the same, we will have to find and secure a path to the treasure in as little time as possible. Once we do, we will send out the calling cards one after the other...we will assemble the entire team to handle Futaba's shadow, and then rest before taking on Shimizu's shadow. Two simultaneous changes of heart and we will be free from danger." Morgana said.

"Not to mention, taking on Medjed and Shimizu both in one month will definitely be enough to increase our popularity. But what do we do about Shimizu's calling card?" Yusuke asked.

"I'm taking care of that one...there's a movie fest on August 5th. Any director who values his work, will be there. Especially because there are going to be trailers for upcoming movies. Even if Shimizu isn't there, people will see the card, and they will talk about it. It is a televised event after all." Takumi said.

"Wait...what are you suggesting?" Makoto asked. He smirked, leaning forward in his seat.

"It's quite simple really...Futaba Sakura is a genius hacker. If we change her heart first, I can easily get her help. I'll be making Shimizu's calling card one of the trailers being aired at the movie fest. After all, he won't expect that shit happening at an important event, and people will get to see the fucker crumble as his sick web of lies is exposed to the entirety of Japan."

"I like it...you really do like being flashy don't you?" Morgana asked.

"Well...after witnessing a man taking a bullet to the dome a few feet away from me, I realized that I had to make Shimizu's downfall as public as possible. For all of the victims he has abused over the years, for Hana Song, for Tsubaki Kasugano...for Kiyotaka Masamune...and for everyone else that has died over the years because of him. I'm not letting anyone else die at his hands, not my sister, not my friend, and especially, not anyone who has been abused by him." he said firmly.

"I can see your resolve isn't waning in the slightest...alright then, I'll let you handle his calling card. I was gonna take another rest day after what happened, but after seeing you fired up, I'm sure you wanna tackle this palace as fast as possible."

"Yes...not to mention we're being watched, me and Ann I mean. Shimizu isn't going to do anything in a group of people, he doesn't have Kaburagi at his side anymore. However, I am going to ask that Ren and Ann stay with me until we finish Shimizu's palace, for our own safety." Takumi said firmly.

"Alright...I don't feel safe being alone with just my guardian...I also don't want to put her in any danger. I'll need someone to come with me to my place so I can get a change of clothes...I'm not walking there in this goddamn spandex suit." the blonde said, frowning at her outfit.

"I'll let you borrow my school uniform while we bring you home...it'll be a little big on you, but it's better than spandex." Ren said, earning a relieved nod from the girl.

"Okay then...we all have our orders...tomorrow we will have a double infiltration, and we aren't going to stop until the path to the treasure is set. We have twenty one days...we cannot afford to waste any one of them, or Medjed will take us all by surprise." Makoto said.

"I agree...and Shimizu is going to do something too...we need to be prepared."

"Actually, he's probably realizing how screwed he is right about now...especially with that little gift I left for him." Takumi said, a grin on his face as he finished his coffee.

"Come on Boss, keep this curry coming! I'll pay you every cent I owe, and I'll even buy more stuff so you can make me more." Kanami cried.

"Jeez, how are you still able to eat? You've had four plates already, you cannot have that much room in that tiny body." Sojiro said firmly, earning a laugh from Takumi.

"Oh man...he does not know what kind of monster Kanami Mashita is on an empty stomach." he said.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Gah! I cannot believe they got away! I knew I should have left a security guard up there...dammit!" Shimizu cried, slamming his fists on his desk.

"You shouldn't have killed Kaburagi...he could have been useful to us." Akihiko said, earning a growl from the director.

"He would have set them free anyway...he was going to betray us...it matters not...we still have the upper hand. In this game of ours, as long as we possess a good hand, we can proceed. We got the original video file back, and I still have Kanami and Risette's nudes, saved up on my hard drive. Come August 26th, we'll be able to ruin the bitch's career and make bank with her pictures." the man said, slipping the USB drive into his computer.

"If you say so...this is rapidly becoming boring to me man...you promised me Kanami would be mine. Yet you haven't fulfilled your part of the bargain."

"Yeah yeah, if you want a soiled rag then you can have at it...wait until she comes back for work. You can deflower her, just as long as I get the film." Shimizu said, extracting the file from the flash drive. He double clicked it, imputing the password into it. As soon as he did, the computer screen turned blue, before shutting off.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Akihiko asked curiously. The screen came back on, with several glowing lines of code appearing on it. A loud demonic laugh came from the speakers, as a skull and crossbones appeared on the monitor. A loading bar appeared below it, steadily loading.

"What...what is this?" Shimizu cried. Akihiko glanced closely at the bar, a small smirk on his face.

"I dunno...but whatever this is, it's wiping your hard drive...it's already at eighty percent, I doubt you'll be able to salvage anything."

"No...no!" Shimizu shouted, pulling the flash drive from the computer, typing several things on it, trying every trick he knew. The bar hit one hundred, and it shut off once more. No matter what he did, it refused to turn on. He slammed his hands on the table, screaming loudly in anger.

"Dammit! My life's work was archived in that computer! All of it was there, the Holy Grail...my Holy Grail!" he shouted.

"I'm just gonna go...you need some time alone."

As Akihiko left, Shimizu's anger grew. He couldn't believe he had been duped by a kid. He was done being the nice director, now that his Holy Grail was no more, it was no holds barred. He was going to do whatever it took to regain it, even if that meant taking every actress currently under contract and ruining their lives forever. He was too far gone in the game for him to give up. Especially because the higher ups were breathing down his neck, asking him when that movie was going to be available. He wasn't going to die, not at their hands.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	35. Infiltrate the Palace V: Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 35 of Codename: Songbird. Things are starting to get dark during this arc, and it is about to get even darker than before. Shimizu's facade is slowly breaking, and now he is becoming more and more vulnerable. Today, you all get to see the fucked up shit Akihiko Shouji has done for Shimizu. None of it is pretty, to say the least. I do hope you enjoy this chapter, I do understand if you don't.**

 **I am going to post 36 later on today, but I might just have to slow down my posts to one every couple days, as I am running out of chapters to post. I will say, the final boss battles for Futaba and Shimizu's Palaces will be happening soon, so look forward to that. After that you will all get some filler and you'll get to see some new Confidants being added to Takumi's Arcana roster. Twenty-three in total now, and I will be explaining each new arcana when it is posted, but those will be added in after both palaces have been taken care of. So you'll get to see some more things about the confidants. Also, as I said before, disregard that rank number. It's gonna increase by one every single time Takumi spends time with them, so they don't really mean anything. It's just there to remind me which confidants need to spend more time with Takumi, though I suppose Rank 10 will matter due to the second awakening, though that will only happen with Ren as he is the Wild Card.**

 **Takumi will be getting his second awakening during the next arc, which I will keep under wraps for now because I am currently writing it. Or struggling too since I've have some writers block. But it will be a rather emotional arc for Takumi, and I have been alluding to it during the future cut ins. So if you didn't know, this chapter will confirm Takumi and Ann as a pairing, though as I said before she is but one of his girls. Girl number two shall remain unconfirmed until after Sae's Palace infiltration, so yeah...very long time from now, but there will be sappy moments between them, thoguh there are gonna be sappy moments between all the girls so I can keep it ambiguous. That's right, no one shall be able to guess who it is. So feel free to guess who it might be, I will neither confirm nor deny your guesses, so it will just be speculation for now.**

 **See you all this afternoon with Chapter 36, the next post will be Sunday, and depending on how much I can write, I'll post either one or two chapters. See ya later!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 35

Infiltrate the Palace V: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Monday August 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Ryoutaro Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Torrential Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

When it rained in the real world, it also affected the Metaverse. How shadows acted become different, sometimes they became irritable, especially in the heat. In the pollen season, they became dizzy and sleepy because of the general feeling of the real world. In the rain, it was different, they were slightly faster. People were moving fast outside so they could avoid being drenched, but since they moved so fast, it also meant they would mess up more often than not. It was raining outside of Ryoutaro Shimizu's palace, but it didn't bother the Phantom Thieves none. The rest of the team was in Futaba's Palace, doing their best to find the treasure room. After all, they had agreed to go in as far as they could before something happened that made Shimizu want to go after anyone. That meant they weren't leaving the Metaverse until both paths were secured, with the aim for Shimizu being August 5th, since the following day was the film festival which would lead to Songbird placing the calling card on for people everywhere to see.

That meant he only had about a day to spare to work on the film he was going to submit, and make sure it was one hundred percent untraceable, which was why Futaba was a key player in all of this. He only hoped the girl would want to help them afterwards, seeing as she was still going through very powerful traumatic experiences. All that would be left would be to wait for August 21st and August 26th to roll by, to see if Medjed or Shimizu would do something. Songbird stretched his limbs, popping his spine, the area around his mouth was violet from the hit Akihiko had given him the day before. He had also noticed some bruises around Panther's neck, though they were hidden by her outfit, so they weren't that noticeable. Though she was putting on a strong front, he was sure the girl was still reeling about what had happened the day before. He placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a smile.

"It'll be alright, we'll be able to find the path to the treasure in no time." he said reassuringly.

"I know...I just don't want you to get hurt again...are your ribs okay? And your lip?" she asked, sounding very concerned. He gave her a nod, brushing it off like nothing.

"I've taken hits before, don't worry about it...alright Joker, by your lead." he said, tightening his grip on his rifle. Joker nodded, tugging on his glove as he took out the rolled up map, handing it to Beauty Thief.

"Queen is usually the one who advises us and sets our course, since she's not here, I'd like for you to do that for us. Is that alright?" he asked.

"Of course, leave it to me Joker-kun!" the girl said happily, earning a smile from the boy.

With that, the raven haired boy took the lead, walking toward the entrance. The lobby was filled with Ushers, flashing their lights all over the place, though luckily none of them were near the entrance. They all quickly dashed toward the empty arcade, pressing themselves against the sides of the entrance, with Panther and Songbird hiding behind a billiards table in the middle of the arcade.

"Shit...it looks like something happened in the real world...there are more shadows here today." the blonde model muttered dryly, her grip on her whip tightening.

"Sorry, that was most likely my fault. Remember, I asked Alibaba for that program...he must have put it in his computer. If he did then his entire hard drive was wiped clean." he said.

"That can happen? From a single program?" Beauty Thief asked.

"Mhmm...Alibaba explained it to me. If he plugged it into his system and opened it, then he was screwed. She made it look exactly like his video file, even gave it the same password, so the idiot killed his own computer. Because of that he feels vulnerable, meaning that now he has to increase his security, and with Kaburagi gone, he's exposed as well." Songbird said.

"That doesn't exactly help us with the shadows, now does it big brother?" Duchess asked softly, glaring at the boy from her spot near the door. He rolled his eyes, popping the bipod on his rifle down. He placed it on the billiards table, popping the caps on the scope open.

"I'll take care of it...Duchess, shoot the nearest one, I'll take care of the farther one. We move toward the reception counter, take out the ones behind the ticket booths and then tag team the ones on at the stairwell...understood?" he asked. She gave him a thumbs up, drawing a bolt from her quiver. She rose the crossbow to her shoulder, peering through the scope. The dull snap of the string filled the empty arcade, the shadow bursting into smoke as soon as it passed through its head.

A soft pop followed by the clinging of a shell casing was heard. Songbird picked up his rifle, quickly dashing toward the reception desk. Duchess dove to the ground, taking aim at the shadow behind the ticket counter, taking it out instantly, the bolt slamming into the panel behind it. Songbird took out the Usher near the stairs, quickly shifting his aim, two more pops took out the remaining shadows. He gave a soft bird call, signaling the room was clear. The five Phantom Thieves walked toward the second floor, with Joker swiping the card he had retrieved before.

"Alright, the door opened." he said, pushing the two doors open. There was a lone Usher walking around, looking around while flicking his flashlight in all directions.

"I got it." Songbird said softly. He rose his rifle, lining his barrel up, squeezing the trigger. The bullet sailed through the air, piercing the reel shaped mask on the shadows face, killing it instantly.

"You're getting better with that Songbird, do you practice often?" Beauty Thief asked, slowly walking into the empty hall after Joker.

"Not really, I do have proper training though. I spent six months in Hawaii with my aunt and uncle on my father's side, and he took me hunting a lot. So I learned how to use rifles and how to zero in scopes and stuff. My aim with a handgun is a bit off though." he admitted, a flush on his cheeks.

"Well, as long as you can nail shadows, it doesn't really matter. Snipers only use handguns as last resort. But if you'd like, I could show you a thing or two." Joker said, a smirk on his lips.

"Ha...right. As if you're a better shot than the trained professional." Panther said jokingly.

"I wouldn't call big brother a professional though. It doesn't take effort to point and shoot, he is quite knowledgeable on firearms however. He made an estimated guess on our weapons and selected the ones that best suited us. We'll need to upgrade soon however, I fear we may run into stronger enemies." Duchess said firmly.

Reaching the Security Office on the far side of the hallway, Joker swiped the silver card, causing the door to slowly slide open. There was a long security guard inside, soft snores coming from him. It was clear that he was sleeping on the job. That gave them quite the advantage of course. Joker drew his dagger, flipping it through his fingers before catching it by the hilt. He crept up to the sleeping shadow and placed his hand softly on its head. With a fierce thrust, he drove the blade through the back of its head, giving it a twist before pulling it out, a stream of crimson blood falling to the ground, just as it disappeared. He walked over to the security guard's station, looking around for a few seconds, before finding what they were looking for.

"A bronze card, this one leads to the sixth floor." he said, handing it to Songbird, who looked it over.

"Wonder what we'll find up there?" Beauty Thief asked curiously.

"If it's anything like last time, we might run into Shouji's shadow up there. The layout is the same right? We might need to find another map if we want to explore the eighth floor." Songbird replied.

"Alright, let's go back to the elevator! It's time for us to kick some shadow ass!" Panther cried happily, a grin on her face.

The Phantom Thieves followed Joker's lead, quickly heading back toward the elevator. He swiped the card on the slot, causing the golden doors to slowly slide open. They walked inside, this time only the sixth floor button was available, so that was the one he pressed. The room slowly started moving upward, no one saying a word. There was nothing for them to talk about, they were just focused on the task at hand. It took a few moments, but the elevator finally arrived on the requested floor. Much like the third floor, the layout was exactly the same, though this room was a lot brighter than the third floor. The windows were opened, so it was a bit chillier, due to the rain and how high they were. They walked down the hall, finding a single door, and once Joker opened it, it distorted briefly, making him sigh in relief.

"A safe room, let's regroup here for a moment." he said, ushering his friends inside before closing the door behind himself.

"So, it seems the layout for this floor is exactly like the third floor...three rooms and one room in the middle. If we go by order, then Shouji is the next person...that means on the eighth floor we might run into Shimizu, before reaching the Shrine where his treasure is being kept...that is an assumption though." Songbird said.

"What about the Shrine Maiden? Wouldn't it make sense for her to be part of all of this as well? She was here too." Beauty Thief said, earning a frown from the boy.

"I'm hoping that isn't the case, but I can't disregard that possibility either. The map is cut off here, so I am only assuming the next areas. Since in the real building, the ninth and tenth floor belong to Jadis and Associates, I would assume the eighth and ninth floor of this tower would serve as their replacements."

"It isn't a bad assumption, ultimately we won't be able to figure anything out until we search. But I will say this, Songbird please try to contain your anger this time. I know we're in a place that pisses you off, trust me, I got pissed as well. But we can't afford to make mistakes, especially if we're going to face off against Shouji's shadow." Joker said, earning a nod from the young man.

"I'll just bottle it up and take it out on Shouji's shadow. After what he did to me yesterday, to Kanami and especially to Panther, it's time for him to get his comeuppance. No one tears a woman's shirt like that and most definitely doesn't asphyxiate her." he said firmly.

"I can tell you care a lot for her Songbird, you better take good care of her from now on." Beauty Thief said, giving the boy a wink. The two teenagers flushed, looking away from each other.

"Let us continue, we cannot afford to dawdle here." Duchess said, grabbing a bolt from her quiver. Songbird walked out of the room first, raising his rifle to his shoulder.

He took out the two Usher Shadows walking around on that hallway, allowing them freedom of movement. It didn't take them long to reach the first room. Beauty Thief reached into her glove, pulling out her own lock pick, slipping it into the keyhole. Seconds later, a soft click was heard, and she eagerly opened the door, walking inside. It was entirely dark, nothing really sticking out to them. She reached for the nearby light switch, flicking it on.

Their eyes widened a bit in shock, seeing the room in total disarray. There were several broken objects littering the entirety of the room, the lamp had been shattered entirely. There were ripped books all over the place, their pages strewn about. There were broken discs on the nearby table, along with some other things, but the thing that stuck out the most to them was the board in the back, which had various pictures of Kanami tacked onto it. They were all various magazine pin ups, magazine covers, pictures from movies and various pictures of her naked, most likely given to him by Kaburagi. There was another board next to it, with various papers pinned to it as well, the phrase _"Die Kanami Mashita"_ was written in red ink. Songbird walked into the room, seeing a dartboard with various pictures of Kanami on the wall, several darts sticking out of it. He noticed one picture was being held up by a knife that had been stabbed straight into the wall. He swallowed hard, turning to face his friends.

"Well...I guess someone is obsessed with my sister."

"Obsessed? You call this obsessed? This is borderline psychotic...look at this, the table has _I love you Kanami_ written on it. No...it looks like it was etched into the wood with a knife." Panther pointed out, tracing her finger on the phrase that had been repeatedly written on the wooden table. Duchess walked toward the corkboard, slipping on something, though she managed to catch herself before she fell. She knelt down and grabbed the black book she had slipped on, looking at the cover.

"Akihiko Shouji's diary...looks like you were right big brother...this floor belongs to Shouji." she said, handing the book to the brown haired actor. He slung his rifle on his shoulder and opened the diary to a random page.

"Dear diary, today is the day...Kanamin is hosting a concert in Ikebukuro. I bought tickets and waited in line just so I could get to meet her in the VIP room...I'm gonna ask her out on a date and see where it goes. I know she's an idol and all, but she's still human...perhaps she'll give me a chance, who knows?

Dear Diary, Kanami rejected my advances...this marks the fourth time this week she has ignored me...I'm going to do something about it.

Dear Diary...Kanami called me a stalker today and I have no idea why...I thought idols loved when fans showed their love. I mean, I did track down her address and showed up personally to her house, but that isn't stalking...I just want her to go on a date with me.

Dear Diary...my attempts were all for naught...Kanami has rejected me. She said that if I asked her out again, she'd press charges on me, and I'd never be able to see her again...what a bitch, and here I was willing to lay my life down for her...she'll rue the day she rejected me.

Dear Diary...I met with Director Shimizu...he seemed interested in my acting skills. As it turns out, he has a special offer just for me...if I agree to help him with his films, he'd get me my date with Kanami. I suppose I could trust him.

Dear Diary...I lost my virginity today to another idol, an up coming idol named Tsubaki Kasugano...she was beautiful. She was partially blind, so she didn't see anything, which was a shame. I don't know why, but watching her struggle and crying for help totally turned me on. It was amazing, people say your first time isn't the best time, but it's the most memorable one...I gotta agree, it felt amazing taking a tight virgin pussy like that.

Dear Diary...today marks the third year that I joined Shimizu's film crew...I've been drowning in hot girls, but none of them appeal to me. Sure, I've deflowered my fair share of pretty girls, even an eleven year old at one point, but nothing satiates my love for Kanami. I've been beating people up more because of my pent up rage...thankfully, Shimizu got Kanami to play the main act in his latest movie. That role is mine...and when she's caught unawares...she is going to he mine. She doesn't even recognize me anymore...which is perfect. Well, I guess it's time to work on my stamina, I have a few kids that need to be broken in...guess they'll do for now."

"That was the last entree." Songbird said, after a few moments of silence.

He dropped the book to the floor, walking right out of the room. He didn't know how to react, what to say or do...all he did was just calm himself down. He finally had some insight on how Akihiko Shouji's mind worked, but he didn't think there was anything else that could make him hate the young man. What was worse, was that with every single entree that involved a sexual encounter, a picture of the victim was stapled to the page, in a post coitus state. It took everything in his body not to run out of the Metaverse and beat him up in the real world. He felt someone wrap his arms around him from behind, and jumped a bit, only for the familiar pink gloves to catch his attention.

"Thanks Panther...for being here with me."

"Of course...I didn't think it was so horrible...I saw some of the pictures...I know how you feel. Carmen's rage is ebbing at me again and it's taking a lot for me to hold her back." she said softly.

"Compared to Shouji, Kaburagi is a damn saint...at least he didn't rape the children, he just took pictures of them. This sick bastard described it in detail, that's why I only read some parts of each entree...I could see the dead look in their eyes...Tsubaki's hit me the hardest. That poor girl was blind, she couldn't see who was doing that to her...she couldn't see the exit to run away...she couldn't even see the light at the end of the tunnel...she most likely got home and killed herself that same day." he said, wiping the tears that were running down his cheeks. Panther released her hold on the boy, walking around to face him.

"It'll be alright, these fuckers will pay for what they're doing, for all of the lives they are ruining, and have ruined. Every single person that's committed suicide, they will be honored. We will give those people closure, the one they never got after all was said and done...okay?" she asked softly. He gave her a nod, hugging her tightly.

"After this is over, will you come with me to the cemetery? I want to put some flowers on their graves. It'll take awhile to track them all down, but I just have to do it...I can't just...let them be forgotten like that." he said. She gave him a nod, pressing her lips against his cheek, giving him a smile right after.

"Of course...let's just focus on finding that card and opening the door at the center of this floor. That's where the bastard is hiding, we can show him how we really feel in battle." she said.

"Agreed...let's go." he said, walking toward the other hall, where his friends were most likely waiting.

Just like last time, Beauty Thief was able to find a set of keys that opened the door. The second room was different than the first, this one was completely lit when they walked inside. Instead of finding a mess or some pictures of Kanami, they found something else. Everywhere they looked, there were maps of various places, with colored tacks being places in various locations. There were pictures taped at the top of each map, with strings being connected to each tack, marking a possible location or route that a person would take. There were several, but the largest one was the one that belonged to Kanami. It had the most tacks and the most strings attached to it. Songbird walked toward the very back of the room, seeing the computer that was placed at the back. He tried turning it on, but it didn't power up. Instead he grabbed the manila folder that was on top of it, opening it.

"Hana Song?" he muttered, a look of confusion on his face. He grabbed the picture of the young brown haired woman, seeing a file beneath it. When he read it, it was a file containing information on her bank accounts, family members, hospitals, homes and every other place she frequented, there were even locations marked in Seoul, South Korea.

"I found a file on Kiyotaka Masamune, the reporter that was found hung at Ikebukuro Destiny Land." Joker said, holding up the file.

"I found one on Tsubaki Kasugano, and Yukari Masuda as well." Panther added. Beauty Thief leaned back against the nearby table, glancing at the map in front of her.

"This room...this is a planning room. These maps are of various locations in Tokyo, with the exception of the one from South Korea...look at it, there are several areas pointed out. As well as marked routes...I think, these are all targets. Shouji must be Shimizu's hit man, the one who _disposes_ of those that get in the way." she said.

"What? You mean, he's the one that killed Hana Song?" Songbird cried out, his outburst earned a nod from the heiress.

"It would seem so...look at what I found in this closet." Duchess said, opening the folding doors, revealing a cache of weapons, along with an outfit resembling riot gear. She grabbed one of the firearms from the wall, a silenced Silverballer.

"So...Shouji is the one that killed all of those people...but that makes no sense. When exactly did Shouji start working for Shimizu? It couldn't have been recently, could it?" Panther asked curiously.

"Well...analyzing the diary we found, he said that Kanami was holding a concert in Ikebukuro...if memory serves, she held a concert there only once, back in 2013. Assuming he's Kanami's age, twenty...then he would have been around fifteen or sixteen."

"Furthermore, if he was a teenager at this point, it would explain his obsessive fascination with Kanami. He is also the son of a famous actor, which Shimizu knows personally, so it would make sense for him to know the man beforehand. That means Shouji was probably trained to handle this stuff, with the false promise that he'd get Kanami." Duchess added, a frown on her lips. She set the gun down, wiping her gloved hand on her dress.

"So...Kaburagi found the information on the targets, and Shouji took them out. All evidence of it was erased to cover up their tracks, and the police were none the wiser. It seems Shimizu's facade is starting to crack, but in order for it to break, we need to remove the last man standing." Joker said, pulling an Identification card from a nearby drawer, a smile on his face.

"Then let's go for it. I don't need to tell you to be careful." Songbird said, his grip on his rifle tightening.

As he walked out of the room, he started piecing a few things in his mind. It was obvious that Shimizu had influenced both Shouji and Kaburagi. He was using them for his own benefit, because he didn't want to get his hands dirty. But it also meant that he wasn't afraid to take care of business when needed, just like he had with Kaburagi. Since he was the one holding a third of the evidence, it was safe to assume Shimizu had Shouji destroy it. That meant that they were only hinging on information that Shouji himself could provide, which made everything much harder. Taking out the last remaining shadows in that floor, giving them all some peace of mind. Joker arrived at the final room first, swiping the identification card. Songbird drew his pistol, giving the young man a nod. He threw the door open, allowing the scout to go in first, quickly searching the room.

"What...what the hell is this place?"

The room was much smaller than he had been expecting, but looked more like a storage room. The thing was that it was filled with Kanamin's Kitchen merchandise. There were cardboard cut outs of Kanami and the rest of her group, along with posters, all of them being ripped, as if they had been clawed at. Some were intact and had the phrase "My Dear Kanami" written in crimson marker. There was a manikin at the corner of the room, that was dressed to look exactly like Kanami, with a perfect replica of her idol outfit, wig, make up and even the face, which looked to be made from silicone. There were various condom wrappers on the floor, along with used condoms and various bottles of lubricants. Songbird walked over to the far side of the room, where a futon had been placed and started looking at everything that littered the top, he saw a chain bolted to the wall, along with a pair of handcuffs, it didn't take him long to figure out what that was used for.

"Jesus...this looks like a damn house of horrors." Panther muttered, taking a look around the room.

"Syringes...it looks like Shouji likes to sedate his victims before ultimately stealing their virtue...what a sick twisted fuck." Duchess muttered, glancing away from the needles on the table. Beauty Thief grabbed one of the empty bottles, peering at it with a close eye.

"Succinylcholine...? What is that?"

"A paralytic drug...it is a very dangerous drug to play with. If you give the wrong dose to a person, it can in fact kill them. The drug itself cannot be traced in human tissues, as enzymes in our body destroy it before it can be tested. There are more sophisticated ways to determine this, but simple toxicology exams cannot confirm its presence."

"Wow...you know quite a lot about that particular drug." Panther said, causing the nine year old to quirk a brow.

"Are you insinuating something Panther? What if I perhaps like to keep myself informed on such matters?"

"Ah...I didn't mean to offend or anything." the blonde said, flushing as she shook her hands defensively. Duchess let out a dainty giggle, covering her lips with her small hand.

"I am merely pulling your leg...I only learned recently about this drug. Though it is alarming that someone like Shouji is able to procure it."

"Not just that, look at this...I found ecstasy, marijuana, and some suspicious white powder." Joker said, causing Songbird to look at it.

"Looks like Angel Dust to me...PCP. A very powerful drug, he probably uses this to make his sexual experience even more pleasurable. Probably forces his victims to snort this stuff too."

"That isn't it either...I found three pounds of pure uncut Colombian cocaine...and nine ounces of black tar heroin." Beauty Thief said, holding the drugs in her hand.

"Uh...?"

"Just ignore her...I will say I have learned a lot about Shouji, and what a fucked up piece of amphibian shit he is. He's obsessed with my older sister, to the point where he wants her to die for rejecting him. He's Shimizu's personal hitman, doing whatever he wants him to do, with the false promise of getting my sister. Finally, he rapes children and injects his victims with drugs so that they _enjoy_ the experience, while he's high on dope. Oh, and he likes beating up innocent people for shits and giggles...yup, faith in humanity slowly burning away." Songbird said firmly, walking toward the other end of the room.

"Really hard not to lose faith when you see grim shit like this...you haven't lost faith in us have you?" Panther asked, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Nope...my friends and family will always be near and dear to my heart. But until humanity does something to prove me otherwise, I'm not gonna hold out on them doing anything other than...well this. It's alright honey, everything will be fine." he said, giving the girl a bright smile.

"Another rose gold card...looks like this one will open the room in the center. Are you ready for the battle?" Joker asked, turning to his comrades, all giving him a thumbs up.

With nothing left to lose, the leader of the Phantom Thieves started heading toward the golden doors that they had passed earlier. Like the room on the third floor, it had a card reader on the outside of it. He swiped the card he had found, causing the doors to slowly start opening. When they walked inside, they saw nothing of interest, unlike the love hotel set that they saw in Kaburagi's room. This one looked...more like a normal teenager's bedroom. Everything was neat and tidy, the bed was made, the posters of Kanami looked intact, and there was nothing in the room that particularly stuck out to them.

"You know...I think there's a theme to this floor. The first room was obsession, Shouji was obsessed with Kanami, thinking he was in love with her. The second room was obeying, he had to obey Shimizu's orders if he wanted Kanami, and the last room is desire. He desired to do various things with Kanami, but had to satiate it with various victims." Duchess said, sounding almost like a psychiatrist as she spoke.

"What...what does this room stand for then?" Beauty Thief asked, causing the little girl to look up at her.

"Innocence...childhood innocence. Look around, everything is neat and orderly, and clean. There isn't anything obsessive, there's nothing to satiate his desire, and no firearms for him to use when obeying an order. This is a key aspect of Shouji, that his innocence was broken, by Shimizu...he was taken advantage of and turned into another tool. This must have happened before he was obsessed with Kanami." she said.

"How can you be certain?" Songbird asked, earning a shrug from the girl.

"It's just an observation...but why don't we ask him? Am I correct in my assumptions Shouji? Why not step out so we can see you!"

A dull chuckle echoed around the room, as one of the back doors opened. Akihiko Shouji's shadow stepped out, dragging a chain behind him. As he tugged on it, the Shrine Maiden, Kanami, was pulled along. She was bound by the wrists, her outfit being torn near the top of it, partially exposing one of her breasts. The sleeves had been ripped completely off, and she wasn't wearing her signature glasses. When Akihiko stopped, she knelt down behind him, her head bowed in what looked to be shame.

"You are indeed correct little one. I was familiar with Shimizu way before I was in love with dear Kanami. He was my father's friend after all, so I knew him very well. He saw potential in me, and whisked me away at the request of my father, to teach me how to act. Boy was I in for a surprised...what followed was an entire year of conditioning, training and horrible acts of violence. Shimizu turned me into his personal hitman...my only reward, to get whatever I wanted. When I turned fifteen, I finally found what I wanted...Kanami Mashita, all to myself." the man said, a sadistic smile on his face.

"Why...why didn't you just tell your father?" Songbird asked, earning a laugh from the man.

"He'd never believe me...really, is he going to believe that his best friend is actually a child abuser. Someone who loves seeing children screw each other on film? That he loves turning beautiful young women into porn stars to satiate some sick desire? No he'd never believe that...not in a million years. So I conformed, and let me tell you...it was the best choice of my life. I'm drowning in all the women I want, and sure some are them are far from being ripe, but it doesn't matter in the end. None of them satisfy me though...well, only one will ever do, this dame right here." he said, tugging on Kanami's chain, causing her to stand up. He took out the cloth in her mouth, allowing her to speak.

"Please...you must forgive him. He is a troubled man with a hurt soul, he can still be saved."

"I'm sorry Kanami, but that man's soul is beyond saving. No amount of redemption is going to stop me from driving my sword through his guts." Songbird said.

"You don't seem to understand yet Mashita...taking Kaburagi down was your first mistake...if you take me down, well...let's just say Shimizu isn't gonna be too pleased. Look at what he did to you when Kaburagi turned over a new leaf. Imagine what he'll do to you now that you destroyed his computer? You still have his holy grail...do you actually think you'll come out of here alive? Wait until he gets his hands on Takamaki...she'll be unrecognizable after he's through with her."

"Tch...as if I'd let myself get caught twice by the same asshole. He'll have to fight if he wants to put his hands on me." Panther snapped, unfurling her whip as she did.

"I won't let you or anyone hurt her. None of my friends will be sentenced to the same fate that you sentenced countless others. Let the Maiden go, and fight like a man...you love that don't you? Going after defenseless people and beating them up? Raping little girls without remorse? Well stand up...come and let fate guide you." Songbird said, drawing his Sword Breaker from his hip.

"Aha...let fate guide me...? As if I would let you drive me to my fate! My fate is my own, and it's with this Shrine Maiden here...just you wait, once I defeat you here in this world, the real me is going to have a go at the real Kanami...she'll be my subservient puppet after I'm through with her...ahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

The shadow grabbed a hold of his head, digging his fingernails into his skin, blood starts running down his cheeks as he pulled his hands down. He let out a horrifying wail as he turned into a dark black ooze, morphing into his true form. He slowly morphed into a tall ghoulish man with a twisted face, wearing a bright blue business suit with a crimson tie. His arms became three times as large as normal, having gained an extreme amount of muscle mass. Along side them, another pair sprouted from his back, pouncing each other hard as they crackled their knuckles. His chest grew to match the size of the new limbs, the suit being stretched almost to the point of ripping. The Shrine Maiden tried to run, only for one of the arms to come down on her, grabbing her before she could run. Songbird also noticed all of the chains that were wrapped around the shadow, along with various hooks and other objects. The shadow panted, breathing hard as dark liquid oozed from his glowing yellow eyes.

"Great, a Machamp on steroids." Songbird muttered, clutching his sword tightly in his hand.

"We gotta be careful with this one, physical attacks will be much stronger. Let's all keep our distance as much as possible, and don't stay close together, that's only an excuse for him to charge us." Joker advised, causing them all to jump away from each other.

" _ **Now you're just making it easy for me. Stay still, I wanna crush you below the weight of my arms!"**_ Shadow Shouji cried, slamming his two fists on the ground, causing the entire room to shake. Everyone tried regaining their balance, only for the shadow to fling one of his chains straight at Panther, wrapping it around her body.

"Eh...he's got me!" she cried, just as he pulled her toward him.

"Phantom of the Opera! Megidola!" Songbird shouted, ripping his mask off his face. The Phantom appeared behind him, flying straight at the shadow. He slammed his fist right into his face, pulling his arm back. A swirling violet orb formed in his palm before he threw it at the shadow, sending it flying back. Songbird fell to a knee, gritting his teeth in pain.

"You shouldn't use powerful attacks like that big brother! You'll only grow weak!" Duchess advised. She rose her crossbow, firing a bolt at the man who was slowly standing back up, only for it to bounce off his skin.

"He was going to hurt Panther, what else could I have done?" he asked, forcing himself back up. He rose his rifle to his shoulder, firing the remainder of his magazine at the man.

"It's no use, our bullets aren't penetrating those thick muscles...magic attacks are the only thing we can use." Panther cried, having gotten away from the man's chains. He finally stood up, chuckling loudly.

" _ **This is gonna be fun! I'm gonna crush you all alive!"**_ he shouted, jumping into the air. He slammed down on the ground, once again causing the room to shake. He started running forward, running straight for Joker, who was stunned at the man's speed.

"Joker!"

Beauty Thief slammed into the boy, tackling him out of the way just as Shouji's shadow stomped past the spot Joker had once occupied. The heiress quickly regained her composure, drawing her grenade launcher with practiced skill. She held it up, pulling the trigger back, a soft pop followed by an explosion filled the room, along with Shouji's scream of pain. The shadow turned around, growling as it focused on Beauty Thief.

" _ **I'm going to turn you into my next puppet...you'll be the appetizer before the main course!"**_ he said, holding Kanami behind his back, her screams of fear filling the room.

"As if I would let you turn me into a your whore! I am a dignified lady you sick perverted bastard! I am going to show you how to respect women! Milady, Psiodyne!" the peach haired girl cried, summoning her persona. She flung her arm forward, sending a violet stream of magic at the shadow who let out a pained stream, clutching his head from the attack. He fell down to his knees, having let go of Kanami.

"Looks like that brought him down, All-Out-Attack!" Joker commanded.

Songbird back flipped into a crouch, having pulled his sword behind him. He broke into a sprint, heading straight toward the shadow, slashing him right across the back. He stopped and turned around, just as Panther started whipping the man, the fierce crack of her whip followed by her cries of happiness honestly made him rather scared of the blonde. Joker, Duchess and Beauty Thief finished off the attack, bashing, slashing and in the heiress's case, shooting the man with one of her grenades. Shouji lay stunned for a second before using his extra arms to flip himself onto his feet. He looked around, grabbing a hold of Kanami's chain, pulling her back into his grasp.

" _ **You're attempts to bring me down bore me. I guess I must step up my game."**_ the shadow said, reaching into his back pocket. He pulled out a thick round syringe, a three inch needle sticking out of it. It stabbed it into its neck, pushing the stopper all the way to the end. He growled, arms bulging, tearing through the top half of the suit.

"What the fuck did he just do?" Panther cried, eyes widening in shock.

"Drugs...he must have amplified his muscles with them. This battle has become that much more dangerous. I believe we should be more careful, big brother, let us focus on support." Duchess said earning a nod from the boy.

"Phantom of the Opera!"

"Lady Loveless!"

"Matarukuja!" the two chanted in unison. The simultaneous spells swirled around the Phantom Thieves, giving them a decent boost in power, one they hoped would help them out.

"My turn, Ame-no-Uzume! Zionga!" Joker cried, snapping his fingers.

The goddess's firm look changed into one of glee as she rose a single arm forward, forming the spell into her palm, before flinging it at the shadow. The orb exploded into a thick bolt of lightning that struck Shadow Shouji in the head. The lightning coursed through his body, racing across his muscles, making his smirk widened.

"It just took that spell like nothing!"

"Grr...Carmen, Agilao!" Panther cried, pulling her mask free from her face. The exotic dancer appeared behind her, sizing up the shadow before her. She exhaled a large cloud of smoke, forming the crackling ball of flame in her palm.

" _ **Hey sexy, why not team up with me? I'll give you everything you want and more."**_ Shadow Shouji said, giving the woman a grin.

" _I'll give you my answer, accompanied by this. Take it and shove it!"_ Carmen replied, throwing the ball of flame at the muscular man. He cried in pain, a few burns appearing on his skin.

Songbird took his chance and ran forward, slashing the area that had been burned with his sword. Shouji threw a punch at him which he easily dodged. He jumped onto the man's arm and slammed his foot into his chin, flipping back onto the ground. He drew his rifle from behind his back, holding it almost to its face before firing, the single round struck him in the head, bouncing clean off, a small dribble of blood coming out from the wound. Songbird's eyes grew wide as the shadow lunged at him, attempting to grab him. He swung his rifle at him, using the stock to strike him in the chest.

" _ **You will not escape me Mashita, your life is forfeit!"**_ He cried ominously, grabbing a hold of the rifle. He snapped it in half with ease, throwing both pieces to the ground. Songbird just looked at the remains of his gun, growling in anger.

"Oh, you shouldn't have done that! Persona!" he shouted angrily, summoning the Phantom.

" _You know using this spell will weaken you correct?"_ the winged man asked, earning a nod from his summoner, and other half.

"Yeah...but I'm not going to let him toy with us. I still have to get back at him for what he did to Panther yesterday, for all of the things he put my sister through. I will use every ounce of my strength to take you down, and when I'm out of magic, I will continue to fight, until my bones break and I can no longer move. So bring it on Shouji, because tonight we fight to the death if we have to!" he cried, pointing his sword at the shadow.

" _ **Very well peasant...let us do battle, and see who comes out the victor. After all, this is all but an act, at least to me. You project your feelings forth, but you have no direction, allow your sword to show me the passion of your words."**_

The Phantom snapped his fingers, casting Mastema over Songbird, making him stronger and agile for a few moments. He let out a chuckle as he burst forward, darkened wings appearing on his back, almost flashing between light and dark as he ran. He dodged Shouji's first punch, allowing him to throw one of his own right to the center of his chest. He spun on his heel, slashing the man across the chest with his short sword.

"Leave him alone! He's just confused!" the Shrine Maiden cried, causing Songbird to pause mid attack. This left him open, allowing Shouji to deliver a fierce strike to the young man, sending him sprawling back. He struck the wall hard, dropping to the ground, clutching his head in pain.

"Songbird!"

"Don't worry about me, attack him with everything you've got! He isn't fooling around, and he isn't like Kaburagi! He's a much bigger threat!" he cried, forcing himself to his feet. He felt the cool rush of a healing spell coursing over his body, feeling his injuries a bit. Duchess sighed as she turned to face the shadow, Lady Loveless standing behind her.

"Alright, we must do as Songbird asks...we cannot let this man take us out here, for our mission will be forfeit. Let us remove this blemish from our path. Lady Loveless, Psiodyne."

"Milady, Psy Boost!" Beauty Thief chanted, snapping her fingers. The spell swirled around Duchess's small form, aiding her persona. A massive violet wave struck Shouji, causing him to fall back down to his knees, clutching his head as darkened blood and spit fell to the ground around him.

"Haha! Now we got ya!" Songbird cried happily, slamming his knee right into Shouji's nose.

He continued punching the man in the face, using all of his strength to do some heavy damage. He saw something wrap around the arm containing Kanami, only for it to be pulled back out of place, the Shrine Maiden falling to the ground. Shouji let out a wail of pain as his bones snapped, his arm hanging loosely behind him. Crackling flames formed around the man, a plume of flame swirling around him.

"Heh...hey, these flamethrowers are pretty useful." Panther said, standing several feet from the shadow, holding one of the makeshift flamethrowers. Shouji stood up, letting out a growl as he slammed his arms onto his chest, almost like a gorilla.

"Back up, now!" Joker snapped, pulling back from his attack.

Shouji started slamming his fists into the ground, causing the room to shake. He started moving toward Songbird, who tried his best to dodge it, only to be punched straight into the wall, the lad landing in a heap, barely conscious. He turned his eyes on the others, running after them as well...one by one, they were struck and thrown into the walls, with Beauty Thief and Duchess being knocked out.

" _ **Ahahaha! You're all going to die today, I'm gonna love breaking your bones under my fists."**_ Shadow Shouji said, stabbing himself in the neck with another syringe, his previous injuries vanishing. Songbird pushed himself onto his knees, panting as he reached for his sword breaker, glaring at the man.

"I'm not letting you win...you have to be brought down." he said. Shouji smirked, moving over to where Panther's body lay. The girl tried moving out of the way, only for her to be lifted up by her leg, being held upside down by the giant brute.

" _ **Lookie here...a beautiful gal, and she's weak and defenseless. The only one who can help her can't even move. I've never slept with a fashion model before."**_

"Put her down you sick fuck...Ame-no-Uzume...gah!"

"Joker!" Songbird cried, watching his friend clutch his head in pain. He was too weak to summon any of his personas. Beauty Thief and Duchess had been knocked out, and he could barely stand. He growled angrily, forcing himself to his feet, despite the pain he felt.

"Let Panther go, this is between you and me."

" _ **Aw...come on, I wanted you to same the damsel...come on, I can tell you love her. So come and get her...the princess needs saving, unless you want me to throw her out the window."**_ he said, gesturing to the open window at the far side of the room.

"You do anything to her and I will kill you, I swear to god." the boy hissed.

" _ **Playing with your emotions is too easy...you actually think I would harm this beautiful dame? Nah, this one is for my collection...I'll be taking your sister too, the little one I mean, and the other girl. You on the other hand will leave my room right now!"**_

"Leave? Why...we came this far right?" Panther muttered, causing the shadow to look at her. His eyes widened when he saw the barrel of her gun pointed at him. She slammed the trigger down, a stream of bullets hitting him right in the face. He cried in pain, dropping the girl to the ground, though injured, she scurried out of the way, clutching her side in pain.

" _ **Grr...enough! I am sick of you fucking with me...I'm going to kill you all!"**_

"Sumeo-Okami! Agidyne!"

A giant ball of fire unlike anything the Phantom Thieves had seen flew into the room, exploding on contact with the shadow, sending him flying back. He struck the back wall, landing in a heap on the ground, growling angrily at the surprise attack. Songbird glanced briefly at Panther, who just gave him a confused look, before a glowing green light swirled around all of them, healing all of their previous injuries.

"Sheesh...didn't I tell you coming in here without back up was a bad idea?" a familiar voice said. Songbird jumped to his feet, eyes widening a bit when he saw Rise standing beside the door. Not only Rise, but Yukiko as well, who was wearing her old high school uniform, holding a pink fan in her hands.

"It isn't a good idea to fight a shadow of this magnitude without having someone strong to heal you. Where did your healer go? Or did you not have one?" the black haired woman asked.

"We split up, we have two palaces to take care of and not enough time to take care of them in." Joker replied, being a bit defensive.

"Hey Joker, you can trust them...they're friends of mine. Not just that, they're gonna be the ones that are gonna help us out of this scuffle." Songbird said confidently.

"Ugh...did I get knocked out? Again?" Duchess snapped, clutching her head in confusion.

"That just pisses me off! I am so going to unleash my rage on this bastard!" Beauty Thief snapped, loading a new shell into her grenade launcher.

"Hold it, we can't attack all willy nilly. Rise, can you do a quick scan and let me know what his weaknesses are?" Yukiko asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"Kanzeon!" she chanted, holding her hand out, a glowing tarot card appeared in her palm and she crushed it, summoning her persona.

"It seems he's strong against gunfire and physical attacks, primary slashing attacks, fire, psy and ice attacks are the only ones that do damage. It seems he's also strong against Curse and Bless type attacks...moderately strong against Almighty attacks...that's about all I can find on him." Rise replied.

"Whoa...that's some informative persona." Joker muttered. Yukiko stepped forward, a look of confidence on her face.

"I'm not about to let a disgusting creature as you harm my friends, especially someone as special and important to me like Kanami. So the time has come for you to admit defeat."

" _ **Ha! I bow to no one, especially not a sexy vixen like you."**_

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Sumeo-Okami, Agidyne!" Yukiko chanted, swiping her fan across her tarot card. Before her appeared a tall female, with wing like appendages, holding a large katana in her grasp. With a flap of her wing like arms, a giant fireball flew at the shadow, setting him aflame.

"I'll take over, Persona Change: Byakko, Garudyne!" Joker chanted, snapping his fingers. The giant white tiger appeared before the young man, unleashing a fierce roar sending a giant funnel of green wind magic at the burning shadow, who screamed in pain.

"Beauty Thief, have at it!" Songbird cried, earning a grin from the girl, who tipped her hat back as she held her grenade launcher up.

"Take this!" she cried, a loud pop filling the room followed by an explosion. She quickly loaded a second shell into the launcher, firing a second one at the fallen shadow.

" _ **Enough! I tire of this!"**_ Shouji cried, pulling out three syringes from behind his back, stabbing them all into his forearm. He let out a laugh, his body quivering as it grew in size, his massive arms now supported most of his upper body, as he moved toward them like a gorilla.

"Everyone scatter!" Joker cried. Everyone jumped just in time to avoid the strike.

"This is insane, his strength has tripled. A strike from him now could prove fatal, try to avoid all physical attacks!" Rise cried.

"I can see that! Have his weaknesses changed?" Panther cried, holding her MP5 up, shooting at his face.

"They all seem the same, we'd be better off using magical attacks, they do more damage!"

"If you can stun him long enough, I can finish him off." Yukiko said.

"Are you sure of that?" Joker cried out, earning a nod from the ravenette.

"Trust me, me and Sumeo-Okami can handle it." she said, a firm look on her face.

"Alright then guys, let's hit him with everything we've got! Phantom of the Opera, Megidola!" Songbird shouted, sending his persona into the fray.

"Carmen, Agilao!"

"Lady Loveless, follow their lead with Psiodyne! Make it hurt!"

All of the magical attacks flew outward at Shouji, who seemed to be taking all of the attacks one after another. But it was clear by the new scars on his body that he was slowly succumbing to the attacks. Still aflame, Joker decided to abuse that and attack him with another wind spell, found by a grenade courtesy of Beauty Thief. The shadow was sent sprawling back, falling to his knees swaying back and forth. Everyone jumped back, allowing Yukiko to charge up her attack.

"Sumeo-Okami, let us unleash our true power...and finish this creature off with our Burning Petals." the girl chanted, snapping her fan open. Her persona appeared behind her, her wings glowing a brilliant red as she flew around the room, dropping small glowing orange petals.

" _ **If you think you can finish me off with such a girly attack, you are sorely mistaken!"**_ the shadow said, pushing itself weakly back to its feet. Yukiko let out the tiniest of smirks, closing her fan.

"Who said anything about it being girly?" she asked.

All of the petals detonated, a sea of flames enveloping the shadow. His screams of agony pierced through the room, setting it ablaze as the attack slowly fizzled out of existence. Smoke billowed from the figure in the center of the room, who managed to sit up, despite the damage he had taken. He returned to his normal form, glancing at the ground in shame.

"Admit defeat, or we will continue unleashing hell on you." Songbird said, aiming his gun right at the man's forehead. He let out a chuckle, glancing up at him.

"You defeated me...but look at what I was able to do...do you think...you can defeat Shimizu?" he asked.

"That doesn't matter, our team was weak, because we split up. But when we're together, we can change the world. We will...we will defeat Shimizu, and expose the disgusting evil you have been hiding from the world. Especially you, you sick fuck...go back to your real self...and say nothing to Shimizu. I don't want him to kill you, because I want to see with my own eyes how society tears you apart, just like it tore me apart when those drug allegations were made years ago."

"Whatever you say...I guess there's no one else but the big man himself. Here, take it...you deserve to make your petition to the Kunnashi. Have fun, the eighth floor is second to last stop on your grand journey to the top." he said with a chuckle, slowly fading away. Where he had once sat, a glittering blue card lay, which the boy gingerly picked up.

"A diamond card, it leads to the eighth floor...there's no map, I doubt we need one." he said, slowly standing up, handing the card to Joker, who looked it over.

"Good job everyone, we did great, but we underestimated Shouji's strength. If Rise and Yukiko hadn't arrived, we likely would have fallen here...splitting up the team was a grave mistake, one we cannot commit anymore." he said firmly.

"But what exactly can we do? It's not like we can handle Futaba's palace right now...we were kidnapped Joker. Me and Panther could have died, and who knows what could have happened to Kanami then? We need to keep going, I know we're tired, but there's nothing we can do. We're just gonna have to keep an eye out." Songbird said firmly.

"Whoa wait a minute...what do you mean kidnapped?" Rise asked, a stunned look on her face.

"Don't you know what happened? I thought Kanami told you." Panther said.

"No...we just came into Tokyo from Inaba. Rise went to get me because she needed help, we tried contacting some of our friends, but I was the only one available...if it wasn't for that weird application Rise has on her phone, I doubt we could have followed you in here." the black haired girl replied, earning a frown from the brown haired actor. Joker sensed his unease and stepped forward, grabbing their attention.

"Yesterday, Koichi Kaburagi was sent to Songbird's home by Shimizu. He managed to kidnap Panther and Songbird and brought them to Akihabara, to Jadis and Associates. Not only that, he caught Kanami as well. The three of them were being held on the tenth floor, and after a few threats, Shimizu ended up killing Kaburagi...he and Akihiko Shouji left, and by pure wit and will power, and might I say balls of steel, Songbird was able to get both himself, Kanami and Panther out without incident." he said firmly.

"Is this true?" Rise asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yes, it's true...my balls are made of high grade steel." he said with a smirk. A glare from Yukiko made him shudder, and he cleared his throat.

"Anyway, yeah...it's true...he almost killed Panther, he started choking her while she was passed out, did the same thing to Kanami. I had the urge to kill them both, but I wouldn't have been able to get revenge on them. No...I want them to confess to their sins, and I'm going to make them confess, no matter what." he said, clenching his hand.

"Then we'll help...that's what we're here for. Not to mention, we spent an entire year fighting shadows, so we have the experience. We might be a bit rusty, but our power hasn't waned in the slightest. If you say you don't have time, then we have to finish whatever mission this is." Yukiko said, a firm look on her face.

"Are you sure about this Yuki? I doubt you wanna get involved with the Phantom Thieves...you might get hurt, or worse." Songbird said. She let out a giggle, fishing a pair of red eye glasses from her shirt, placing them on her face.

"It's alright, like I said before, we're used to fighting these things. It brings us back to when we were in high school...we'll share the story another time. For now, we must return to the elevator and find the treasure room."

"That's right...though I do have one query...how was it that you were able to come up here?" Duchess asked curiously.

"It was strange but...there was this white glowing circle just outside the front entrance. When we stepped on it, we appeared in a distorting room...we heard the sounds of battle and just found our way here." Rise explained, causing everyone to look at Joker, who had a smirk on his face.

"I figured we would need a quick escape, so I set that up just as a precaution. Come on, let us finish this mission...Rise, Yukiko...would you like code names?"

"Nah...I doubt I'll be returning to this world, so just call me by name. Rise has already filled me in on all of your code names, so don't worry I'm not gonna use your real names here." Yukiko replied.

"Well then...let us be on our way, Songbird would you like to take the lead?" Joker asked, seeing the boy kneeling on the floor. He sighed as he stood up, holding the broken pieces of his Super Mach in his hands.

"That'll be a little difficult...I can't be a scout without a rifle." he said. He removed the scope from it, the only unbroken part of the rifle, along with the silencer.

"Don't worry, Kanzeon and I will scout for enemies. One of her innate abilities is to display the dungeon map for us. So even if you don't have a physical map, we can still move about without trouble." Rise said happily.

"Wow...she's a lot more useful than Songbird is."

"Jesus, Beauty Thief, make sure that dagger is clean when you pull it out of my back yeah?" the boy cried, earning a sheepish smile from the girl.

"I'm sorry...you know I'm an honest person!"

"Yeah yeah, let's just move out of here...this fuckin room is giving me the heebie jeebies." Songbird said with a shudder.

"Who the hell says that anymore? It sounds so awkward coming from you."

"You know, I was planning on taking you to a cake buffet on our first date, now not so much." the brown haired actor said, walking out of the room.

"Aw come on, don't be mean to me Songbird! We aren't even officially dating yet, at least give me a chance before we make it official!" Panther cried, running after the boy. Duchess sighed, crossing her arms as she walked after her brother, leaving Joker, Rise and Yukiko to ponder what had just happened...

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	36. Infiltrate the Palace Finale: Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Well guys, here it is as promised, Chapter 36. I do hope you like this chapter, it's a bit more light hearted at the end than the previous ones have been. Let me know what you think in the reviews.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 36

Infiltrate the Palace Finale: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Monday August 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Ryoutaro Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Torrential Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Infiltrate Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Infiltrate Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

After the grueling battle with Shouji, the Phantom Thieves returned to the safe room to rethink their strategy. Since Shouji had shown quite a lot of resistance, it told them that what lied ahead was most likely going to be the most grueling battle yet. Without a rifle, Songbird couldn't uphold his task as a scout. He was utterly pissed that Shouji snapped his rifle in half. He felt useless, being unable to fulfill his role as the scout of the group was disheartening. Yes, Rise was an excellent scout but she wasn't an official part of the time, so he felt more like a crutch than anything. Without his rifle, he wouldn't be able to take out shadows from a far, meaning they would waste more energy battling their true forms instead of just moving on. He frowned as he sat back in his chair, his legs being propped up onto the table, his hat covering his face. He still felt oddly out of place with his outfit, he looked more like he belonged in a theater...then again, this was what his heart reflected, so in the end he felt like he was just an actor on stage, with various masks to wear. It made him laugh at the sheer absurdity of it all. Even now, while they were planning to tackle the rest of Shimizu's palace, here he was thinking about insignificant things. He briefly wondered if Queen and the others had managed to find a way to Futaba's treasure and if they did, were they already at home? Or were they waiting somewhere they could all meet up?

His frowned deepened a bit, he had trusted Joker's judgment and he still did...but splitting up was most likely an error on his part. He had unknowingly made the team weak by pulling off something like that. In hindsight, it was a good idea, but in practice it wasn't. They had time before August 21st, so they could have focused on Shimizu's Palace first and then Futaba's, instead of the opposite. Alibaba would understand if he explained it, she was just a damaged girl after all. Someone who was blamed for something she had no hand in. Who just blames a little girl for the death of a person? Especially a suicide? It just made his insides burn, and he was surprised the Phantom didn't burst out in that very instance. He felt someone poking his cheek, causing him to tip his hat back, a single eye glaring at the one who had disturbed him.

"Are you alright Taku-kun?"

"Beauty Thief, remember the code names." he said, causing her eyes to widen. She cleared her throat, a small smile on her face.

"Sorry, I'm still getting used to all of this. I couldn't help but notice you're looking a little down. Is something the matter?" she asked curiously. He glanced over at the table, where Rise was sketching out a map of the eighth floor since they currently lacked one. He already knew what the tenth floor looked like, so he didn't have to worry about it.

"I feel useless...my role doesn't serve a purpose without a rifle. It carried me through Kaneshiro's palace, as well as parts of Futaba's and Shimizu's. But now that it's broken...I just don't know where I fit in."

"You don't have to worry about it too much you know, you are still an avid fighter. That spell you used was super cool! You were zooming back and forth." Beauty Thief said, an excited look on her face.

"What good is zooming around when you have no direction? I thought as the scout I didn't need to fight as much. I was wrong, that last battle proved to me just how weak I am physically. I have to get stronger, so I can use that strength in conjunction with my persona. I would just be a burden to the team at that point."

"You aren't a burden to the team you know. What happened to you could have happened to anyone, you got up close. Shouji had increased his physical capabilities so it was bound to happen. But there is one thing you have to control, your emotions." Joker said firmly, causing the boy to sit up in his chair.

"My emotions?" he asked, brow quirked.

"I hate to agree with Joker, you let your emotions get the better of you. You had a justified reason however, in the future, try to keep a handle on them, lest we have a tragedy on our hands." Duchess added, earning a frown from the boy.

"I'll keep it in mind."

"Songbird, I have a question for you, I never really bothered asking...well mostly because I forgot. Where's Kanami, right now?" Rise asked, causing the boy to glance at her.

"Kanami is...she's in a safe place." the boy said, glancing at Joker, who had a frown on his face.

"Yeah...she's at my place, eating my guardian out of house and home...sleeping on my bed and going through my stuff. Shimizu doesn't know where I live, so I figured we could hide her there." the boy said, causing Yukiko to laugh.

"You have no idea what you just brought into your house...once she finds a place she likes, it's really hard to get her to leave. She's really sweet though, only if you speak with her as Kanamin. If she's herself, then she's shy and barely talks to people."

"She was most definitely Kanamin, she was making cow jokes and eating all of Boss's curry." Panther added, finally finished loading the magazines for her MP5.

"Then yeah, that man is screwed...don't worry, I'll make sure she pays back every yen. Still...even after all of the crap she's been through, she was able to pull through. It shows just how strong she is."

"You and I both know Kanami is a very patient person. Despite everything that's happened, she's turned down all of the company's offers to replace Ayane while she recovers. She said she wants her friend back in her idol group, not just some random stand in idol. She cares quite a lot about them." Yukiko added, a fond smile on her face.

"Kanami has always been like that...when she was younger, she would always wait patiently for agencies to contact her. She would call here and there but she said patience is a virtue. If the job isn't meant for her, she isn't gonna stress about it. I guess that applies to this, despite the pain she faced, she was patient and calm about it. She had faith that someone would put an end to her and the others suffering...which is why we can't fail her...she's been waiting far too long." Songbird said.

"Yes she has, not just that...we have to get back at Shimizu, for what he did to those people, especially for what he did to Yukari Masuda. I still can't believe he beat a pregnant woman so hard she lost her child. A man like that shouldn't be allowed to live, but it goes against my beliefs, so making him confess is the only punishment I can bestow upon him." Joker said, the audible click of his gun being heard before he placed it back in his holster.

"We were able to scan the eighth floor, it is as Shouji's shadow said. The final place in our journey to the treasure...that means that floor is most likely Shimizu's personal room, or the one that belongs to the Shrine Maiden." Rise said.

"You think she has a room here?" Panther asked, earning a nod from the idol, who finished sketching the map, handing it to Joker.

"I believe so...she seems to be an important part of Shimizu's cognition. She may even be his treasure, I would certainly think so...seeing as he views her as his star. There's also that video Songbird was able to recover, didn't he call it his holy grail?" the auburn haired idol asked.

"He did...he said if anything were to happen to it, his life would be over. He also said that we would have to replace every single scene in that video until it was finished. I believe he is close too, Kanami is the one he wanted to use in the final act, which is why she's the Shrine Maiden. It could be that there were others before her, all of them being disposed of after the job was done." Duchess said, placing a finger on her chin as she thought.

"You've given a lot of thought to this haven't you?" Beauty Thief asked, causing the young ravenette to look up at her.

"Indeed, if I wish to be a psychologist in the future, I must study all aspects of the mind. Cognition is but one view point, for as hard as I try, I can never view the world through the eyes of another. No matter how it is explained, I shall never have the same views as them. Similar ones yes, but our cognition will never be the same...it is a fundamental part that I do as much research into the target as I can, it makes an interesting subject for my thesis."

"Ah...such a complex statement coming from a little girl...it melts my brain!" Panther cried, rubbing her temples. Duchess sighed, turning to face her brother.

"Why did you pick someone that wasn't on your level of intelligence? Are you attracted to her looks?"

"Huh? Why are you asking me that right now?" the boy asked, a flush on his face.

"Emotions are the basis for our many actions. Through love we become better people, through hatred we commit acts of vengeance, through rage, we commit acts of violence. It is all very fascinating things...makes me wonder what would happen if an individual didn't inhibit any of these emotions, could we still err? Or would we just be a catatonic doll?"

"Okay, enough of that...we didn't come here for some science project. We came here to defeat Shimizu...I believe we should take care of him while we can. Joker...if you'd please?" Rise said, earning a nod from the boy. He reached behind his back, handing the girl a black gun, a Black Star Type 54, which Songbird wasn't even aware he had.

"You are defenseless in this world, so please take this for your own safety. I only have a spare magazine for it, so use it only if you have no other choice." he said. She nodded, swallowing hard as she grabbed a hold of it.

"It feels odd holding a fake gun, knowing it works like a real one. I gave mine to Yukiko because I knew she would be fighting more than me." she replied, glancing at her friend who was loading bullets into her .38 Special. She spun the cylinder before flicking it closed, placing it in the waistband of her skirt.

"Let's go...it's time for us to end this." Songbird replied, racking the slide of his 1911. He sighed, as he followed Joker out of the room.

They started moving in the direction of the elevator, scanning the entire area. Thankfully, the shadows hadn't returned making the trip that much easier. Once inside the elevator, Joker swiped the card in the slot that had been installed inside it. The button for the eighth floor lit up, and he wasted no time in pressing it. The elevator started moving up, slowly moving past the seventh floor. As it was rising, the elevator started to slow down, the lights flickering on and off only for the entire thing to stop moving. The lights shut off, throwing the room into darkness, which made both Rise and Beauty Thief scream in fear. A second later, the emergency lights came on, throwing the room into nothing but crimson lights.

"The elevator stopped working...why?" Panther asked.

"My guess is, there was a change in Shimizu's cognition...we elected to remain in his palace. Had we left, perhaps we could have witnessed something change. That means Akihiko Shouji had a change of heart and must have said something to him. That makes this quite difficult for us." Duchess said. Songbird sighed, kneeling down, he wrapped his hands around the little girl's waist, lifting her up.

"Try to reach that panel, once you are up there, find a vent." he said. She wordlessly did as he asked, easily pushing the panel open. She grunted a it as she pulled herself up, her dress giving her a bit of trouble. He heard the sound of a lighter being flicked on, and mentally made a note to bring flashlights the next time they came to a palace. She glanced around the darkened shaft for a few moments, seeing the elevator doors to the eighth floor not that far from where they were, about three meters. Glancing around, she spotted a ventilation shaft, about a meter above her. She jumped up, trying to reach the panel, but wasn't able too, her weight caused the elevator to jerk a bit, but thanks to the brakes, it didn't move.

"Big brother, we're stuck halfway between the seventh and eighth floors. There's a ventilation shaft a meter above me, perhaps we can use it to our aid."

"Rise, Yukiko, you two go first. You'll be able to scan for shadows if you do, I'll give you a boost." Songbird said, earning a nod from the two girls. Thankfully, Joker was able to assist in lifting the idol toward the ceiling of the elevator. Once through, they sent Yukiko after her.

"You know...I've always wondered what an elevator shaft looked like...guess I have an idea now." Yukiko muttered, slowly moving toward the shaft. She reached up to it, being able to reach the bottom part of it.

"Allow me, I shall assist you." Duchess said, climbing onto the young woman's shoulders. Yukiko felt a bit weird, especially with the poofy dress wrapped around her shoulders, but she didn't complain. After a few seconds, the grate came off, and the young girl made her way into the shaft. Yukiko followed suit, gun in hand as she jumped up, grabbing onto the edge of the shaft.

"Alright, Yukiko and Duchess are through, start coming up!" Rise said cheerfully, proceeding to climb up herself. Joker and Songbird steadily worked, sending Panther and Beauty Thief first. Once Songbird was up, he held his hand down, pulling Joker through the hole and onto the elevator's top.

"You know...we should invest in torches...I can't believe we forgot something so basic." Joker said, earning a nod from Songbird.

"Trust me, I never thought we would be climbing an elevator shaft. But we should be used to this, Phantom Thieves have to use everything they can. We can buy some later, I know a place that sells them cheap...anyway, leader's first." he said.

"Such a gentleman." Joker said, earning a punch to the arm from the actor. Once inside, they followed the shaft, continuing aft until reaching a turn.

"Be careful guys, Duchess said there's a vertical climb." Panther said, glancing behind her.

"Alright, thanks for the information...I doubt I'll have an issue climbing up." Songbird replied, earning a nod from the girl.

They reached the climb that the raven haired girl had mentioned. Thankfully, the sections of the shaft, had indentations on it, which could be used as a ladder of sorts. They started climbing up, coughing a bit from all of the dust around the. Songbird was sure his allergies were going to make him stuffy, but he couldn't focus on something trivial like that. After what felt like hours, they managed to reach another horizontal shaft, making it easier on their arms. A loud bang echoed through the shaft, which caused them all to stop for a moment.

"Apologies, I had to kick the grating out." Duchess called out, causing them all to sigh in relief. It wasn't long until they were all out of the vent, and inside the eighth floor. They all glanced around, prepared to fight if needed.

"Hmm...how strange, there aren't any shadows up here." Rise informed, causing Songbird to swallow hard.

"That isn't good...what about rooms, were you able scan the area?" Joker asked, standing oddly close to Rise holding his Desert Eagle in his hands. Kanzeon appeared behind her, the girl having a placid look on her face as she searched the area, the small scanners attached to the persona spinning around wildly.

"There aren't any rooms here, there's only one in the middle...there seems to be one shadow in there." she said.

"Alright everyone, be prepared...we could be walking into an ambush, so be ready to run if you need it. There isn't a safe room on this floor so we can't run there and the elevator is out. Have your Goho-M's ready just in case." Joker said, having already prepared his own before hand. Songbird handed Rise and Yukiko some spares he had brought with him, giving them a nod.

Without missing a beat, the Phantom Thieves walked toward the room in the center of the floor. Songbird kept a hold on his gun, worried that something was going to happen. Paranoia was a best friend when it came to things like that, always assuming something bad was going to happen, was a good thing to have. Sometimes, it could save your life, others it could prove a hindrance. But he knew in his mind that something was going to happen, whether that was inherently good, or very very bad, that would be up to chance. They came to a stop before a set of doors, being made out of glittering white diamond. It was obvious that this door and the room itself was going to be much different than the previous too. With a methodical and surprisingly calm movement, Joker swiped the diamond card, getting entree into the room.

Songbird peered inside, seeing it was surprisingly well lit. This one however looked entirely different...no, it was familiar to him. It was the same set that he had seen when he had first auditioned for Shimizu's movie. The house set was right in the center of the room, with the kitchen and bedroom sets attached to it. There were refreshment tables at the very back, where he had been standing trying to memorize the lines he had been given. The director's chair was right in the center, along with a large camera that was on a rail, allowing freedom of movement for when the actors would walk from set to set. He glanced at Joker, who just gave him an odd look, not understanding why he was seeing something so normal.

"Well don't just stand there, you came this far...why not go all the way...come, come...I won't hurt you." a familiar voice said. The young actor took a deep breath, stepping into the room first, keeping his hold on his gun firm. He spotted Shimizu's shadow not long after he entered, standing off to the edge of the set. He was still dressed like a Kunnashi, which was the ultimate insult to them, but he had grown used to the Metaverse versions of people already. He looked surprisingly calm, which made the hairs on his neck stand on edge.

"So...I guess I should be asking how you were able to defeat Kaburagi and Shouji...but I already know how. You guys are Phantom Thieves after all...you should know there's no escape for you. Just return what you stole and nothing bad shall happen. Simple as that." Shadow Shimizu said, holding his hands behind his back.

"Your Holy Grail right? I'm not returning it, that's evidence of your disgusting crimes. How did it feel? To kill your own computer for your own selfish lust?" Songbird taunted, causing the man to grit his teeth, so hard that his jaw cracked.

"I must admit, it is a minor hiccup but something that can be fixed. My editor is gone, and so is my enforcer...but there is still a light at the end of the tunnel you see. I have found someone who is willing to buy the unfinished product, for a billion yen..."

"A b-billion yen?" Yukiko stuttered, a look of disbelief on her face. Shimizu looked at her, licking his lips with a smirk on his face.

"Of course, I would be payed a lot more if I finished it...you look like a perfect subject my dear. Look at those long legs, in that cute school girl skirt, that pretty face, the curves, the breast size...you accentuate innocence down to a T...might you be looking for a prince my dear? I've got someone in mind for you...all you have to do is help me with the completion of my holy grail." Shimizu said. A loud gunshot echoed through the room, throwing it into silence right after. The man reached for his cheek, seeing a bit of blood on the palm of his hand. He turned to face Songbird, who held up his smoking gun, finger on the trigger.

"Shut your fucking mouth...what the fuck is wrong with you huh? Do you actually think you can objectify women like that? Do you think you can just walk down the road and say "Damn, look at her tits, they're fucking amazing!" and not piss anyone off?"

"Hahaha...you're hilarious boy...what do you think women are here for? They're here to make the whims of mortal men true, they are here to be our servants. If I want a sandwich, that bitch better get in the kitchen...if I want my floor vacuumed, she has to do it. If I want my coffee with Soy milk instead of cream, then she will get what I ask. Or else I'm going to beat her until she loses her kid." the man said, a sadistic grin on his face, eyes glowing a fierce yellow.

"So...we have a sexist in our midst...but why is that? What happened to you in the past that made you view women so objectively?" Duchess asked curiously, a pensive look on her face.

"You wanna know why I'm like this? It's simple really...you see, there was once this woman, that I fell in love with. She promised me she would be there...I was in love with her, I wrote her letters, scripts, promised to make a movie with her as my star! Five years over seas, and when I come home, ring in hand to marry her...she was gone. Not only that, she had lied to me, everything was a lie...she wanted me for money, she had two kids, and was married...the entire time I knew her, she was trying to get money for herself! So I grew to hate her...it was a shame, but she needed to go."

"She needed too...oh my god, tell me you didn't!" Rise cried, earning a laugh from the man.

"I did my dear...the barrel of that gun felt so cold, but I was so happy when I pulled the trigger. Watching the blood flying in all directions, seeing as she woke up from her sleep, her heart struggling to function due to the gunshot...watching her choke on her own blood, it was so fulfilling. It was more entertaining to see her seven year old daughter, watching her slowly bleeding to death. I rid myself of the one that had broken my heart, and with her I begun my career...let's just say, I needed to make money fast, and I was a director...so I put her daughter to work...that's when I got my first idea." he said, spreading his arms as he glanced toward the ceiling.

"To make millions, I needed a holy grail...so I would use my skills to write romance films, and I would cast teenagers for the roles. When I had their trust, I would force them to be the stars of my own project! The holy grail of dark cinema, the greatest feature length pornographic film the world had ever seen! People would pay serious bucks for that...so I had to plan, I needed tools for that, so I procured the best ones on the market!"

"Kaburagi and Shouji." Songbird hissed, earning a deranged chuckle from the man.

"Ahuh...Shouji was one of the first to be on film. He hated it at first, but slowly started to change, I believe it was when I gave him heroin for the first time. I should confide with you this...I was actually looking to hire you as well, Mashita-kun. You were an uprising star and needed a bit of an outlet...but your pesky father ruined your career...I couldn't have that in my film, so I instead set my sights on your beautiful sister...but alas, she turned me down." Shimizu said, a frown on his face as he spoke.

"You sick bastard...how could you do this? It's one thing to objectify women...but taking it out on innocent children? What is wrong with you?!" Beauty Thief shouted, her grip on her axe tightening by the second. Songbird feared it would snap just from how hard she was squeezing it.

"Children are not innocent...especially those little girls...they're just budding women. They're gonna grow up and become bitches like Yuri, they're all fucked in the head. They're there to ruin your life and steal your money...they're a goddamn baby factory, bringing even more women into the world. All of them need to die, all of you women need to die!" he shouted angrily, sending chills down their spines.

"You're just a disgusting fucker with a broken heart. Instead of looking for a solution or accepting your feelings, you decided to do something gross. What is wrong with you? Heartbreak sucks, but forcing kids to be in porn? Killing a woman before her child? You are such an asshole!" Panther shouted, her face red with rage.

"Yawn, spare me your dribble...I care not for the objections of women...I did what I did because I wanted revenge. On people like Yuri, on every woman on this planet. After all, I'm not the only one who shares this view...I mean, why does the dark web exist? So that people like me can search for these things. Besides, I'm sure the people I sold those kids to are taking excellent care for them...maybe."

"Joker, take my hand right now...I don't know how much longer I can hold myself back." Songbird hissed angrily, causing the leader of the Phantom Thieves to grab a hold of his arm, holding him in place. Yukiko did the same with his other arm, taking the gun he had been squeezing out of his grasp.

"Hmm...I believe I have gathered sufficient information on your standings. You feel betrayed by this Yuri woman, so you exacted revenge on her...by killing her and prostituting her seven year old daughter. Not just that, you created your films just so you could find young actors to abuse in your pornographic film? That is an insult to the academy, and those who value the romantic films you sought out to create."

"Like I care...all of those romance films that I made were just a front. Why do you think I film them all in a month? Because the rest of the time, I'm pushing the actors to be in my Holy Grail...sure, most of them commit suicide right after, but Kaburagi did his best to hide that from the public. I had to spend a lot of money to shut the mouths of those reporters, and well you know how that one guy ended up, hanging around for his daughter's birthday...wish I could have seen her reaction, it must have been precious."

"Something tells me there is more...creating a holy grail like this, just to sell it for money? There needs to be some gratification for you somewhere...could it be that there is something you aren't telling us? Like the fact that you are sexually confused, so you force these kids to live out the fantasies within your mind?" Duchess said.

"Huh? What did you just say?" Rise cried out, eyes wide with shock.

"It's just an observation...I believe that Yuri didn't fulfill some sort of fantasy that you had. No that isn't it...it was simply that you were confused about your sexuality, so you didn't know if you could be with Yuri, which made her confused. When you left for those five years, it could be that she considered those options and made an educated decision...to continue her life without you in it."

"Shut up! Shut the fuck up your little slut! You don't know shit!" Shimizu shouted, his voice rocking the entire room.

"So...you did all of this because you were confused about your sexuality? Seems a little extreme don't you think?" Yukiko asked, earning a sigh from Songbird.

"It's a little harder to understand than you think...I hate to admit this, but the two of us have something in common. I was at that stage myself a few years back, and those conflicting emotions...they're very real and very scary. I however came to grips with myself and accepted them...I guess this the monster I would have become had I bottled them up." the young actor said, a frown on his face.

"Whoa wait...what? Songbird you like boys?" Beauty Thief asked, clearly confused.

"Remember how I turned down our engagement because I didn't wanna get married early in life? Yeah...the true reason was I was facing the same conflicting emotions this fuckstick was dealing with." Songbird replied, causing the heiress's jaw to drop.

"But...but...we kissed...and we messed around."

"We did not mess around!" the boy cried, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"We took a bath together and started making out, I'm sure that counts as messing around."

"Can we have this conversation later? As riveting as it sounds, it isn't important at this moment." Joker said, causing the two Phantom Thieves to stop bickering.

"Oh...this is so interesting...you know, I had considered giving you a role in my movie. I haven't had many bisexual actors in it...come on, wouldn't you want to try the forbidden fruit? That sweet delectable piece of Kanami Mashita that I'm sure your craving? Or could you want something more? A handsome man perhaps?"

"I'm gonna stop you right there buddy, first off...I would never in a million years, sleep with my sister. We may not be blood related, but she is still my sister. She means the world to me, and I would never put her in that place. Second, I am not going to be in your disgusting smut film, baiting me with men isn't going to work asshole. I may be bisexual but I have a girlfriend, and her wants and needs come before me." he said firmly, causing Panther to squeal. The Phantom Thieves all turned to her, and she glanced away, an embarrassed look on her face.

"Hmm...perhaps I have to get a little more physical. Shrine Maiden, your presence is requested!" the man shouted. From behind the man, the Shrine Maiden, Kanami, walked out, still dressed in her traditional garb. She gave a bow to the man, kneeling down before him, her forehead resting on the floor before his feet.

"What do you need of me Kunnashi? I shall fulfill all requests as your maiden." she said softly.

"I tire of these pests, so I wish for you to show them what it would mean to be within my holy grail...starting with the man who happens to be your brother." he said, a smirk on his face. The young woman slowly stood up, pulling her sash, letting it fall to the ground. She started tugging on her outfit, slowly pulling it off of herself, until she was wearing nothing more than pink lingerie.

"I know she's a shadow...but goddamn it, this is pissing me off! How dare you do this Shimizu? You bastard...if you wanna send a message than stand on your own two feet and fight!" Songbird cried. The man chuckled, reaching into the sleeve of his own garb, pulling out a rolled up scroll which was glittering a bright gold, and distorting a bit. Joker let out a gasp, eyes focused on the scroll, which was attached to a golden chalice, that was lined with various glittering gems, a literal holy grail.

"The treasure...he holds it with him." he said.

"Indeed, this is my holy grail right here...if you wish to steal it from me, well...you're gonna have to fight. But I grow tired of these games, so I thought I'd give you some motivation...for when you fail, you will come crawling to me, begging me to end your meager existence...you shall be in debt to me for an eternity, my puppets who shall do whatever devious sexual acts I want! I shall have more holy grails than I can count!"

"I am a puppet to no one! Fight on your own two feet you fiend!" Beauty Thief shouted, aiming her axe at him.

"Nah...I'm not about that life...Kanami dear, make sure you treat your guests with kindness, you've got a crowd after all." the Kunnashi said, turning toward one of the doors.

"Where the hell do you think you are going?" Songbird shouted, about to follow him, only for two dark chains to come out from the ground, wrapping around Kanami's wrists and ankles.

The chains seemingly floated in mid air, only for them to fling back toward a shadow that had appeared in the middle of the room. A large octopus like creature had formed behind the helpless idol, slowly lifting her into the air, her chains being pulled until her arms were behind her back, her legs being spread. The octopus seemed to be eager about this action, and started wrapping his tentacles around her, only for Songbird to realize that the tentacles were actually in the shape of male genitalia, and one large one was slowly inching its way between Kanami's legs.

"You know you want to save her Mashita, she's your sister...or you could sacrifice her and come after me...it's your call. Though it's not gonna let you leave this room...what will it be? Facing me alone for revenge? Or saving your sister with your friends?" Shimizu taunted. Songbird growled angrily, his mask bursting into blue flames around his face.

"You'll get yours...just you wait." he said, placing a hand on his mask, ripping it off his face.

"Persona! Debilitate!" he chanted, earning a dark laugh from the Phantom, who sent an eerie green wave at the octopus creature, causing it to hiss in anger.

"Lady Loveless, aid with our attacks, Matarukaja!" Duchess chanted, summoning her own persona. Lady Loveless snapped her fingers, a swirl of golden light surrounding the Phantom Thieves. Joker wasted no time, dashing straight toward the octopus, with Songbird at his side, sword drawn ready to attack.

"I know it's a shadow, but facing Shimizu alone isn't a wise idea...I can sense this thing's power." he said.

"Yes, I understand...let's take it down together, leader." Songbird said, flashing a smile to his friend.

He took the lead, swinging his sword as hard as he could, slicing off some of the phallic tentacles that were wrapping around Kanami. Her moans of pleasure were disturbing, but he wasn't going to let them mess up his concentration. His sword started glowing slightly, and he pulled it back, the energy racing across the blade.

"Vorpal Blade!" he shouted, slashing several tentacles off at once. The octopus screamed in pain, slamming the larger appendages onto the ground. Several more appeared from behind it, being flung directly at the two Phantom Thieves, who were quick to react.

"You know...I've been calling this thing an octopus in my mind...but this thing is closer to some sick, twisted Cthulhu." Songbird said, placing a hand on his mask. Joker did the same pulling his off entirely.

"Then it might be weak to lightning attacks. Ame-no-Uzume, Zionga!" he chanted. His persona flashed before him, forming a giant ball of lightning above the creature, willing it to explode. The magic coursed through its body, only for a deep guttural groan to come from it. It's tentacles tightened around Kanami, a loud moan leaving her body.

"Oh...you're squeezing me so hard~" she moaned, throwing her head back, chest rising and falling with her pants.

"Panther, let us combine our attacks!" Yukiko said, earning a nod from the red themed phantom thief.

"Carmen, let's try that new attack you told me about. I'm confident we can pull it off!" she cried, earning a nod from her persona, who had a smirk on her face.

"Now then, let us attack with our own firepower! Sumeo-Okami!" Yukiko cried, slashing her tarot card. The two fire using personas stood back to back above their summoners, flames swirling beneath them the intensity of the flames making everyone start sweating. With a snap of their fingers, both persona threw their attacks forth, combining into a giant fireball.

"Agidyne!"

Kanami's cries of pain melded with those of the Cthulhu like creature, causing it to fall down to the ground. Without even waiting, the Phantom Thieves all ran forward, throwing a myriad of slashes and gunshots at it, slicing and dicing any and all tentacles that attempted to grab a hold of any of them. They all jumped back, allowing Beauty Thief to have the final attack. With a firm shout, she ran forward, stabbing the barrel of her grenade launcher right under one of the thicker phallic looking tentacles, with a pull of the trigger, the creature was launched into the air. Panther flung her whip forward, wrapping it around the creature, pulling it back down hard. It slammed into the ground, once again being stunned by the combination of attacks.

"Please...stop hurting us...we mean...you all no harm." Kanami cried, clutching her sides in pain. Songbird walked up toward the stunned shadow, standing right in front of the Shrine Maiden. He pressed the barrel of his gun to her forehead, making her go wide eyed.

"You aren't my sister, begone with this shadow." he said, pulling the trigger. The bullet sailed through her head, causing her to fall back unmoving, shortly before bursting into smoke. Cthulhu remained, growling angrily as it forced itself back up.

"It's weaknesses have returned to normal, it seems your spell has worn off Songbird, get away from it!" Rise warned, causing the young actor to jump back, just in time to avoid one of the tentacles, which was aimed straight at him. He dodged it again, only for him to hit the wall. It started wrapping around him, squeezing hard as the tip started oozing white fluid.

"Oh...this is so gross! Why do people like this shit?" he cried, unable to move his arms.

"Hyah!"

Cthulhu shouted in pain as its tentacle was severed and quickly pulled back. Songbird breathed a sigh of relief, giving a thankful look to Beauty Thief who hefted her axe onto her shoulder, turning to face the creature. It let out a growl, flinging even more tentacles out at the Thieves, who all did their best to dodge them. Yukiko let out a scream as one of them wrapped around her waist, lifting her up into the air.

"Let me go you sick bastard!" she cried, trying her hardest to break free from its grasp. She tried reaching for her fan, only for it to fall out of her pocket.

"Lady Loveless, Freila!" Duchess cried, snapping her fingers. Her persona let out a hum as she pulled her hands back, forming an orb of crackling nuclear energy, flinging it toward the giant tentacle monster. It swelled as it struck its face, causing it massive damage. As a result, Yukiko was flung into the air, though she was caught by Joker who with the aid of his persona, was able to safely grab her.

"Sorry for the wait milady, I had to wait until the moment was right." he said, voice smooth as he wiggled his brows. She pushed him back, grabbing the fan from his hands.

"I have a boyfriend, but thanks for the save." she said, cheeks tinged pink. The creature let out another growl, pointing all of its tentacles at them. Songbird noticed all of them were pulsing slightly, the tips dripping with white fluid.

"Oh god, it's about to do something!"

"No shit, can you tell us what it's going to do Rise?" the actor cried. She grit her teeth, holding Kanzeon's visor as she tried scanning it. The tentacles started growing stiff as they dripped more liquid.

"Rise!?"

"I'm trying dammit! I can't find anything!"

"It's about to cum." Duchess said, causing all of the Thieves to look at her. She had a firm look on her face as she met their gazes.

"What did you just say?" Panther asked.

"It is a creature with penises for tentacles, the heads are dripping...it's quite obvious what it is preparing for, in context."

"Jesus Christ...we gotta fuckin kill it before it does!"

"Yukiko?" Songbird asked, causing the girl to shudder.

"I need time to set up for Burning Petals, if you can slice some of those things off, that would buy me some time." she said.

"Alright then, Joker, Beauty Thief, it's up to us to prevent this thing from ejaculating!" Songbird said, dashing forward.

"Ew...why did you have to put it that way?" Beauty Thief cried, earning a chuckle from Joker.

"We should have brought hefty bags with us, we could have used them as rubbers and put them over the heads!"

"Hefty Hefty Hefty!"

"Shut up! Hyah!" Beauty Thief shouted, slicing off one of the tentacles with her axe.

Songbird jumped up, slicing another one off in rapid succession. Cthulhu growled angrily, slapping the three teenagers back with its appendages, aiming them right at them. A single drop fell down next to Songbird's head, a loud hissing filling his ear. He glanced at the area where the drop had fallen, seeing the hole that was left behind.

"Holy shit, acidic cum...move back, this thing is gonna blow it's load!"

"Stop making puns goddamn it, Carmen, Agidyne!" Panther cried angrily. The dancer felt her summoner's anger, and launched the fireball right at the creature, willing it to explode setting it aflame.

"Now we're talking, Joker let us combine our spells." Duchess said, earning a nod from the man.

"Persona Change: Byakko." he chanted, changing his mask. The white tiger appeared, standing firm next to Lady Loveless, who glanced at the tiger with a smile on her face.

"Garudyne!" the two Thieves cried in unison. Byakko let out a roar that shook the room, a swirling funnel of wind forming around the creature. Lady Loveless did the same, forming a ball of wind that she shot at the tentacle monster, willing it to explode.

"I'm ready!" Yukiko cried, causing the Thieves to clear the field.

"Go for it Yukiko, give it everything you've got!"

"Lady Loveless, Agi Boost!" Duchess chanted, snapping her fingers. An orange light swirled around Yukiko's feet as she walked forward, pressing her fan to her lips.

"Sumeo-Okami, it is time for us to show our power once more. Fill the room with your Burning Petals." she said, fanning her face with her weapon. Cthulhu forced itself back to an upright position, its tentacles charred as it once again aimed its tentacles at them. Petals started floating around it, confusing it greatly. It let out a hearty laugh, the tentacles pulsing as if gearing up to fire.

"Everyone, guard up!" Joker cried, holding his arms in front of his face. The others followed suit, they trusted Yukiko's power, but they were getting ready just in case.

"It's time...let us unleash our power, Sumeo-Okami, Burning Petals!" the black haired woman cried, snapping her fan closed. Her persona let out a heavenly melody as it detonated all of the petals, an ocean of flame burning the shadow to a crisp. It tried to weakly move, its tentacles having been burned completely off. A lone gunshot from Songbird was all it took for it to disappear.

"No flesh shall be spared." he said, blowing the smoke from his gun before placing it back into his holster.

"Holy shit man, that was pretty good."

"Thanks! Jesus told me to say it." Songbird said, causing Joker to give him a confused look. He shook his head, turning to the door that Shimizu had escaped from. He broke into a sprint, running toward it, pulling it open, he was about to step inside when he realized it was a blocked stairwell. It was filled with desks, manikins and various other things that prevented anyone from climbing up the stairs.

"Shit...he blocked the stairs! The elevator is out of commission too...how exactly are we gonna get to the Tenth floor from here?" he called out, slamming his fist against the door frame. The shatter of glass filled his ears, and he spun around, seeing Joker had broken the window across the room. He moved toward it, watching the young man stick his head out of it.

"Well...looks like we can use the fire escape." he said, pointing toward the metallic structure that had been attached to the side of the building, leading up to the garden attached to the very top of the building.

"It seems we're at the final stretch...allow me to solve this little conundrum." Duchess said, reaching into her dress for her Grapple gun. She took aim at the railing of the fire escape, launching the hook toward it. Giving it a firm pull, she pull the rope free from the gun, tying it firmly onto the base of wooden support beam.

"It just had to be on the top floor of a tenth story building...oh, can we just go back to the Elevator shaft? Isn't there a ladder up there?" Panther asked, shivering a bit in fear. Songbird placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a reassuring look.

"Hey, it's gonna be fine alright...with your lithe movements, you'll make it over there in a snap. Just keep your eyes on the fire escape, not the ground." he said. She sighed, giving him a nod.

"Fine...but you're buying me some cake when we leave this hellhole." she said. He chuckled, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Consider it done...now then, Joker take Duchess with you. I trust you with my sister's life bro, so don't drop her or I'll push you myself." the young actor said firmly, earning a salute from the leader.

Duchess frowned as she looked at her dress, reaching for the corset that was tied around her. She started pulling the laces, undoing them entirely, tossing the garment aside. She pulled the zipper of her dress down, pulling her arms through the sleeves, before shrugging it off, remaining in her petticoat and undershirt. She brushed her hair out of her face, glancing at the others who had been watching her curiously.

"What? You actually think I would wear that while scaling the side of a building? You are out of your minds. The dress shall return to me when I summon Lady Loveless, she was the one who suggested it. Now stop looking at me weird!" she snapped, glaring at her brother.

"I'm sorry, it's just...weird seeing my little sister undressing like that." he admitted, glancing away from her.

"You know...I keep forgetting you are only nine years old. You carry yourself with such regality, you really do know how to fill out that dress." Yukiko said, earning a blush from the girl, who poked her fingers together.

"Fill out? My apologies Yukiko, I haven't particularly filled out my dress, I still lack the necessary chest size in order to make it look proper." she said.

"Chest size?" Rise exclaimed.

"Ah...you're one of those girls...those who wish to grow up fast so they can get breasts. Trust me Duchess, you don't want big breasts...all they bring you is misery, lecherous stares and back pain." Beauty Thief said, rubbing her back as she spoke.

"Maybe for you, I've never had back pain with mine." Panther said, causing the heiress to poke her breasts with her fingers.

"That's true...but they are really squishy...not to mention super bouncy. I can't help but be entranced whenever you run."

"Let's get this moving, before I get a boner." Songbird muttered, earning a nod of understanding from Joker. Duchess jumped onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck, making sure her legs were wrapped firmly around his body. The young man took a deep breath, grabbing the rope and climbing up with ease, not at all bothered by the little girl's added wait.

"That man has balls...I can't believe he just went for it without even saying anything."

"He has brass balls forged in the line of duty as a Phantom Thief." Songbird said, earning a glare from the girls. He let out a chuckle, glancing out the window. Once Joker and Duchess had made it across, he sent Rise next.

"I'm scared Songbird, I don't want to fall." Panther said, stepping away from the rope.

"Honey, I know it's scary, but we don't have any other way of getting up there."

"But I can't...I just can't okay?" she screamed, turning away from the boy. Yukiko gave the boy a concerned look, he shook his head, gesturing for her to go on ahead.

"Panther...I'm scared too...I don't like heights as much as the next person. But remember, if we don't do this, we won't make it to the treasure room. We won't be able to save Kanami, and we won't be able to avenge those people that were murdered. Come on! You're the fearsome Panther of the Phantom Thieves! You and Carmen kick loads of ass, believe in yourself and in your persona. After all of this shit we've been through, are you gonna let a pesky building climb stop you?" he asked.

"I...you're right...I was much more scared when I was climbing Kamoshida's tower...I was able to scale that castle with ease. It's just...I look out this window, and I remember Shiho's suicide attempt...it makes me wonder, was this the sight that she saw when she was on Shujin's roof? Just looking at the far off ground and thinking that would be her exit? It makes me want to burst." she said. The boy wrapped his arms around her, giving her a firm hug.

"Hey...I'm right here okay? Shiho saw something like this yes...but she's become a total badass. She lived through it, and she's still kicking ass...remember, we're out here, risking our lives for people like her, victims of society. Don't be scared of this, be scared of Shimizu, and the lives he has ruined, and the lives he will continue ruining if he goes unstopped." he said, earning a shy nod from her. She lifted up her head, looking right into his eyes. She pressed her lips against his own, catching the boy by surprise. He smiled inwardly, kissing the girl back with equal vigor. She pulled away, taking a deep breath.

"Alright, now I'm ready...thank you Takumi, for being an awesome friend."

"No problem Ann, let's just get outta here." he said, taking a hold of her hand.

He grabbed a hold of the rope, biting his lip as he started climbing up the rope, legs wrapped around it. He could hear the cheering crowd below him cheering loudly at the twisted movie releases Shimizu had made. That just served as motivation to end this charade of his. He held his hand out to Joker, who grabbed a hold of it, helping him over the railing. They did the same for Panther, who quickly scurried over the railing, hugging the boy tightly. He smiled, hugging her back.

"See...? You were awesome out there."

"T-thanks...l-let's go...I still have the heebie jeebies."

"Ha! You said it, you said people doesn't say that anymore." he teased, earning a glare from the girl.

"You got me to say it, whatever let's just go!" she said, taking the lead as she started climbing the stairs. Joker shrugged, following after the blonde.

It didn't take them long to reach the top of the building. They walked across the rooftop, jumping down onto the garden from above. It was completely empty, they didn't see a single thing, not the Shrine Maiden and not Shimizu. Songbird walked up the wooden steps, opening the shouji that led into the Shrine. He walked toward the center of the room to the small raised platform, which still had the burning incense sticks he had seen the first time around. He saw a glowing orb above it, which was flickering between reality and distortion. He stuck his hand into it, almost feeling the Holy Grail that he had seen Shimizu holding.

"This is it...the treasure will appear right here...or it should seeing as that fuckstick Shimizu has it with him." Songbird said.

"This is the treasure? It doesn't look like much." Yukiko said, pulling her glasses off her face.

"Hmm...it seems this is not the treasure. This is the place where it is kept, in order for it to appear, we must make the real Shimizu aware that it exists. In order to do that, we must send out a calling card." Duchess said, glancing at her fellow ravenette. Her body was covered in blue flames, her dress returning to normal.

"A calling card...you mean those things that were all over Shibuya not that long ago?" Rise asked.

"Mhmm...just so you know, I was the author of that particular card...or rather, partially. This time, I shall be the sole writer of Shimizu's calling card...I owe him that much. But in order to pull this off, we need to give Futaba her change of heart...only she can help me create it without fail." he said, turning to Joker who gave him a nod.

"Our infiltration route has been secured. I have set a pad that will warp us straight to the garden, we won't have to come back here through the fire escape. It's time for us to reconvene with Queen and learn of her findings. Rise, Yukiko, you're free to join us if you wish...you are honorary Thieves after all."

"If our assistance can aid you in any way, then I shall gladly give it. I am quite exhausted though...I'm happy I was able to help so much." Yukiko said, earning a frown from Rise.

"I am annoyed though...how come Sumeo-Okami didn't revert back to Konohana-Sakuya?" the girl said.

"Ehehe...well, you know how personas are our other selves? Which evolve with strong bonds right? My heart grew strong by befriending Yu, and all of our friends. But after he left, I felt a little empty...it wasn't until I met Alex that my heart regained its strength. You have no idea how sweet he is to me...what can I say? I'm totally, happily in love."

"Aw...that's so cute~" Panther said, earning a blush from the ravenette.

"Hmm...so love can help a persona evolve? Does that mean our hearts are ever changing? Will the strength of our hearts help us achieve the ultimate strength in this world?" Duchess said, though it was mostly to herself.

"So...that means Kanzeon had an evolution beforehand huh?" Songbird said. Rise nodded, bowing her head dejectedly.

"Kouzeon, that was her final form...I'm still recovering from my break up with Yu. I guess my heart grew weak, and with it so did Kouzeon. I don't want her to devolve anymore...I have to get stronger...it's because of my own weaknesses that I was unable to fight for Kanami. It took meeting the Phantom Thieves to actually kick my ass in gear."

"Rise, you are a strong young woman in your own right...it took a lot of guts to do what you did. Following someone into the Metaverse, especially with a Persona not geared to fight. Just being there for Kanami is enough, she'll be thankful for that. But you can leave the fight to us, we will make sure Shimizu knows not to mess with us." Joker said, earning a smile from the idol.

"Thank you...all of you...I'm sure Kanami would still be getting hurt if it wasn't for all of you." she said. Songbird chuckled, wrapping his arm around the young woman.

"I should be thanking you! Without you getting me into contact with Yukari, I wouldn't have had the physical evidence that drove me to come here. I know you're still hurting, but I'll be there for you. We all will, you're an honorary Thief now. That and Joker there is single and ready to mingle." he said.

"I am, if you like cake or chili cheese dogs, I'm your man." the boy said, brushing his hair back with a single hand. Rise burst into giggles, only to be drowned out by Yukiko's boisterous laugh. Songbird couldn't help but laugh as well..after everything that had happened to him during this entire day, he needed something to light hearted to prepare for the battle that was yet to come.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	37. Steal the Treasure I: Futaba Sakura

**A/N:**

 **The time has come, the first chapter that will mark the beginning of the end of this arc. Today I give you part one of Futaba's final battle. The Phantom THieves will acually be fighting Wakaba Isshiki in the next chapter, but that will come on later today. Sorry for posting it so late, but I was editing it to make sure it was perfect. Not to mention I just haven't been motivated into writing anything for awhile, and that can really kill your enthusiasm when it comes to writing. I don't know what it is, I still wanna keep writing Persona stuff, but for some reason I just can't fuckin get around to it. I don't feel like writing anything new either so I don't really get what it is. I've been planning the next palace infiltration, and I will say, the next infiltration will have a Palace combination, two palaces for the price of one, rather than two palace being split up, the Thieves will be exploring one palace and the second will be connected to the first. Okumura's Space Station will be one of them obviously, but the original one will be revealed when it's revealed.**

 **So for now, I hope you enjoy the last of this arc, though I understand if you don't since it's been rather disgusting to see the stuff Shimizu has been doing. But you'll all see the climax of this arc which will be the fight with Wakaba and Shimizu. I assure you, it'll be a good fight.**

 **Hmm...I don't really have any other things to say, no news for the story or anything. But if you have any questions feel free to ask me. Or if you have suggestions for what the Phantom Thieves will do during their days off in between Mementos missions, or if you want to see more Mementos, which I haven't written a lot of, then feel free to suggest something. I need to explore more of Mementos as it is a big part of the story. I dunno, it's just hard to write something that is literally just you driving around fighting shadows, thoguh I guess the conversations will be the meat of it, especially when Futaba joins the hunts.**

 **Well...see you all later with Chapter 38. I will do another double post but once we hit Chapter 40, they will slow down to one every few days until I build them up. Just know that the next arc of the story will be about twenty chapters or so, as this arc has been about twenty chapters give or take, and there is a lot of filler at the end, which I do apologize for. But yeah, that's my ballpark estimate for the arc sizes. Also for you naughty dogs, Christmas and Valentine's Days are smutty days, so you'll get to see some hot action happen during those two days. I will say, the first two will be single lemons and then Valentine's Day will be Takumi living every man's dream, sleeping with two girls. Maybe three if Toni gets in there, because it's Toni. Anyway, I'll see you later.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 37

Steal the Treasure I:

Futaba Sakura

 _ **Date: Monday August 1**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: Cafe Leblanc(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Weather: Torrential Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Send out the Calling Cards**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"So, how was Shimizu's Palace?" Makoto asked, a firm business like look on her face. Ren sighed, placing a notebook on the table, pushing it toward the adviser of the Phantom Thieves.

"Let's just say, it's been a long goddamn day. We begun the infiltration today from the sixth floor. We were able to see just how sick and twisted Akihiko Shouji truly is, but we were able to take him down." he replied.

"Sick and twisted? Care to elaborate?" Morgana asked, taking a tentative lick at his paw. The Phantom Thieves that had explored the Movie Temple all shared a look.

"Me and Rise weren't there to witness this part of the infiltration...I know it may be hard, but it will shed some light on everything over all." Yukiko added, placing a hand on Takumi's who caved and gave her a nod. He took a shaky breath, glancing at his friends.

"Akihiko Shouji...he's a victim of Shimizu as well...however he is just as fucked up. He beat anyone he wanted just because he didn't like them. I managed to read his personal diary while I was in there...I only read out loud some of the entries. However, they are very very sick...in those entries, he described in detail how he drugged and raped his victims. The youngest being a girl that was seven years old."

"You can't be serious...he did something that dastardly?" Yusuke exclaimed, almost falling out his chair.

"I can corroborate this...I looked through some of those entries myself. I can say that he was in fact very detailed, he was a troubled young man. It seemed that his desires were fueled by the fact that he wanted to impress his father, who didn't see him as a good actor. He let himself become Shimizu's tool, going as far as to drug and rape his victims." Mitsuhide said, jotting several things down in a composition book.

"You seriously let your little sister look at something that messed up?" Ryuji asked curiously, glancing up from the manga he was reading.

"She can handle it, remember she may be nine years old. But she's far wiser and smarter than people give her credit for. This is all stuff that she's going to use to further her interest in being a psychologist. Yes, it's fucked up, yes my mother would kill me. But then again, we're moonlighting Phantom Thieves for a reason right?" he asked.

"I suppose that's true...still it's her choice if she wants to see this stuff. Anyway, would you mind continuing?" Rise asked politely. Takumi nodded, leaning back in his seat.

"Well, another room that we saw in there was one that represented his desire. He had pictures of Kanami in there, along with various etchings on tables expressing his desire to see her dead. The final room was represented the area where he would commit his devious sexual acts. We found various drugs in there."

"Cocaine, Succinylcholine to paralyze them, PCP and Heroin, most likely for himself. There were syringes as well, and a full idol outfit based on Kanami's stage attire. He most likely forced them into that outfit while he was raping them to satisfy some sick fantasy of his." Haru said, earning curious looks from everyone.

"Well...I'm assuming you managed to defeat Shouji's shadow correct? Did you run into anyone else while you were in there?" Makoto asked. Ren nodded, watching her flip through the pages of his more detailed report.

"We ran into Shouji himself. He considers Kanami his Shrine Maiden, but that was true for all of his stars. He started filming pornographic films because his heart was broken by the love of his life. He ended up killing her in front of her seven year old daughter and then proceeded to rape her. I presume he used her as a subject for his films before getting rid of her. He said that women need to die, that they are only here to serve men and help them satisfy their sexual desires. He also said that little girls aren't safe because they grow up to be women, so they are also a subject of his films. Then he proceeded to summon an octopus monster with dicks as tentacles." he said.

"What? Are you shitting me?" Ryuji said.

"No...no he isn't...one of them wrapped around me...it was throbbing." Yukiko shuddered, trying not to think about it.

"It had acidic cum, it was going to blow it's load at us, though thankfully Yukiko managed to take it down with Sumeo-Okami. I don't think we would have gotten out of there unscathed if she hadn't." Takumi said.

"Ugh...I thought we were over the penis jokes." Ann muttered, brushing one of her ponytails over her shoulder.

"Hey, it isn't my fault the bastard thinks about penis tentacles...he probably wants to film tentacle porn or something." the brown haired actor said, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Moving on, we were able to secure the route to the treasure. Of course, it was a bit hard, the elevator got stuck on the seventh floor, thus making us climb up to the eighth. That also meant we would have to find an alternate route to the tenth floor."

"So, did you?" Ryuji asked, glancing at Yukiko who gave him a nod.

"We had to break a window and launch a grappling hook to the nearby fire escape. Worry not, Ren set up a circle that will teleport us directly to the garden on the tenth floor. That concludes our infiltration, we are ready for the calling card, which my brother shall take care of. However we require Futaba Sakura's technical no how in order for it to work." Mitsuhide said, finishing the preface of her thesis. Takumi glanced at her writing, noticing she had written it all in calligraphy, not to mention it was all in English.

"Well, I suppose I can relay the information we recovered from Futaba's Palace. Sadly, we weren't able to reach the treasure room...we managed to explore the entirety of her palace, but there's a door in front of the treasure room. One that needs to be opened by Futaba herself. We also learned a lot about her childhood." Morgana said.

"Details?" Ren asked, earning a nod from the feline. Ryuji closed his manga, pulling out a notepad, handing it to their leader.

"It's some pretty heavy stuff...we found these HD television panels, which correspond to memories she's had. The first one showed two people dressed in black, holding a piece of paper in their hands. The next one, was one where she saw her mother throwing herself in front of a car, and the last one was of her grabbing onto her mother's shirt, she had a rather disappointed look on her face." he said. Ren nodded, skimming through the notes before handing them to Mitsuhide, who looked at them with a close eye.

"Hmm...from what you have said, I can conclude this. It seems that Futaba Sakura believes she is the cause of her mother's suicide. I can see here that these voices you all heard were telling her that it was her fault...those men in black you spoke of, might be some people showing her a suicide note...maternity neurosis?"

"Do you know what it is? We were having a bit of a hard time trying to figure it our ourselves." Yusuke said. The ravenette swept some of her hair behind her ears, flicking her phone open, quickly going to her browser.

"Neurosis is a mental illness, it is caused by symptoms of depression, nervousness, obsessive behavior, hypochondria and anxiety. Usually, it can be treated with medicine that will calm a person down. However, if left untreated it could potentially turn into psychosis, or a mental disconnect from reality...I believe this is the true origin of Psychotic Breakdowns, people just disconnect from reality and go haywire. However, I do not believe Maternity Neurosis lead to Futaba's mother killing herself...in fact, Maternity Neurosis isn't even a disease. It was just a bullshit lie created to make Futaba think she killed her mother."

"So you believe this was all fabricated in order to destroy the connection Futaba had to her mother?" Ann asked.

"Well...let's look at the facts, Boss said that she was working on Cognitive Psience research. That she would focus on something and see it through to the end, and Futaba has shown these quirks as well. Like mother like daughter...so maybe, and this is a theory here, her mother was eliminated and her research was stolen. Why else would a prosecutor come here threatening the man with custody bullshit?" Takumi asked curiously.

"That is a pretty interesting theory...one that could very well be through...what did he say her name was again?" Makoto asked. Ren pressed a finger to his forehead as he narrowed his eyes in thought.

"He never said her last name...but I believe her first name was Wakaba." he said, causing Mitsuhide to gasp, her phone dropping out of her hand.

"What...what's wrong?" Rise asked, sounding a bit concerned. The girl regained her composure, picking her phone up from the floor.

"Pardon me, I have something I'd like to ask Boss, may I be excused momentarily?" she asked.

"Um...sure?" Ryuji replied. The little girl stood up, brushing the wrinkles from her tee shirt. She grabbed a hold of Takumi's collar, pulling it as she walked. He sighed, standing up from his seat.

"We'll be back." he said, giving his friends a friendly wave as he followed his little sister downstairs to the cafe.

"So yeah...this guy totally creeps into our apartment complex, and knocks on our door. Rise thought it was my kid brother, so she opens the door, and it's this dude who's kneeling in front of the door, begging her to marry him. Shit was crazy, I've never seen anyone dial 119 that fast before. It was funnier because Rise was packing heat." Kanami said, taking a drag of her cigarette. Sojiro leaned back against the counter, a small smirk on his face.

"Honestly, I would have just shot him in the knee. Being a fan is one thing, but when you data mine people's places of work and their social media, just to find out where they live...that's a serious problem. He'll be facing serious jail time since that's considered harassment."

"Ain't that the truth...still you can't trust anyone nowadays...oh, hey you two...is something the matter?" Kanami asked, turning to face her siblings. Takumi quirked a brow, glancing at the apron she had been wearing.

"Not really...you know you shouldn't smoke...that shit stunts your lungs. You're an idol, think about your fans." he said. She sighed, giving the boy a nod, putting the cigarette out.

"Sorry, I'm just a little stressed...I got a message from Akihiko earlier, saying if I didn't show up to set, he was going to set fire to my apartment. Of course I know that was just a petty threat, he doesn't have the gonads to do it...anyway, since I'm staying here with Boss, I figured I could make myself useful."

"I have to admit, having someone like her here has increased business. A lot of youngsters have come here not just to see Kanamin, but also for our curry. I've had to step out twice for ingredients." Sojiro said happily.

"Hey, you're curry is awesome...maybe you should team up with Rise, her curry is amazing too. It could be like a clash of flavors, washed down with an awesome cup of coffee...seriously, this place is gonna get a full five star review from me when all of this crap is over. Hope you don't mind cute idols invading the place from time to time Boss." she said, giving the man a wink.

"As long as I get business and they're well behaved, I don't mind it. Anyway, is something the matter? You've been staring at me for quite awhile." the man said, glancing at Mitsuhide, who had been leaning against the counter, her arms resting on it since she was only a few inches taller than the counter itself.

"I'd like to apologize beforehand for this, but this is a question that has been bugging me for awhile. I was filled in with the story of your daughter, I'm quite interesting in learning about her behaviors. I feel like I could help her deal with some of the issues regarding her current mental state. I do understand that she doesn't want to see anyone, but I believe that a full psychological evaluation will give us some insight on her cognitive views of the world."

"Cognitive views? Huh? I'm sorry, I had assumed you were just a playful little girl, where does this scientific side come from?" Sojiro asked, clearly not expecting Mitsuhide to speak so eloquently. She stifled a giggle, a smile on her face.

"I assure you sir, I am quite above my grade level. In fact, next term I shall be joining my siblings in high school. I'm a prodigy child you see, way ahead of my classmates. I think Futaba will make a perfect subject for my thesis, but in order to understand her behaviors, I must know about how she got that way. Do you know any details in particular?" he asked. The man sighed, a frown on his face.

"Not exactly...she clammed up as soon as it happened. I do recall her saying something...about these men in black, coming to tell her something, in front of her family. Poor kid, everyone just shunned her, treated her like garbage...and that uncle of hers...I took custody of her, because I know it was what her mother Wakaba would have wanted." he replied.

"Hmm...that does show some insight...now then, is her mother Wakaba Isshiki? I recall her doing research on Cognitive Psience, in fact one of her dossiers is online, explaining about a possible other world that rests side by side with ours. It all has to do with how our cognition perceives things."

"Something like that is on the internet? Well, it doesn't surprise me...she might've released some information...to make it public. That way, people like that prosecutor couldn't destroy it or hide it. She could be bullheaded when she wanted to be. Still to think someone so young would be interested in Cognitive Psience of all things."

"Trust me Boss, this one keeps surprising me on a daily basis. It's always something new with her, she's already written three college level thesis's about her views on cognition, which she's planning to submit to a prestigious university." Takumi said, earning a flush from the ravenette.

"Big brother! Don't talk about that stuff, it's supposed to be a secret!" she cried, sounding a lot more childish than normal. Kanami let out a giggle, leaning forward on the counter.

"It's like an eternal struggle between the adult you and kid you...I find it really adorable. Still, I don't get any of this Cognitive Psience stuff...I wish you luck on your studies, trust me kid...if you can score a degree in it, you're set for life. I'm content with being a glamour cow for my fans." she said.

"Yes...then creepy fans can follow you home when they want a picture of your udders." Takumi said, causing the brunette to go wide eyed. She rolled up her sleeve, about to jump over the counter when an elderly couple walked into the shop.

"Evening Boss, hope you aren't closed yet...we just came back from visiting our grandchildren and wanted some of your famous curry for dinner."

"Not at all, grab yourselves a seat, I'll make your usual." Sojiro happily replied.

"Well, thanks for the conversation Boss, it was quite enlightening. As I said before, if Futaba needs someone to talk too...just contact my brother. I'm not certified, but at least you'll save hundreds." Mitsuhide said, giving the man a bow, pulling her brother along.

"Huh...did you know your sister was that smart?" Sojiro asked, earning a shrug from Kanami.

"I never noticed...I don't really spend as much time as I'd like with them. Actually, it wasn't until Takumi came back to Japan that I started hanging out with them again." she said. She shook her head, turning to the elderly couple.

"What kind of coffee would you like? I'm still in training, but I can make you a badass cup of Joe if you'd like." she said, a happy smile on her face.

"So...did you satiate your thirst for information?" Morgana asked, once Mitsuhide and Takumi had returned, the little girl gave him a nod.

"Indeed, it turns out the woman that I am a fan of, is the mother of Futaba. Now I see the motive, it seems the government is up to some dirty tricks. Maternity Neurosis was just a lie, in order to break Futaba's mind, so she wouldn't ask why her mother lost her mind. The truth is this, she was killed for her research."

"Killed? Isn't that a little excessive?" Makoto asked, earning a quirked brow from the little girl.

"A theory perhaps...when was the first recorded case of a Psychotic Breakdown?"

"Um...the first one was that bus driver, he ended up killing a bunch of people...that was two years ago." Ryuji replied.

"Yes...ironically enough, Wakaba Issiki's death happened to be three and a half months after that initial breakdown. There had been one reported case, a trucker losing control of his vehicle. He was a man that had connections to the government, an Ex-Agent, who was also doing research on Cognitive Psience as a hobby. He was an associate of Wakaba Isshiki." Mitsuhide said, holding her phone up at the Thieves, all of them seeing the news article she had pulled up.

"So someone is using the Metaverse as a way to eliminate people...could this be that black mask Kaneshiro and Madarame alluded too?" Ren asked.

"We can't be certain...however, what we do know is that Futaba Sakura and Ryoutaro Shimizu's palaces are ready. The infiltration routes are secure, but without getting Futaba's permission, we're stuck dead in the water. We need to talk her into opening her bedroom door to us." Morgana said firmly, jumping onto the table.

"Takumi, I think you're the only one who'll be able to do this...you relate with her more than any of us here. You've lost your mother young to a car accident. Not to mention she likes video games and anime just like you...do you think you could coax her into opening her door?" Makoto asked. The boy blinked a few times, glancing at the table.

"I...I mean...maybe. I'm not sure okay...she's a really troubled girl, I'm not sure if I can actually get her to open the door. But I'll try, I need her help to stop Shimizu anyway." he said.

"I've already written her calling card...I figured we could kill two birds with one stone. We get her to open the door and deliver the card at the same time. So it'll be up to you, got it man?" Ryuji said.

"Yeah, I got it...just as long as you help me with my calling card...let's just say this one is more suited for film than card. However, I have already emailed my design to Yusuke, if he can handle it that is." he said, earning a chuckle from the artist.

"Hmm hmm hmm...of course I can handle it. I made two thousand cards before yes? I can definitely handle this one. However, placing them all will be dangerous...this is a film festival after all, there will be people there, as well as police officers." he said.

"Don't worry about that...Toni has been teaching me parkour, might as well put it to good use. Besides, this card will be delivered at night, and we're hopping into the palace right after. I'm just glad this festival is being held in Akihabara, it makes it so much easier on me. We've all got our tasks, it's all up to the boss man now." he said, clapping Ren's shoulder. He glanced at the gathered Thieves, a smirk on his face.

"We leave at dawn."

"Ugh...dawn? Can't it be like a little later than that?" Rise whined, earning a frown from the boy.

"Alright fine...we leave at ten."

"Ten? Come on man...who gets up at ten in the summer?" Ryuji said, earning a growl from the teen.

"Fine, we'll leave at the crack of two thirty...Jesus, I'm gonna have to set my alarm for this one."

"Wait...Rise what are you doing that you can't go at dawn?" Yukiko asked, earning a flush from the idol.

"I promised some kids from the local hospital I would read them a story. They're terminally ill, so I wanted to make them happy...I've already prepared the CDs, autographs and everything beforehand. I know this is important, but since the infiltration route was secured, I figured we could be a little lenient with the time. I don't know what Ryuji's excuse is though." she said, glancing at the blond, who just sighed.

"There's a marathon of Tokyo Ghoul that I don't wanna miss, it's on at eight tonight and ends at five am."

"Ryuji! You're a Phantom Thief, you have to prioritize that over anime...sheesh, what a rookie."

"Ah...shut up you damn cat."

"Whatever, it's time for us to break for the night...we shall meet here at 2:30, no excuses. I understand if Yukiko-san and Rise-san cannot be here, but no one else should have an excuse." Makoto said firmly.

"I've already agreed to help out as much as I can, so I can't bail on you now. Besides, my boyfriend is looking for colleges in the city, and he asked me to accompany him here. I can use the time in the morning to prep my gear...thanks for allowing me to be a part of this group." Yukiko said, bowing politely to the teenagers.

"It's no problem Yukiko...be safe getting home." Ren said, earning a smile from the young woman, who followed Rise out of the attic.

"Well...I guess it's time for all of us to hit the trail then...I'm gonna make sure my gear is ready. Make sure we got enough medicine for this, we might need it." Ryuji said.

"Indeed...we'll need only the best stuff, only you can procure that for us Ren." Makoto added, earning a nod from the boy.

"You know, I never understood how medicine works in the Metaverse. Here, they look like pills, which is understandable. But in that other world, they work like potions...how is that possible?" Takumi asked.

"I believe it has to do with cognition...perhaps the palace rulers don't view them as actual pills, but restorative items. Just like we can use fake guns as real ones...or conjure teleportation circles with ease. Don't think too much about it." Morgana explained. Ann stood up from her seat, stretching her arms above her head, causing the feline to glance at her breasts, his tail wagging back and forth.

"Finally, I was waiting for this meeting to end...what do you think Takumi, chocolate or vanilla?"

"Huh? What are you asking me for?" he asked, clearly confused. She puffed her cheeks, hands on her hips.

"For the cake remember? You said we'd get cake after we finished the infiltration...are you telling me you're gonna leave me hanging?" she asked. He sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I did make you a promise...how about cheese cake? I haven't had any in awhile, strawberry swirl is my favorite." he said.

"Okay, that works. I haven't had any cheese cake in god long...well, we'll see you tomorrow." the blonde model said, grabbing her purse and phone, shoving the latter into the former. Mitsuhide followed along, giving the others a wave.

"Huh...when you messaged me saying those two were dating, I didn't believe you." Ryuji said.

"What can I say, they have chemistry...I think for Ann it was love at first sight...she was always looking at him whenever we were together." Ren said.

"It is odd, but fitting as well."

"I agree with Makoto...young love blossoming between two teenagers...ah that is the most magnificent kind of love. Do you think they'd allow me to sketch them while out on a date? I still believe passion needs to be my next art piece." Yusuke said.

"Remember what happened out on the lake? That couple turned out to be siblings. They didn't like being sketched either, do you actually think Takumi and Ann would like that?" Ren said, earning a frown from the artist.

"Whoa what...you two were out on a lake sketching random people?" Ryuji asked, arms crossed over his chest.

"Yeah, and it was awkward as hell." Morgana added, stretching his body out, before sitting down on his haunches, licking his paw.

"That's...not creepy at all." Makoto added.

"You misunderstand, in order for an artist to find the correct subject, one must search for the perfect models. It just turned out those two were family, but our friends...they have the love I search for...I'm gonna ask Takumi next time I see him...I'm sure he'll agree."

"Yeah...sure, just as long as you don't draw them mid coitus, that would be gross and fucking weird." Ryuji said, shoving his manga in his bag, turning to leave.

"Thanks for the image Ryuji, now I'm gonna think about it all damn night."

"You're welcome Miss Prez." he said jokingly, earning a chilling glare from the girl, that made him trip down the stairs in fear.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday August 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Sojiro Sakura's House(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Send out the Calling Cards**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi once again found himself in front of Futaba Sakura's bedroom door. It had been a couple of days since the last time he had been here, the last time he had been there, was by himself. Now, the rest of the Phantom Thieves were with him. All of them were giving him expecting looks, after all he was the one who was going to do the talking. He knew Futaba was in her room, he could hear the keys of her computer as she typed. He knew that without her help, he wouldn't be able to get back at Shimizu, but he also felt bad, like the only reason he was doing this was to get something from her. Technically they were, since Medjed was still a threat, just the previous night, a company's information had been leaked by them. He knew what was at stake, and he wouldn't forgive himself if he didn't do this. He rose a single hand up to the door, pausing before he knocked.

"Dude, come on...we've been waiting for five minutes, either you knock your let Makoto do it." Ryuji said, earning a glare from the boy.

"Would you hold your goddamn horses? Can't you see we're dealing with a mentally scarred girl here? Jesus, we have to be careful with what we say, or we're fucked. So let me think, and keep your damn mouth shut." he hissed angrily, causing the blond track star to clam up. Ann put a hand on his shoulder, which was enough to calm him down. He steeled his nerves, knocking on the door.

"Futaba Sakura, this is the meme police, open the door right now. I have reason to believe you've stolen stolen memes in your possession and I have come to get them back."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"She likes memes, shut up. Anyway, in all seriousness...listen, we came to steal your heart okay? But in order to do that you have to open the door. Come on Futaba, I know it's hard...but you have to do it." he said, placing a hand on the door. It was silent on the other side of the door, even the typing had ceased, making him frown.

"Futaba please listen to us...I know it's hard, facing everything head on is the only solution. We're going to help you no matter what, but you can't expect us to help you, if you don't help yourself. Help us, help you...open the door." Makoto said firmly. Takumi's phone buzzed loudly, and he reached into his pocket, pulling it out.

 **Alibaba:** _Why are you here?_

 **Alibaba:** _Are you seriously here to steal my heart?_

"Yes...we're here to do just that...but we can't do it with this door between us. Listen, we've been inside your heart...my friends here say that the path to your treasure is sealed by a door. A door that only you can open...in order for us to take it we need you to let us in."

" _Can I have some time to think about it?"_ Futaba's muffled voice cried, sounding rather shy.

"Ten seconds." Makoto replied, causing her to scream.

" _Gah...that's to little time! Come on, give me a few minutes at least... I gotta mentally prepare myself...I need to hide my underwear!"_

"You can worry about that later...come on Futaba, I'm giving you five minutes...or else I'm kicking this door in." Takumi said firmly.

" _Mwehehe! My door is an out door, so you can't kick it in."_

"You little shit, just open the door!" Ryuji cried, grabbing the door handle, rattling it loudly. Ren grabbed a hold of his wrist, pulling his hand free from the handle.

"That isn't gonna get us nowhere...let's just give her time." he said, earning a groan from the boy.

So, they waited...hoping that Futaba would open the door. A minute passed, and that turned into two, and then five, and then ten. Finally, after twenty minutes of waiting, the Phantom Thieves were getting a bit impatient. Takumi grabbed a hold of Ann's purse and opened it, reaching for the drill he had brought with him, putting one of the bits into it.

"Alright, twenty minutes is long enough. If you don't open this door right now, I'm gonna drill the lock." he said, turning the drill on for emphasis.

" _It's not enough time!"_

"Futaba Sakura for the last time, just open the..." the actor paused as the door slowly creaked open. They all shared a look, not having expected the girl to actually open it. He shrugged, grabbing the door handle.

"Well then...we're coming in." he said, entering the room.

His jaw dropped, not just from all of the electronics that he could see, but also because of all of the trash bags that had been piled up inside the room. It was clear that this had been at least months worth of trash. Aside from that, the room looked rather normal, he noticed the same curtains that Mitsuhide had in her room were hung up at the windows, effectively blocking any incoming sunlight. There were some anime figurines on some shelves at the far left side of the room, next to a very beefed up looking computer. He noticed several Ethernet cords taped down on the hard wood floor and the wall, along with some long HDMI cords, which were attached to four television sets mounted to the wall. He glanced around the room, it was small, it was cozy...and it was safe, so why did she think of it as a tomb. He was about to ask her that when he noticed she wasn't in the room. He walked over to the window, but saw that it was locked tight.

"Okay...either she has the cloak of invisibility, has an escape route, is as nimble as a damn hobbit, or she's hiding."

"I vote for the cloak of invisibility!" Haru said, earning a glare from the boy. She giggled dryly, shivering a bit from how cold the room was.

"Look at these books...Medical Science, Information Technology, Psychology, all of these are technical books."

"Hmm...she has quite the extensive selection...perhaps she will be a worthy candidate after all." Mitsuhide said, scanning the books Futaba kept on her shelf.

"I can't believe she keeps herself cooped up in this room all the time...it's so sad." Ann said.

"I was like this after my mom passed away...I didn't want anyone to see me. I didn't care that my father was concerned, I didn't care that I had to eat, or bathe...I just wanted to be left alone...I wanted to see my mom again. The only thing I had left of her was her nightgown...and that fucker...he took it from me...that's why...that's why we have to help Futaba. I can't let her stay like this forever...I feel like shit...because I prioritized Shimizu's palace over hers. I didn't know it was this bad."

"Takumi it's alright...we know how you feel...we had no choice, but we are here now, we can still save her." Ren said, placing a hand on his shoulder, earning a nod from the boy.

"Where's Futaba? I don't see her anywhere...she isn't hiding under the bed is she?" Yusuke asked.

"I doubt she can fit in there...the only other place here is in closet." Haru said, pointing to the wooden doors on the very left of the room. They all sighed.

"So, she'll shut herself away to the bitter end hm?"

"It doesn't matter if the bedroom door is opened. If she's still hiding, we won't be able to do anything. I bet you a fence or something formed in front of the treasure." Morgana noted.

"T-this makes no sense! Explain yourselves!"

"Whoa, she talked!" Ryuji said, turning to face the closet doors.

"We needed to change your cognition. Unless you do, we can't steal your heart." Makoto said. Yusuke stepped forward, a pensive look on his face.

"I doubt she'd understand, even if we explained it to her..."

"So basically, my cognition is being a hindrance, keeping you from reaching the core of my cognitive world?"

"She understood that?"

"Don't underestimate her capabilities Ann...she is the daughter of Wakaba Isshiki, meaning she must have seen some of that research. It would make sense if she could understand what we are speaking about." Mitsuhide noted, arms crossed over her chest. She shivered a bit, wishing she had brought her sweater with her.

"Hey...why did you name yourself Alibaba? If you wanted our help why didn't you just ask us?" Ryuji asked, making a valid point. The girl mumbled something, earning confused looks from everyone.

"What was that? We couldn't hear you."

"Because I was embarrassed!"

"I think I get it, it's hard to ask for help sometimes...I should know that better than anyone at this point." Ann replied, rubbing her arm in embarrassment. Takumi took a hold of her hand, giving her a reassuring smile.

"So...did you know about the cognitive world because of your mother? Because she was researching Cognitive Psience?" Makoto asked.

"Science with a PSI at the front, less science more supernatural, that's super important."

"I suppose that answers our question...but only a part of it. What was your mother doing Futaba? Was she researching this for the government? What do the men in black represent to you? Why do you wish to die?"

"Hey kid, mine toning it down with those questions? She's been through some heavy shit in the past. I doubt she'll answer that." Ryuji said, earning a sigh from Mitsuhide who just continued staring at the door.

"I have a question for you...I wasn't there for most of the exploration, but I did read the notes. Futaba-chan...did you really kill your mother? Wasn't it just an accident?"

"Ann, maybe you shouldn't..." Takumi said softly. She shook her head, pulling her hand from his grasp, getting closer to the closet doors.

"Is maternity neurosis the true cause of her death? We want to hear it from your own mouth...just tell us."

"My...mom was...I was the one...nngn.."

"Hmm...perhaps the distortion in her heart has caused her memories to distort as well." Makoto said, placing a hand under her chin.

"This reminds me of a game...Kingdom Hearts...one of the games had the main characters memories changed and distorted. But now matter what his memories were turned to, no matter if they were deleted, the true memories were recorded in his heart. It could be, that the memories she has, are fake...distortions created by those fucked up adults in black that you saw in those drawings. That lead to the memories in her heart to warp and distort, which is why her heart is giving us all trouble...the true cause of her palace." Takumi said firmly.

"Wow...that's some deep shit, that I didn't understand...mind explaining it for me?" Ryuji asked, looking at Mitsuhide.

"Excuse me? I'm sorry but I'm not here to dumb things down for you...if you'd like more information, you'll have to wait until my preliminary analysis is complete. The correlation of fake memories and her distorted heart is quite accurate...I commend you big brother, I believe you deserve a cookie for your efforts."

"A cookie, why would I want a...chocolate chip or oatmeal?"

"Chocolate chip of course." the little girl said, reaching into her fanny pack for one of the cookies she had been saving. He smiled, giving her a pat on the head as he accepted the cookie.

"Would you focus? We're onto something here, I think what Takumi said has some validity to it. I've seen how distorted Shimizu's heart is, and that is just by his lust and avarice alone...but here we have something else. It might be...that paper that those men in black were reading, was a suicide note...one that had lies written on it that fed to Futaba's current dilemma." Haru pointed out, earning a hum from Mitsuhide.

"I'm...I'm so sorry Futaba-chan...a lot happened so...sorry." Ann said, bowing her head. The girl was still not coming out, further distressing the Phantom Thieves.

"This isn't working...I don't think she's gonna come out." Morgana said. Takumi glanced around the room, smirking a bit.

"You know Futaba...you have a nice collection of games...since you can't come out of the closet. That means you won't be able to stop me from taking them."

"Huh? You wouldn't dare do that to me Firewire...I thought we were friends!"

"Oh we are...but you are being stubborn...so I'll...what the fuck...you have Blazblue Central Fiction with the collectors edition? Are you serious, do you know how long I've been looking for this? You have two of them what the...okay...I guess I let my inner nerd out there. So yeah, I'll be taking that with me." he said, reaching for the box.

"No! The unopened one is for my collection! You can't take anything from this room...or I'll...I'll!"

"You'll what? You're too busy hiding in that closet...look at this, Neir Automata Steelbook, that would look amazing in my collection as well...and you...are you shitting me? You have the Final Fantasy 13-2 Ps3? Those are fucking expensive...and you have the Final Fantasy 14 collectors edition? Tales of Xllia 2 complete...oh my god..."

"Um Ann...I think your boyfriend is broken." Ryuji said, earning a glare from the blonde model. Takumi straightened up, an jealous look on his face.

"Okay...I'll admit, you have a more decent collection than me. Well, I guess for a few minutes, I'll be taking all of this with me. If you want it back, you'll have to come get it at my house. I live in Shibuya by the way, and I'll...no way...you have the discontinued Golden PS4...look at this thing, it's fucking beautiful...screw the collectors editions, I'm taking this home with me!" he cried. The closet door suddenly opened, causing him to whirl around. The orange haired girl jumped at him, fist raised toward his fist. He caught her hand with ease, a smirk on his face.

"Gotcha."

"Eh...you t-tricked me!"

"Sure...I wasn't kidding about that PS4 though, I'll give you a million yen for it, no joke." he said.

"Absolutely not, it isn't for sale!" she exclaimed, pulling her hand free from his grasp. She glanced around the room, instantly clamming up. She glanced at the floor, hair covering her eyes.

"Um...well, I'm out...go ahead, steal it." she said softly.

"Oh...we don't steal your heart right here...we just needed to make you open that door. Sorry about letting Takumi say all of that, but it was necessary to change your cognition." Makoto explained.

"I...I see...so...what now?"

"Well...do you not know how the cognitive world functions?" Mitsuhide asked, causing the girl to look up. She blinked a few times.

"I've never seen crimson eyes before...ah...no I...I don't know."

"Hmm...so it seems she's aware of the cognitive world, but doesn't know how a change of heart occurs." Morgana said, pressing a paw to his chin, his eyes firmly trained on Futaba.

"How much do you know of the cognitive world?"

"I know that it's a world that exists next to this one...but I don't know how to get there. Can you get there? You said you saw my heart earlier."

"We can...we use a smart phone app to dive into your palace. It's like a dungeon that has to be explored and slowly unlocked. That way we can get to the bowels of your heart, where your most sacred treasure lies." Takumi explained, earning an odd look from the girl.

"You use a smart phone app to get there? How does it work?"

"Well...you have to find the key words...usually it's a name, a place and a distortion. In this case, it would be Futaba Sakura, Sojiro Sakura's House, and your distortion, what you see this place as." Ryuji said, deliberately leaving the last word out.

"Interesting...still why didn't you just tell me that in the first place?"

"We did, you didn't want to open the door! Regardless, we achieved our mission here, now the door has been opened and we can get our Thieving on." Haru added, a small smile on her face. The glint in her eye was enough to make Takumi nervous.

"Um...can you take me with you?" Futaba asked, glancing up at the teenagers.

"We must apologize...in order to safely traverse in that realm, one requires spirit armor. Taking you with us wouldn't just be a hindrance, but it will also slow us down. We also do not know what ramifications bringing the real palace ruler within their own palace could bring. It could cause that world to collapse, squishing us all flat as a pancake, destroying our very existence and..."

"Mitsu! Enough, you're gonna scare the piss outta her!" Takumi hissed, causing the ravenette to sigh.

"My apologies...I didn't mean to frighten you."

"I-it's alright...I'll just leave it to you...still, I can't believe you're taking someone my age with you. I thought you were all adults." Futaba said, glancing at the others.

"Your age? How old are you?" Ann asked curiously.

"Fifteen...and a half."

"Oh...Mitsuhide is actually nine years old...she's just tall for her age." Takumi said.

"Eh...but she's just as tall as me! How is she only nine?"

"It seems my eloquent manner is speech lead you to believe I was older...hmm...perhaps I can use that to my advantage. Regardless, we have acquired the necessary information. Let us go, Rise and Yukiko are waiting outside and they must be getting antsy." she said, taking the lead, the others were slowly filing out of the room with Ryuji stopping.

"Oh yeah...we still have to give her this...think you can handle it Takumi? I know you wanted to speak with her real quick." he said, handing him the card.

"Yeah...I'll handle it, just wait outside." he replied, glancing at the card. Ryuji bumped fists with the boy, before leaving the room, the only one that remained being Morgana.

"You...wanted to talk to me?" Futaba asked shyly, glancing away from the boy. He gave her a nod, kneeling down to her eye level.

"Listen...your palace isn't the only one we're dealing with right now. We have to take care of another sick and evil man, Ryoutaro Shimizu. I need you to help me with the calling card, it's going to be a video. I've already recorded my voice, I need you to put the video together for me, putting all of those articles that you find in it, along with my voice. You did an excellent job with killing his computer, but this is what's going to allow us to change his heart. Do you think you can do it?" he asked.

"Easy...you are changing my heart after all...I'll take care of it right now, it'll keep my distracted from this stuff. I'll email it to you once it's done, it'll take me fifteen minutes tops." she replied. He smiled, handing her the crimson flash drive, which had the emblem of the Phantom Thieves printed onto it.

"Thanks...once this is all over, we can hang out. I'm sure we'll be the best of friends...oh yeah, one last thing. Wait until I'm gone to read this okay? It'll be the trigger that'll allow us to change your heart." he said, handing her the calling card Ryuji had written.

"A calling card?"

"Yup, we'll save you...no one deserves to die...this isn't your tomb, it never was." he replied, finally taking his leave. She waited until he was entirely out of the house before reading it.

"Dame Futaba Sakura, you have committed a great sin of drowning in sloth. You blame yourself for a death that you did not cause, and lock yourself away from the world. Though your sin has been confessed, we shall still steal your distorted desires without fail. From the Phantom Thieves of Hearts..."

Morgana, who was hiding under her bed, looked up in time to see the girl's Shadow Self standing in the center of the room. He smirked inwardly, knowing the plan had worked. He jumped up onto her bed, giving the girl a nod.

"Good, everything is going smoothly!"

"Wah...kitty, you again?" she cried, watching the feline darting out of her room.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday August 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Futaba Sakura's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Futaba's Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

"If I had known it was going to be hot in here, I would have come in beachwear, or at least brought a sunhat." Rise muttered, fanning herself. Like Yukiko, she was wearing her Yasogami High uniform, an article of clothing that she cherished a lot, though she was wearing the summer outfit. Yukiko had decided to wear a sleeveless red cardigan over her tank top, but even she was having trouble with the heart.

"It is quite impressive to be seeing a pyramid though...a Movie Theater Temple, and a Pyramid...these palaces sure are impressive." Yukiko admitted, wiping the small beads of sweat that had started to form.

"I can sense the palace's security has risen...my furs are standing on end...her cognition definitely changed...so let's fulfill our end of the bargain and take her heart." Mona said, earning eager nods from his fellow Thieves. Joker lead them toward the pyramid entrance, a firm look on his face.

"I'm so glad we're finally doing this...I've been carrying this thing with me most of the morning now. I've been dying to show you the new rifle I picked up last night." Songbird said, kneeling down placing his guitar case on the ground.

"You bought a new rifle? Wait, what happened to your old one?" Skull asked.

"Shouji's Shadow broke it when we were fighting. I wasn't able to fix it since it was snapped clean in half. My Vortex Viper had a cracked ocular lens, so I had to get a whole new set up. Panther saw it last night, but I've been eager to show all of you...I'm sure you're gonna like it." he said, flicking the case open. Grabbing the guitar, he pulled the false bottom away, pulling out the rifle that was hiding within. He snapped the barrel into place, placing the bolt into it as well.

It was a sleek black rifle, being 49 inches in length, the barrel itself was 24 inches. It had an adjustable stock that was black in color with a stockpad to help with the recoil. It had a round angled bolt, which was extended back leaving the chamber completely cleared. It had a long rail at the top, which had a large scope attached to it. The bottom had a folded bipod on it, the barrel's tip had small slits on either side which would help with the gasses that built up within the barrel. He had a nylon strap attached to it as well for easy carrying purposes. He stood up, holding it out to his friends.

"Whoa...what the hell is that? It's a fuckin beast!" Skull cried, eyes widening in surprise.

"I must say, this rifle is quite the dangerous looking piece...it fits you." Fox said, earning a smile from the young actor.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you my new partner, her name is Viper. Yes, I had her name carved into the steel. Since you want the technical stuff, I'll clue you in on it. This is a Savage BA 110 Stealth, chambered in .338 Lapua. It doesn't have the pistol grip lower I wanted, but it has an adjustable trigger which I can adjust to my needs, currently it's set to ten pounds per pull. The magazine box normally holds 5 rounds, but the seller gave me some 10 round magazines if I got him some information from some bum in Shibuya." he said, a grin on his face.

"Yeah...that wasn't a fun time for me and Duchess, we had to wait at the diner for until you were done. I was so scared something was gonna happen." Panther said, a worried look on her face.

"I know, and I did apologize to you...remember, I bought you that new extended magazine you wanted. Anyway, the scope I have attached to it is a Vortex Viper HSLR with a sun-shield. This scope is the beast of scopes, geared toward mid to long range shooting. This allows me to shoot targets at a thousand meters out by easily adjusting the dials. I can adjust elevation, windage and even the size of the reticle. I also selected the Mil-dot reticle since I'm used to that type. That's my basic set up, no silencer this time sadly." he said, placing the box magazine into the reliever, pushing it until it clicked.

"I didn't know you had so much knowledge on firearms Songbird...I'm impressed."

"Actually Rise, don't be that impressed...he walked into the store and after being grilled by the guy for bringing a nine year old with him. He proceeded to point to the biggest model gun on display asking to buy it. He didn't know what the hell this was until he explained it to him."

"Aw come on babe, why'd you have to tell them that?! I wanted to look badass, now you just cramped my style." the boy said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder, earning a grin from the girl.

"Sorry, you know I'm an honest person."

"Bullshit! You totally lied to that guy when you asked about that magazine, you said you didn't know how to load it. Just so he could show you all of the other calibers of blanks he had! You used your boobs to get a discount!" Songbird cried.

"Yeah, I did, or else you would have payed five million for that rifle and an extra two million for the ammo and box magazines. You should be thankful." the girl teased, earning a glare from the boy.

"Guys, we should focus on stealing the treasure." Queen said firmly.

"Alright then, Futaba needs to have her change of heart...she's been suffering for far too long. So, let's go take it...and kill her demons for her." Songbird replied, flicking the safety off his rifle. Earning a nod from Joker, he retook his role as the scout, leading his friends into the the tomb, and toward her treasure.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_


	38. Steal the Treasure II: Futaba Sakura

**A/N:**

 **Hello and welcome to chapter 38! Now ten, before we start, I'd like to explain some things. First off, the Skill Riot Gun, in my story, Riot Gun will have a different effect, it will increase gun skills. As you probably know, Riot Gun originally is a skill that does massive Gun damage to all foes. But in my story it is nothing more than a firearm buff. The actual Riot Gun has been renamed Orbital Cannon, but I haven't used it yet. The name was suggested to my by RosyMiranto18.**

 **Another thing I have decided to do revolves around the Confidants. At the end of this chapter you will see the entire roster, From the Fool Arcana down to the Adjustment Arcana. I have decided to add all of them in so you all see the full roster, but the missing ones will remain with the ? until Takumi meets them in the story. Also, I will briefly explain the Adjustment Arcana.**

 **It is an arcana that combines the Magician and the Priestess arcana, and is given the number 8 in the tarot deck, it is actually from the Thoth Deck. It is also known as the Justice Arcana in the normal tarot deck. However for this story, the person that will represent this arcana will be split between moral senses of Justice, let's just say she will struggle between The Justice of the Government, the Justice of the Phantom Thieves and her own Personal Justice.**

 **The Adjustment Arcana represents Will for knowledge, harmony between reality and instinct and objectiveness, clarity, perspective, and personal truth. These will be the traits represented by this Confidant which will be introduced in the next arc of the story. In the original deck, it is the 8th card in the deck, but for the sake of keeping it simple, I have made it the 22nd Arcana. I might change it later on so it is the Twenth, and comes after the Sun but before Judgment.**

 **Yes, the reason I have done this is because I grew sick of writing the name, the trump and the rank of every new confidant so I figured I would make it easier for myself if I wrote all of them beforehand and just plugged the name and rank when they were added in while also being able to change the ranks of those who leveled up during that chapter. It just makes it easier in my opinion. In the next few chapters, the Heirophant, the Wheel of Fortune, the Tower, the Temperance and the Adjustment Arcanas will be added to the roster, so look forward to seeing those confidants. They will be the only ones who will rank up whenever Takumi makes an effort to go see them, since everyone else is part of the Phantom Thieves or is family and will level up regardless. Everyone gets to see their story through the game and I will expand on those, but it's the original confidants that will shine a bit more in this story. Yeah, it might be a dick move but whatever.**

 **If you have any questions, feel free to ask me but I am not going to share names or anything because those would be story spoilers, though I'm sure you all understand how Arcana's work and what their meanings are. If not, then check out a site called BiddyTarot, this is actually where I get most information on the Major Arcana, also known as the Fools Journey, if you didn't know. It's a good way to learn the meanings behind all of the arcana and what traits are tied to which arcana, along with the Zodiac signs. If you wish to know, the Adjustment Arcana falls under Libra. The Tower actually doesn't have a zodiac sign attached to it, as far as I know. But yeah, it's always interesting to learn new stuff about this. So without further ado, here's chapter 38, I hope you all enjoy it!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 38

Steal the Treasure II:

Futaba Sakura

 _ **Date: Tuesday August 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Futaba's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Futaba's Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

The stairs leading up to the treasure looked oddly intimidating. The feeling that Songbird was getting reminded him of the time he infiltrated Kaneshiro's bank. Everyone was on high alert, any shadow that they ran into wouldn't waste a single moment in tearing them a new one. That was why he bought his new rifle the night before, because he knew that the palace infiltration would be a lot harder once the calling card was sent. Rise and Yukiko looked nervous as well, it was the first time that they were going to steal a treasure, it was most likely different from whatever they were used to. Neither girl had wanted to share their story yet, since they were too busy planning out everything. It would be a much better story afterwards anyway.

They continued walking up the Great Stairs in silence, no one wanting to say anything. Joker was to Songbird's left, ready to pounce anything that dared attack him, while Panther covered his right, holding her SMG in her hands just in case. They finally arrived at the top of the stairs, reaching the door at the very top. It looked exactly like the one that lead to Futaba's room, it even had the caution strip and the keep out sign as well. Before he could even ask, the door started glowing a bright green, disappearing entirely, revealing nothing but a darkened room with pulsing green lights.

"Look, the door opened." Mona said, an eager smile on his face.

"Well...looks like we did well...what do you think is beyond this door?" Skull asked curiously, glancing at Queen.

"I'm not sure, but if you recall, Futaba's shadow said that her mother existed here...we might run into her. So be careful...especially you two, you don't have spirit armor, but your personas should be enough. Rise, think you can scan the next area for us?" the brunette asked, earning a nod from the idol.

"Leave it to me...we should get up there though, it'll make the scan a little easier." She said. Songbird walked into the room first, followed by Joker and Panther, slowly everyone piled in, the room glowing a bright green color. Ever so slowly, the lift started moving up.

"You know...this reminds me a lot of one of my favorite games. When the time comes, everyone piles in an elevator, and they head to the class trial court room. Where they have to find the one among them who murdered their classmate. It gives me a bad case of anxiety." Songbird said.

"Oh, you play Danganronpa? What a surprise...I didn't think you'd be into murder mystery games." Skull said, earning a surprised look from the boy.

"Dude are you for real? I totally love that series, Junko Enoshima might just be the best villain I have seen in a game in awhile. I mean, driving an entire class into despair by spearing their class rep, totally brutal, not to mention everything in the game is just top notch."

"I bet neither of you got past the entire game without using your concentration bullets." Panther said, a smirk on her face. Both boys turned to face her, giving her surprised looks.

"You play Danganronpa?"

"Mhmm...Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is my favorite one, the whole Remnants of Despair thing was the best part of the series."

"Not that this conversation isn't riveting, but we should focus. You can talk about your game later." Queen said, getting groans from the three teenagers.

"Buzz kill." Skull muttered. A glare from the brunette was enough to shut him up for awhile. It didn't take long to arrive at the top of the Pyramid, they walked off the lift, seeing a lengthy path leading up to another winding set of stairs, that lead even higher into the pyramid.

"Jeez, how big is this place?"

"Remember, this was built to hold the mummy of the Pharaoh. I'm not sure if it's perfectly to size, but knowing Futaba, she must be at least aware of the actual size of the Pyramids at Giza. This is perfectly to ratio after all." Fox said, glancing around the room, most likely taking in all the scenery. Rise summoned Kanzeon, scanning the entirety of the room they were in.

"It seems this is the last room, there's a lot of branching paths all of them being occupied by shadows. They're very powerful and on high alert as well. It seems if we take the very left path, the winding stairs will take us to the summit."

"Left path it is, by your leave Songbird." Joker said. The young actor grinned as he walked forward, tipping his hat back. He uncapped his rifle's scope, slowly walking up the stairs.

He found a fallen pillar on the path that they were going to take. It stretched at least six hundred meters until the next winding stairwell. There were two powerful looking shadows walking back and forth, their glowing red eyes scanning up and down the path. The boy opened his bipod, placing Viper on the fallen pillar. He peered through the scope, quickly lining up the shot.

"Cover your ears." he said, glancing back at his friends. Panther was quick to follow his advice, giving him a nod.

"Um...why should we?"

"The gunshot is enough to blow your ears out, or at least cause you to lose your hearing. My brother is wearing special ear plugs, he can hear our conversation but he's also protected from this shot. With this model of rifle, the target will be neutralized before they even hear the gunshot." Duchess said.

"That is quite the gun."

"You haven't seen anything yet Fox, seriously, cover your years...I don't you to go deaf." he said.

The Phantom Thieves did as he asked, earning a thumbs up from the boy. He turned back to the shadows, which were still walking around aimlessly, he took a deep breath squeezing the trigger. The muzzle flared as the crackle of the gunshot echoed through the tomb. The first shadow burst into smoke before it even knew what hit it. The second one took notice, but was quickly taken care of. Songbird stood up, letting out the breath he had been holding, ejecting the spent shell casing which echoed as it bounced off the ground.

"Holy shit! I heard that even with my ears covered!" Skull said.

"Which is why I told you to cover your ears. At close range like that, a gunshot from this rifle could blow your ears out. Come on, it's gonna be a little harder up ahead without a place to put my rifle down. But I can deal with a bit of recoil. Thankfully, the muzzle spreads out that recoil making it that much less of a burden on me. Let's go." he said, walking around the pillar. He started jogging toward the next stairwell, followed by the others.

Songbird wasn't bothered much by the change in firearm. Sure, the Savage was a bit heavier than his Super Mach, but this one was a legitimate sniper rifle. The other was an assault rifle converted to serve as a sniper rifle. But now that he had Viper with him, he felt like his role as the scout was much more defined. He couldn't wait to start messing around with the extra parts he bought for it. He had gotten another barrel for the gun, chambered in .308 for more close range shooting, but he doubted he would ever need it. Not to mention he needed to fix his accuracy with his side arm first. He paused behind a pillar, exchanging the spent magazine. The downsize to having changed firearms, was that he had less rounds in the magazine, and the palace was crawling with shadows. Kaneshiro's palace had been a straight shot, down the elevator straight into the second elevator, but Futaba's palace was bigger, wider and that meant more space for shadows to move around.

"You gonna take the shot or what?" Skull said, once the boy had raised his rifle to his shoulder. He sighed, glancing at the blond.

"You wanna fuckin shoot it? Since you're in such a damn hurry?" he asked.

"Sure, I'm game. Hand that puppy over, I'll take a crack at it." he said confidently. He glanced over at Joker who just gave him a shrug, a small devious smirk on his face. Songbird handed his rifle over to the boy, who quickly rose it to his shoulder, peering through the scope. Songbird fixed his posture a bit making sure the stock was firmly against his shoulder.

"Alright, I've zeroed the scope to my sight...can you see it clearly?" he asked.

"Yes, can I take the shot already?" Skull asked impatiently. Songbird sighed, pulling the bolt to ejecting the spent shell casing. He slammed the bolt back into place, patting his shoulder.

"Go for it, it's a stationary target, even Helen Keller could nail this at five hundred feet."

"Okay, that joke was just in poor taste." Queen said, earning a chuckle from the actor.

"Just like her poor eyesight."

"That was a sick burn!" Beauty Thief said, high fiving the boy. Queen sighed, rolling her eyes at their antics. Skull licked his lips as he peered through the scope, pulling the trigger back. He let out a yelp of surprise as the gunshot thundered through the room. Thankfully, the shadow was killed so nothing else was alerted.

"I think I'll be a little patient about getting up there." he said, handing the rifle back to its owner.

"Glad you see things my way Skull." Songbird replied, ejecting the spent shell as he walked forward.

"I want a turn." Rise said, shyly holding her hand up.

"Sorry sis, you'll have to wait until later. I'll let you shoot it, don't worry." the boy said, earning a frown from the idol.

They continued moving upward, this time with little trouble. Any shadow that got close was blown apart by the scout, or taken down with ease by the others. They made it to the final door, pulling it open only to be lead to another lift. They quickly piled in, slowly being taken to the summit of Futaba's Tomb.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Futaba sighed as she finished Takumi's calling card. She had listened to the audio several times and she had to admit, the script he had written was brilliant. How he had delivered it and barely contained his rage, emphasizing all of his hatred with eloquently chosen words while speaking the ghastly horrors the man had committed, it was amazing. She was sure it was going to piss the man off, and allow them to steal his heart. She had easily masked his voice, with so many different programs that it would take too long to actually trace it. Not to mention she put a self destruct timer on it. Once the video was played once, it would self delete upon completion. It made it almost like a spy receiving a message from HQ, which self terminated to ensure no one could see it. Just thinking about it's delivery made her shudder, she wanted to see it in action.

Since she was finished, she sent it to his email, along with detailed instructions on how to retrieve it without ruining the file. She still had the hard copy if he messed up, which he was going to give to him the next time she saw him. She glanced away from her computer, seeing her phone not that far from her hand. Reaching for it, she unlocked it with her thumb staring at the opened Meta-Nav that had appeared not that long ago. She saw the three search bars on it, as well as the option for vocal input.

"Hmm...a name...a p-place...and a distortion...that's all it takes huh...alright...guess I'll try it. F-Futaba Sakura...Sojiro Sakura's house.." she paused, seeing the loading bar spinning around.

" _Candidate Found."_

"It really does work...a distortion...distortion...what is...oh no...please, not again." she cried, clutching her head.

" _You're a monster!"_

" _You killed her!"  
_

 _"Say something!"_

" _It's all your fault!"_

"Gah! I please, just leave me alone!" the young girl cried, bursting out of her room, only to see the darkness of the hallway around her. She clutched her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"That's right...when Takumi came here...he asked me what I thought of this place...I said this was my tomb." she muttered, clutching her phone. Another wave of voices hit her, and she clutched her head hard, falling to her knees.

"Please...I just...stop!"

" _Palace has been located, beginning navigation..."_

"Huh?"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"This is it?" Skull said, glancing around the pyramid summit, seeing it was dark, being illuminated by the green scanner codes on the ground. A few streaks of sunlight from where the blocks met up was peeking through, but the entirety of the room was almost pitch black.

"We're you expecting glittering jewels or gold bars?" Fox asked.

"Well not really...I was expecting a Sarcophagus...since Futaba's shadow is the ruler, wouldn't she need one of those? They're made with gold and other previous metals after all."

"Holy fucking shit...did Skull actually learn about Ancient Egypt?" Songbird asked, eyes wide as he replaced his spent magazine. He heard a growl from the blond track star, who just glanced away from him.

"He's right though, I don't see anything like that here." Queen added, glancing around the chamber.

"There's that though...right in the center of the room, that might be the sarcophagus...or at least where it's kept." Panther said, pointing to the metallic box in the center of the chamber.

"The treasure must be inside...hmm, we never got an insight on what it could be. You said for Kamoshida it had been an Olympic medal, and for Madarame, it had been the real Sayuri. Kaneshiro's was a golden briefcase...and Shimizu's is a Holy Grail. Is there anything that Futaba would value enough for it to be a treasure?" Duchess asked curiously.

"We barely know her, so there isn't anything compound...maybe her computer? I mean she is a hacker. Maybe she values that computer because it's her only link to the world...and memes." Mona said.

"Definitely the memes...ah man, I saw some zesty ones earlier. Guy Fieri slathers a bullet in barbecue sauce and loads it into his gun and then places it in his mouth. "One last trip" he whispers, "To Flavor Town" and then he pulls the trigger." Songbird said, earning a laugh from Yukiko who clutched her sides, almost falling to the floor.

"Come on Songbird, you know how hard it is to get her out of her laughing fits!" Rise snapped, the boy just brushed the invisible dust from his shoulders, high fiving Joker.

"Whatever, let's hurry up and take it." Skull said, walking toward the center of the room.

"Be careful." Fox said with worry, only for the blond to brush it off.

"T-treasure!"

"Hey, the cat's going crazy, look at his eyes."

"Don't worry Rise, that always happens." Panther reassured, earning a nod from the girl. As soon as Skull placed his hand on the tablet that kept the metal box closed, an ear splitting shriek echoed through the chamber, the entire place shoot, causing everyone to look around.

"The fuck was that?" Songbird cried.

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is...it's power is through the roof. I don't usually get anxious, only when Kanzeon senses something super strong!" Rise said.

"Brace yourselves, we might not be fighting an average shadow." Yukiko warned, pulling her fan from her pocket. Suddenly, the chamber started to shake, as it took a blow from an outside force, punching a hole straight through the blocks. A glowing beam of sunlight flooded the darkened chamber, partially blinding the Thieves. They all watched with curiosity, only for a piercing golden eye to peer into the hole. It let out another shriek, causing them all to block their ears.

" _ **Fuuuutttaaaabaaaa!"**_

"Is it a shadow...? That can't be!"

"If it's not a shadow then what is it?" Fox cried out, bracing for impact. The giant creature slammed its giant paws into the pyramid, ripping the top of it clean off, sending large limestone blocks in all directions.

"It isn't a shadow! It's a cognition! It's a cognition that Futaba's mind created!" Mona called out, eyes wide as saucers. The creature let out another ear piercing scream, batting its large wings as hard as it could. Songbird knelt down, stabbing his bayonet into the ground, his hand firmly wrapped around Duchess's wrist to prevent her from flying away.

"Hey look out!" Skull cried, just as a large part of a pillar broke. Queen remained still, unable to move as the large object came flying at her. Thankfully, Joker was able to tackle her out of the way, saving her from certain death.

"Here it comes!"

The giant creature slammed its heavy paw into the top of the pyramid, knocking everyone off their feet. The Phantom Thieves were stunned by this one attack, unable to withstand the shock waves. The creature bat its wings, gaining some distance from the pyramid, though it was still circling it, like a vulture circling its prey.

" _ **Do not approach the Pharaoh's Tomb! Misfortune will rain upon you!"**_

"Look at it fly about, there's no way we can get physical with it. There's no other option, we're gonna have to combine our guns and skills to bring it down." Mona said firmly, clutching his scimitar tightly in his paw.

"Then allow us to support you. We shall manage your health and defenses, you all focus on bringing it down. Do not waste use your magic recklessly however, there is no way to replenish stamina with magic. Rise, are you prepared?" Duchess asked, once she had regained her bearings. The idol nodded, backing away from the center of the chamber.

"I'll scan for it's weaknesses, it's the only real thing I can do." the idol said, having summoned Kanzeon to battle. Duchess placed a hand on her mask, pulling it off as she summoned her own persona.

"Lady Loveless, aid us in our endeavor! Matarukaja, Marakukaja, Masukukaja!" she chanted, instantly, everyone's Attack, Defense and Agility rose exponentially. The little girl grit her teeth in pain, an after effect from using so many spells at once.

Songbird quickly moved toward one of the fallen limestone blocks. He placed his rifle on top of it, pulling out the pod from the stock. Thankfully the block was long enough for him to lay down on, but not long enough for him to fully rest on it. It didn't matter to him just as long as he had the perfect place to snipe. The giant Sphinx, as he had mentally named it, was flying around in circles making it hard to get a good shot. His friends were already using every spell they could muster, timing them with perfectly aimed gunshots, but at their range, they weren't gonna do anything.

"Joker, can you keep it in the middle? I only need four seconds!" he called out, shifting his barrel a bit.

"I can try, Persona Change: Lilith!" he chanted, summoning a new persona. This was of an almost bare naked woman, with tattoos on her arms and thighs, a large boa constrictor was wrapped around her body, she had a smirk on her face as she turned to face the Sphinx.

"Mabufudyne!" the frizzy haired lad changed, placing his hand over his mask. The snake like woman let out a hiss, forming a large ball of ice in her hands before launching it forward, striking the Sphinx on the side. It let out an angry cry of pain, having slowed down from the attack.

"Hope you like the taste of tracers, asshole." Songbird cried out, pulling the trigger of his rifle. Small bits of dust were kicked up from the recoil as the bullet flew forward, striking the Sphinx in the base of the left wing. It let out a screech, rising up into the air, paw aimed at them.

"It's coming in hot, everyone guard up!" Rise cried out, causing everyone to brace themselves. Even though they did, the impact was strong enough to knock almost everyone off their feet.

"That didn't hurt at all." Skull said, picking himself off the ground. He pulled out his shotgun, pulling the trigger only for it to click loudly.

"I gotta reload, someone cover me!"

"I got you, don't worry. Sumeo-Okami, Agidyne!" Yukiko cried, summoning her persona into the battle. Panther followed suit with Carmen, standing beside the ravenette.

"Go Carmen, Agidyne!"

"Aid them with Psiodyne, Milady!" Beauty Thief cried, following their attack with one of her own. The swirling mass of rainbow psychokinetic magic melded with the twin fireballs, causing it to explode in the Sphinx's face. It let out another angry growl, spreading its wings to their full span before shooting into the air.

"Where did it go? I can't even see it anymore!" Mona cried, panting a bit from the stamina he had spent. Songbird got off the limestone block, holding his rifle straight up into the air, peering through the scope. His teeth were grit, sweat pouring down his face from the heat.

"I can't...I can't see it! It must have gone further than a thousand meters, an attack from that high up would kill us!"

"Rise, do you think you can find it and tell us when it's coming down?" Yukiko asked. The idol nodded, placing a hand on her visor, Kanzeon looked straight into the sky, the satellite like appendages glowing brightly as it scanned the skies above.

"I can't find it, it's out of range...if only Kanzeon hadn't devolved, I could easily find it. I'm so useless!"

"Hey don't say that! Remember what could happen if you keep calling yourself weak, Kanzeon could rebel against you. That's the last thing we need happening to you. You can at least tell us when it's coming in right?" Queen asked.

"I can try that...for now just brace yourselves for impact." she said.

"Joker, I believe we should focus on healing and increasing our strength. If we want to survive through this attack, we have to prepare." Duchess said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Persona Change: Kikuri-Hime, Mediarama."

"Lady Loveless, let us focus on support...we shall pour every ounce of strength into our attacks." the young girl said, earning a nod from her other self, who was ready to follow her summoner's commands.

Songbird sighed as he summoned the Phantom, he didn't have many healing spells, but he did have the skill Heat Riser, which would increase three of their stats at once. The downside, it could only be cast on one person at a time due to the strength of the spell. With Duchess's support spells being active, Heat Riser would double the length of the effects, at least that's what he was hoping for. Suddenly, the otherwise windy area was filled with a shrill alarm causing the Thieves to look around, only to see Kanzeon's satellites moving about, the very tip of them glowing red.

"It's coming down! Quick, brace for it!" Rise cried, causing Yukiko to jump before her, using herself as a shield.

" _ **Die You Brats!"**_

The Sphinx came down on them full force, slamming down on the top of the pyramid, knocking everyone back to the ground. Even with their raised defense, they stood no chance at the attack. Songbird forced himself up to his knees, glaring at the Sphinx who was glaring back at them, raising a single paw into the air. He pulled out his handgun and fired at it, round after around, the creature was still charging up its attack. His gun clicked empty, causing him to reach for a magazine. He saw the Sphinx almost grin as it moved to attack. Songbird's eyes widened when he noticed Panther was directly in the path of the attack. Even though he couldn't fully stand, he found the strength to pull himself up, sprinting toward the girl.

"Panther, look out!" he cried.

She looked up in time to see the incoming attack but was too late to move. Songbird pushed her out of the way, taking the attack head on. He let out a scream of pain, slamming right into one of the limestone pillars. He dropped to the ground in a heap, completely unconscious from the attack.

"No, Songbird!" she cried, running toward him. She slid to a stop beside him, shaking him slightly. The boy groaned in pain, but didn't wake. She noticed the cut on the side of his head which was bleeding profusely.

"Big brother?" Duchess muttered, kneeling down next to the boy.

"He's just knocked out, we need to concentrate our healing magic to stop the bleeding. Can you do that?" Panther asked, earning a nod from the little girl, who wiped her tears away.

"There's no way...there's no way to beat this thing." Mona said, dropping down to his knees. Even Joker had a look of helplessness on his face, though he didn't give up, the crackle of his gunshots filling the battle field.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"So...this is the inside of my heart...I didn't think it'd be like this." Futaba muttered, glancing around the chamber.

She had been hoping to run into the Phantom Thieves, but hadn't run into them. She had entered the tomb and after climbing up a very lengthy stairwell, found herself near the top of the pyramid. As she walked, a large holographic monitor appeared before her, showing her a rather peculiar image, a Pharaoh being presented a piece of papyrus by two owl men dressed in suits.

"Huh...?"

"Do you remember?"

Futaba jumped back at the appearance of the shadow. She glanced at her, eyes widening when she saw it was a shadow of herself. She was dressed just like the image on the monitor, like a Pharaoh. She was slowly understanding what was happening now.

"I..."

"Do you remember?" the girl asked again, earning a nod from Futaba.

"This is the day...those men in black showed me the suicide note. Right after mom died."

"That's correct, look at the next one." Shadow Futaba said, calling forth a second image, one of a woman jumping in front of a car.

"The day my mom killed herself...we just went for a walk...and she just...jumped in front of that car."

"That's correct, now look at the last one."

One final monitor dropped down before the orange haired girl. She glanced at it, almost at the verge of tears. She remembered that day now, the day she had asked her mother to go out as a family. She remembered, clutching her shirt tightly, not wanting her to leave.

"No...I can't."

"Don't run...I thought you made up your mind when you asked the Phantom Thieves for help."

"Fine...I'll look...it's me complaining. My mom was so busy with her work, that I felt ignored. She scolded me for bothering her." Futaba said, bowing her head in shame.

"Yes."

"I knew it...I really did kill her...I killed mom. I was a bad daughter, I weighed her down, prevented her from completing her research. She hated me for it, it's just like I remember!" she cried, earning a frown from the shadow.

"Are you sure?" the shadow asked, earning a confused look from the girl.

"What do you mean?"

"Remember, do not avert your eyes...when did this happen?"

"Um...just a little before mom died. I whined about going on a family trip, she scolded me and said no." she replied.

"Was that all she said?"

"No...she said, I'm too busy right now. I need to finish my cognitive research as soon as possible."

"And what did you do?" the shadow asked, causing the girl to look away, clutching her arm in embarrassment.

"I threw a tantrum. Told her she thought her research was more important than me. That's when she scolded me."

"What did she say afterwards...? There was more"

"She said...she said...I'm almost done with my research, once I am we can go on that family trip. We can go where ever you like, I'm sorry I've left you alone Futaba. Please try to understand though, this research is important, I must complete it, even if it costs me my life."

"Did she hate you?" Shadow Futaba asked, causing the girl to look away.

"No...she didn't." Futaba replied. The monitor in front of her glowed brilliantly, showing the smile that was on the woman's face. She gasped, covering her mouth.

"She smiled...she was smiling...gah...my head...which is true?!" the girl cried, falling to her knees from the intense headache. The shadow spread its arms, jumping into the air.

"Your memory is." she said softly before she disappeared.

" _ **Fuuuttttaaabaaa!"**_

"Huh? It's calling me?" the girl muttered, rising to her feet. She noticed the stairs not far from where she stood, and started sprinting toward them. She didn't normally run that hard, but the sheer adrenaline was driving her forward. It was time she faced her demons, not hid from them. Now that the truth was clear, she wasn't going to hold herself back.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Gah...we ain't doing shit to it!" Skull cried, pushing himself upright.

"Even my...sniper rounds, aren't penetrating the skin." Songbird said, clutching his head in pain. Thanks to Panther and Duchess, he had been healed from the previous hit, but his head still hurt. The blonde model lay beside him, having taken one of the heavy attacks for him.

"I hate to say it, but we might have to retreat, better safe then sorry." Yukiko said, holding Rise upright after the attack she had taken.

"We can't just leave, we only get once chance at this or we won't be able to change her heart. We have to keep fighting, even if we die! We have to change her heart!" Songbird cried, hoisting his rifle to his shoulder. He pulled the trigger hard, the last round he had chambered in sailing forward striking the Sphinx in the shoulder. That only seemed to aggravate it even more.

"Huh...Futaba? What are you doing here?" Beauty Thief cried out, causing everyone to glance behind them, were the orange haired girl had appeared.

"You came into your own cognitive world?" Queen asked, disbelief written on her face.

"I did, I got curious...sorry." she muttered.  
"Oh no...this is bad...if a person comes into their own palace..." Mona begun, only to be cut off by the increased distortions. A suit wearing man appeared before the girl, causing her to shy back.

" _You're a monster!"_

"Ah!"

" _Say something you murderer!"_

" _It was you that killed her!"_

The girl dropped to her knees, clutching her head in pain. Queen and Beauty Thief were quickly at her side, checking her over for injury. The Sphinx let out a shrill cry as it approached the pyramid, glaring at the young girl.

" _ **That's right...it was you...you killed meeeee!"**_ the creature screeched loudly. Fox's eyes widened in shock, his grip on his katana tightening.

"Don't tell me...that creature is her mother?"

"Futaba's guilt and desires must have distorted her memories of her. The wish that she was still alive is mixed in there as well. Along with those eerie jeers." Mona explained, a frown on his face as he looked between the girl and the Sphinx.

" _ **You are nothing but a demon who stood in my way! I wish you had never been born! That way, I could have announced my results on time, without having to worry about you! I poured my heart and soul into that report, it would have been the discovery of the century!"**_

"What does she mean by that?" Queen asked curiously.

"Could she be talking about Cognitive Psience? She was researching this after all." Duchess added, bowing her head in thought.

" _ **You're going to die! There is no meaning to your life! No one needs you!"**_

"No one cares about me." Futaba muttered, clutching her head in pain as another distortion appeared before her, holding a sheet of paper in his hands.

" _I should have never had Futaba, she was nothing but a bother. It seems you caused your mother a great deal of trouble, Futaba-chan. She must have had some kind of maternity neurosis."_

"Hey! None of it is real Futaba, don't listen to any of it! It was all fake bullshit created by those motherfuckers! They took advantage of your mother, wanted her research for themselves, and then she was eliminated! Do you think your mother could hate you? Do you think she's really the one who write that bullshit? That's all it is! Stand up on your own two feet and fight! Fight it, fight it with all of your strength, and when you can't stand up anymore, then let your friends help you! We're all here for you, open the door and step out of the shadows! Only you can do it!" Songbird shouted, causing the girl to look up, tears streaking down her cheeks.

"It's her shadow." Mona said, pointing to the shadow that had appeared before the girl. Queen and Beauty Thief backed away slightly, not knowing what it was going to do. She knelt before the girl, placing a hand on her cheek, giving her a smile.

"Remember." she said softly, causing the girl to shake.

"I...I..."

"You got in the way of her research...you're the reason she committed suicide. Do you know now? That it was a lie? What made you think it was a suicide?" the shadow asked, earning a sigh from the girl.

"Because of the note..."

"Exactly, and who wrote that note? Was it the mother that birthed and raised you? Was the mother that scolded you, and promised to take you on a family trip, the same woman who would complain about your existence?"

"No...those men in black...they just read that note and didn't stop. Every complaint just weakened me...until I just couldn't take it."

"Indeed, the shock and pain made you avert your eyes. But now, it is time to wake up from this foul nightmare. The suicide note was not real, she would never have said those horrible things to you." the shadow said, causing the girl to finally stand up, her fists balled tightly.

"You're right! She scolded me when I threw tantrums, but she cared for me. She never once hit me, she never once yelled at me, she never once told me she hated me. She always showed her kindness and love to me. That suicide was just a farce created as some sort of sick vengeance on an innocent child!"

"That's right...they forged her suicide note and used it against you. They trampled over your young heart! Never forgive them, it's time to break the chains of rebellion that hold you back, pull the mask off your face. Now is the time to get back at those rotten adults, the same ones who destroyed your heart!"

The girl clutched her head in pain, grabbing a handful of her hair. This time, it was much stronger than before, as if someone had plunged a knife right into her brain. She let out a scream, her eyes glowing a brilliant yellow, as her shadow slowly disappeared, flowing back into her body.

" _What denies you is an illusion...a curse put upon you by the heartless. You knew from the very beginning...and yet, you cowered in fear."_

"Ugh...that's right, I knew it all this time...it was all fake, the note, her suicide...I was a coward. I'm not gonna let others voices lead me astray, I'm going to use my own eyes to find what is truth from lies. I'm not going to hide, I'm going to take back everything those rotten adults to from me. I'm not going to stop until they all pay for what they did!" she shouted. A pair of glowing goggles appeared around her eyes, blue flames erupting from around them, with a single hand, she ripped them clean off her face.

Her shadow appeared from within her, being swallowed by the flames of rebellion that had come from the young girl. Everyone watched in awe as a glowing saucer like object appeared above her, casting a shadow over the makeshift battlefield. Long arms came down from the center, wrapping around Futaba's arms and legs.

"Whoa...what is this?"

"Great, as if Cthulhu with penis tentacles wasn't enough." Songbird muttered dryly. The girl was lifted from the ground, the glowing green light disappearing once she was inside the ship.

" _Contract...I am thou, thou art I...the forbidden wisdom has been revealed...no mysteries, no illusions shall deceive you any longer!"_

"Necronomicon...allow me to assist my friends, that monster has to go! Are you all ready?" Futaba cried, earning a smirk from Joker, who nodded to the rest of the Thieves.

"Let's kill this monster!" he said.

"Hehe...you read my fuckin mind man. Phantom of the Opera, Riot Gun!" Songbird shouted, ripping his mask off his face. The large man appeared with a chuckle drawing his flintlock from his pocket, aiming it at the sky. He pulled the trigger, a rain of light showering around all of his allies.

"What...what skill is this?" Panther asked.

"I'm not sure...but the Phantom told me that he had just received it...I guess my little peptalk to Futaba made my heart just a little stronger." he said, giving her a wink.

"It seems our gun skills have increased in power...we'll be able to do more damage now." Rise cried out, holding onto Kanzeon's visor. She felt something wrapping around her wrist and glanced at it, seeing a holographic chain leading back to Futaba's Persona.

"Don't worry, Necronomicon sensed your Personas scouting abilities, she'll get a boost straight from me. This is my cognition right? It's time to take down this monster!" she cried, hovering to the back of the field. Several ones and zeroes swirled around it, only for a giant ballista to appear there.

"Is that a ballista?" Mona cried, surprised at it's appearance.

"Shoot it down with this, when you do beat the crap out of it!" the orange haired girl cried.

"Allow me, the scout should be able to snipe something from that far. Duchess you keep the support spells up, once it's down you all need to beat the fuck out of it. Kill it with fire and nuke it just to be safe!" the boy cried, running toward the giant crossbow.

"At this rate we might have to." Queen muttered, trying to ignore the fact that she was the one with the nuclear persona.

Songbird glanced around the ballista for a few moments, before finding the operation crank. He started cranking it as fast as he could, getting the entire thing to move toward the center of it. It was moving slower than he would like, but that was something he couldn't help. The fizzling spells and gunshots served only to urge him on.

"It's going to attack, brace yourselves!" Rise called out, crossing her arms before herself. The others did the same, just as the Sphinx slammed its paws down on the top of the pyramid.

"Is everyone alright?" Joker called out after the creature had retreated.

"We're fine, thanks for those buffs Duchess, we would have been knocked out by that!" Panther cried out, earning a blush from the girl. Yukiko stepped forward, using her magic to heal their injuries.

"How are we doing back there man?" Skull called out.

"I almost got it, get it to come toward us." Songbird cried, adjusting the vertical alignment of the ballista.

They continued attacking the Sphinx, launching all of the minor spells they could. They were trying to bring its attention to them, and were quickly running out of bullets. The ploy worked, causing the creature to fly straight toward them. Songbird chuckled, grabbing a hold of the lever.

"Yippee ki yay, motherfucker!" he cried, pulling the lever back so hard it almost snapped. The arrow shot out with such force that he was knocked off his feet. He arrow sailed forward, slamming into the Sphinx's side a loud screech erupted from its mouth as it slammed into the pyramid, it's claws digging into the ground.

"All-Out-Attack!" Joker cried out, causing the Phantom Thieves to jump back.

Everyone took turns attacking the giant creature. Joker and Fox timed their slashes backing away in time for Skull to slam his club right on one of its wounds. Panther flicked her whip back and forth giving all of the lashes she could muster, followed by Beauty Thief's powerful axe swing. They all backed away, just in time for Songbird to kneel before his target, lining up his shot.

"You're a disease, and I'm the cure." he said, pulling the trigger. The gases of the bullet escaped through the muzzle break, kicking up some of the dust and dirt that had gathered around the field. The Sphinx let out a scream of pain, but resisted the shot, earning a growl from the teen.

"That was a pretty badass line, but try to save it for when we actually kill it." Skull said, earning a glare from the boy, who slowly stood up.

"Trust me, we're not that far off. Phantom of the Opera, Megidola!" he chanted, snapping his fingers. The Phantom appeared before the young actor forming a large ball of violet light in his hands. They burst into thick beams striking the creature right in the face.

"Follow his lead, here's a bit of Moral Support!" Futaba cried, increasing all of their abilities to max.

"Lady Loveless, Debilitate!"

" _ **AAAHHH! Fuuuutttaaaabaaaa!"**_

"It's on it's last legs! A few more attacks should do it!" Rise cried out, urging the Phantom Thieves on.

"Ladies." Joker said, gesturing for the girls to attack first. Panther and Yukiko high fived, standing back to back holding their hands outward.

"Sumeo-Okami!"

"Carmen!"

"Agidyne!"

"Go Johanna, Freila!"

"Milady, Psiodyne!"

All of the spells were launched forward, blending into a giant ball of magic that struck the Sphinx right in the face. The resulting explosion was enough to make them all cover their eyes. It screamed in agony as its skin and fur was set ablaze, its bloodied claws buried into the ground, charred wings flapping weakly in a vain attempt to get away from its attackers.

"Let's Go Captain! Ziodyne!"

"Goemon, Bufudyne!"

"Duchess, let's do a joint attack!" Mona cried, earning a nod from the ravenette, both of them taking off their masks.

"Zorro!"

"Lady Loveless!"

"Garudyne!"

" _ **Fuuuutttaaaabaaaa! If only I had never birthed you! YOU KILLED ME!"**_ the creature screeched, trying to reach up to the saucer where the orange haired girl was safely locked away.

"No...I didn't kill you...I'm sorry I let you become a monster in this world. I'm sorry, but this isn't you...do it Joker." the girl replied, earning a nod from the frizzy haired young man, who rose his Desert Eagle.

"Long Live the King." the boy said, pulling the trigger, the bullet struck the Sphinx dead in the forehead, killing it instantly. The body fell back, striking the sides of the pyramid until it hit the ground, disappearing in a wave of dark smoke and sand.

"Are you fucking shitting me?" Songbird cried, turning to face Joker who just looked at him, shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were the superior actor here. Surely you would have had the better one liner..."

"Man fuck you!"

"Whoa, are you alright Futaba?" Queen asked, causing everyone to turn around. The young girl had appeared in the center of the pyramid, wearing a black and green body suit, along with a pair of goggles on her face. She stood up, glancing at her gloved hands.

"What in the world am I wearing?"

"Spirit armor...that's what your rebellious heart created to protect you." Mona replied, causing her to look at him.

"Kitty? What are you doing here?"

"He's our friend Mona...we'll explain everything later. Still, you awoke to a badass persona...are you alright? I know it could be a little tiring." Songbird said, looking concerned for the girl. She gave him a grin.

"I'm perfectly fine...but there's something I've been meaning to give you." she said.

"Huh? Give me? It isn't the calling card I asked you for is it?" he asked.

"Nope...it's this." she said, upper cutting his stomach, causing the boy to fall to his knees. He gasped in pain, slamming his fist onto the ground.

"The...fuck...?"

"That's for calling my memes trash asshole."

"Oh my god...you held...a grudge...? But I...apologized." he wheezed. The girl brushed the invisible dust from her hands, a smirk on her face.

"Mwhehehe! I only hold a grudge when my memes are called trash. Now you know not to mess with me."

" _Futaba."_

The girl whirled around at the sound of her name, eyes widening a bit as she saw an image of her mother standing before her. Everyone prepared to fight, only for Joker to hold his hand out, remaining silent, but ready.

"Mom."

" _Thank you...for choosing to remember the real me."_

"I'm sorry Mom...I didn't mean to turn you into a monster." she said, taking a step toward her.

" _Don't come closer...this isn't where you are supposed to be, is it?"_

"But mom...I finally got to see you again." the girl replied, earning a smile from the woman.

" _Are you being selfish again?"_

"No...I love you mom, I miss you...and your hugs."

" _I miss you too Futaba...keep me close in your heart, where your memories of me shall never be tainted. You've become such a beautiful young woman...don't let yourself be blinded by lies...and tell Sojiro to stop smoking, it's bad for his health."_

"Hehe...okay, I'll give him the message...goodbye mom." Futaba said softly, watching the woman slowly fade away. She felt someone pat her head and glanced up seeing the smile on Songbird's face.

"Don't worry kiddo, she's looking down on you and smiling now. You got your wish, your finally free of your burden."

"Mhmm...thanks to all of you. As I said before, I will fulfill my promise and take care of Medjed. I'll be going home now...I know how to use the Nav now...so um...see you later." the orange haired girl said.

"Wait...Futaba." Queen cried, reaching a hand toward the girl, only for Joker to stop her.

"Leave her be, she needs time alone to think. Her change of heart must be conflicting her emotions...let's not forget she awoke to a persona as well." he replied.

"Hmm...that girl marches to the beat of her own drum, doesn't she?" Fox asked, earning a smirk from Skull.

"Like you're one to talk."

"I must say...that was stronger than anything I have ever faced in the past. The cognitive world sure is different from the Midnight Channel." Yukiko said, glancing at the claw marks where the Cognitive Wakaba had clung to the building.

"Tell me about it...who knew a cognition could be just as strong, if not stronger than a shadow?" Rise added.

"The Midnight Channel? Wait, you mean that rumor about meeting your soulmate on TV at midnight on rainy days?" Panther asked, earning a nod from the idol.

"Oh right, we haven't told you the story yet have we? I guess we could tell you about it now if you'd like?" Yukiko said.

"Hey, what about the treasure?" Duchess called out, causing everyone to look at her.

"Oh yeah, Songbird, Panther wanna give me a hand?" Skull asked, running toward the metal case. The couple shared a look before going to his aid, helping him lift the heavy cover off of the case. He looked inside, but didn't find anything.

"The hell...it's empty?" Panther muttered.

"Then what happened to the treasure?" Queen asked, only for the entire building to shake. A loud rumble echoed from deep below them, causing them all to look down.

"Ah...I get it, Futaba's Shadow was the treasure, and she became Futaba's Persona, making her the treasure by proxy...and now that she's gone..." Mona said.

"Fuck...this place is gonna collapse! We gotta get outta here!" Skull cried. Everyone moved toward the stairs, only to see they were blocked by debris.

"Uh...anyone got a parachute?" Songbird asked, a hopeful look on his face. The pyramid rumbled again, the pillars all around them breaking apart.

"There's no time, we're gonna have to run for it!"

"There's no where to fuckin run, genius!" Skull cried, glaring at Fox. Joker sighed taking the lead as he jumped over the edge of the pyramid. Songbird followed suit, slinging his rifle over his shoulder as he followed the leader, running down each block as if it was a stairwell.

"Running in the 90s is the new way I like to be!

I'm just Running in the 90s, come on baby run to me!"

"Shut up!" Duchess cried loudly.

"Oh god, running here sucks!"

"It's catching up to us!" Fox cried, glancing briefly over his shoulder.

"Mona! Hurry up and turn into a car!" Panther cried.

"I'm trying, I can't...I!"

Their feline companion couldn't get enough footing to transform...he was suddenly lifted up by Panther, who threw him into the air with all of her strength. His loud mewls echoed loudly around them as he transformed into his car form, landing hard at the bottom of the pyramid.

"Jump!"

The pyramid started caving in below their feet, causing them all to jump forward. Mona managed to catch all of them just as the last of the pyramid started to break apart. Queen slammed her foot into the gas pedal, swerving too and fro as she tried dodging all of the falling blocks. The pyramid finally disappeared, exploding into a large torrent of sand that cashed like a wave behind them. They all screamed as they reached the end of the cognitive world, being dumped back into reality.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ugh...my head." Takumi muttered, pushing himself up from the ground. He felt something squishy in his grasp, and opened his eyes, seeing his hand was clutching someone's chest, not just anyone, Ann's chest. The girl just looked at him with widened eyes before pulling her fist back, punching him right in the face. He flew back, slamming into the potted plant beside the door to Leblanc.

"FUCK, GODDAMN IT!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do it, it was just a reflex!" Ann cried apologetically, kneeling down next to the boy who was rubbing the new goose egg that had formed on his head.

"What's going on here? What was that crash?" Sojiro cried, having come out of the store, glancing at all of the kids before him.

"That was my head being cracked open by your pot. Don't worry, I'm sure the pot is fine." Takumi sarcastically replied, forcing himself to his feet.

"Hey...where's Futaba?" Ryuji asked, glancing around the area.

"What about Futaba?"

"Oh um..."

"We came all this way, why not grab some coffee right?" Makoto asked, earning curious looks from everyone.

"But I'm not thirsty though." Yusuke replied, only to get elbowed in the ribs by the brunette.

"Come on Yusuke, we traveled here for Boss's delectable coffee right? You even went to the trouble of asking Rise to join you here personally, right?" Takumi asked, causing the blue haired artist to look up at him.

"I...I did, yes...I would like to discuss the subject matter of my next art piece. I was hoping to capture your childlike charm and wonder on canvas. I'll even pay for the coffee."

"Sure...Kanami said the coffee here is great, and I didn't get to try it the last time I was here." the girl replied enthusiastically. Everyone else started walking into the cafe. Takumi was about to follow suit, when Makoto grabbed his hand.

"Let's go check on Futaba." she said softly. He nodded, following her and Ren toward Sojiro's house.

It didn't take long to reach the small house, finding Futaba sitting down on the ground next to her gate. She had a far off look on her face as they approached, which quickly changed to a smile. She stood up, holding her hands behind her back as she glanced at the three.

"I was wondering what was taking so long. Everything went smoothly right? Did you steal the treasure?"

"Um actually, you were the treasure so you stole yourself. As soon as you left, the pyramid collapsed and...well I gotta thank you." Takumi said, earning an odd look from the girl and his friends.

"Thank me...for what?"

"This whole thing with your palace...about finding the truth behind what happened to your mom...it reminded me a lot about my mom. How I was just like you growing up, not understanding her death, and not being able to face it. The only difference is that you were lied too, while I had to learn to accept the truth. Maybe we're not that different, but we're not the same either...you've made me stronger, made me remember all of the wonderful things that I missed about my mom. You were able to face your demons...and you're gonna keep facing them. As long as you let me be your sniper, I'll make sure the path to the truth is clear for you."

"Well...I wasn't expecting to see you get all sentimental but...alright, I'll let you clear the path for me. I actually have something for you, as a thank you gift." she said, walking into her yard. She was gone for about a second before coming back, handing him the Blazblue Collectors Edition he had been looking at before.

"You're giving me this?"

"Mhmm...I can easily get a hold of another one...plus this is my favorite game in the series, and the one where we met. So I hope you're ready, because I'm gonna show you my mad combo skills the next time you are online." she said, earning a grin from the boy.

"Count on it...I'm glad to finally have another otaku I can relate too. My girlfriend plays video games, but she's not well read like I am. Get ready to talk about anime fights, video game characters and memes. If you can't handle me at Palms are Sweaty, then you don't deserve me at Mom's Spaghetti." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Okay, that was a good one."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ _ **Hermit**_ _Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Hermit)xxx**_

"Sorry about saying your memes were trash, that was a lie. I just didn't want to admit defeat and have to file for dankcruptcy."

"I know...you can't defeat a girl who's been memeing for years now." Futaba replied with a grin.

"Are you alright Futaba? You aren't tired are you? I know awakening to a Persona could be very debilitating at times." Makoto asked, causing the girl to look up at her.

"I am a bit tired, but I couple days of sleep and rest will be alright. I don't exercise much, I mean...I've been cooped up here for months. I just...gotta get back out there. It's what mom would want."

"You're a brave girl Futaba...we'll be there with you every step of the way. I'm sure Sojiro is going to be happy to see this turn around." Ren said.

"I know...and I have all of you to thank...do you...think you could help me?" she asked.

"With what?" Takumi asked, concern in his voice.

"Getting back to my room...I'm a little dizzy." she replied. Takumi nodded, handing the box to Makoto. He took the girl into his arms, lifting her off the ground.

"I'll make sure she's has everything...I think we can close this case."

"What about Medjed?" Makoto asked.

"Don't worry...I'll take care of them...once I'm well rested, I'll let you in on my plan. Don't worry, it'll be sick, I promise." she said, giving the two a wave as Takumi took her back into the house.

Once inside, he brought her back into her room, setting her down on her bed. He looked around the room, frowning when he saw all of the piled up trash bags, sheets of news paper and various other boxes.

"This place is a mess."

"Thanks, in all honesty...I've been meaning to clean it out...I've just been scared to go outside." she said, laying back on her bed, grabbing a hold of her bedsheets.

"I can take care of it...all of the trash bags at least. The rest will be up to you, it'll do you good to at least exercise. Oh right...about the calling card?"

"The flash drive is next to my computer. I've emailed the file to you so you can see it yourself. It's self destructive, so once you view it, it will delete itself, don't worry...it can't be traced." Futaba assured, earning a nod from the boy, who grabbed the flash drive from the desk, hooking it to his necklace.

"I wanted you to be there for the delivery...but your too weak right now from that awakening. I'll make sure to have some cameras around to record it, the master should be able to see her handiwork in action."

"Mwehehe! Of course she should...just let me know and I'll give you my phone. Trust me, I've broken my phone in...have you ever played the game Watch Dogs? My phone is like that, but on crack." she replied.

"Well then...it'll be good to have something like that with me. Welcome to the fold Futaba Sakura...we usually host a celebration for the new members. We'll go where ever you want, alright?"

"Okay...I'm gonna sleep now...thanks again Takumi."

"No problem." he said, tucking her in, making sure her glasses were at her night table. He turned around, sighing as he looked at all of the trash. He smiled a bit, nodding to himself.

"Time to get my cleaning on...good thing I brought my Mr. Clean magic eraser with me...mwehehehe!"

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? V The Hierophant(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 1)**_

 _ **? X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIV The Temperance(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **? XVI The Tower(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	39. Steal the Treasure III: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Finally...the long awaited battle against Ryoutaro Shimizu is here! This is a fight that has been long coming, and I assure you it will be a long one. This chapter was originally going to be a single one, but halfway through the fight, I realized I had written 65 pages and I had to split it in half. Worry not, for I am a just and benevolent Dragon, you shall be getting both parts of the fight, but part one shall be given to you now. The second part will be later on today so look forward to it.**

 **Man...even now this fight took a lot out of me when I was writing it. I had to make sure it was a decent fight but also fit the narrative, it was a bit challenging. I will say this, be parepared for a lot of filler stuff for the next few chapters. The plot will most likely move at a snails pace, especially now. I had to take my notebook and write out Takumi's schedule to make sure I rose the confidant ranks of the people that need it the most. The last remaining confidants will start appearing soon enough, but for the next few chapters you'll probably see Takumi hanging out with four or five confidants, while also handling school and stuff. I have also made Mementos missions Late Night events, but this is mostly tied to the Heirophant Arcana, it won't be every night, but this arcana will give Takumi and the Phantom Thieves some Mementos quests that need to be taken care of. Honestly at this point I'm about to get rid of the ranking system for this story because it's becoming a hassle to even handle. Some people have more ranks than others, most rank up whenever their in a large group with Takumi. It makes it that much tougher to write and more annoying. So as long as Takumi hangs out with someone for a set period of time, he's gonna get a rank up. It makes it easier on me.**

 **so...aside from filler, nothing is gonna happen that's story related until the in story date of August 15th, at least I think, I don't remember since I've been writing a lot during these last few days. One major event of this story will be the End of Summer tour that is tied with Toni's arcana, as she is a parkour enthusiest, she will be enteringa Stride competition to prove herself. If you don't know what Stride is, it's basically a relay race with parkour, there's an anime about it, if you are interested. There are many other events, along with the Hawaii trip, and of course the next Palace Infiltration which will start at the in story date of September 30th and will be done on October 10th. So look forward to that.**

 **If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. If not then well, have fun reading this chapter, and the long awaited battle!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 39

Steal the Treasure III:

Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Tuesday August 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Clear (Hot Night)**_

 _ **Objective: Send out Ryoutaro Shimizu's Calling Card**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi sighed as he leaned back in his computer chair. He had just finished watching the calling card Futaba had made for him. He had to admit, he was completely impressed with her level of work, everything looked absolutely amazing. His voice had been so heavily masked that it wouldn't be able to be traced, all of the articles had been included to go along with the script he had written. He knew it was going to be the best calling card to date, not just that, Yusuke was also creating a bit of a movie planner with the names of the victims Shimizu was responsible for either killing, disgracing, attacking, raping and then some. The entire Film Fest was going to be covered head to toe with the Phantom Thieves calling cards, the problem was the delivery.

He was currently looking at a map of Akihabara. The Film Fest was going to be held in front of Jadis and Associates. The building itself sat in the center of a plaza, across the main street of Electric Town. The road lead straight to it, and the street was lined with shops of every size selling electronics, anime goods and various other things. The street was going to be blocked, and the main plaza in front of the building itself was going to be used as an area where the guests would be seated. The streets were going to be blocked and the police was going to be redirecting traffic. Jadis and Associates, or rather the building that it was located out of, was going to be prepared, the front of it was going to be used as a screen of sorts.

Getting to the projector itself was going to be the problem. There was going to be a large structure that was going to be built specifically for this. He didn't know what kind of projector it was, but he knew in order to watch all of the short films they had selected, they needed a laptop. He knew there was going to be some sort of sound system for everyone to hear, and a stage where someone would announce each film. After all, this was going to be a first look at various films that were set to release, including Shimizu's own film. The collapsible building itself was styled like the ones you'd find at a concert, in fact Rise had told him they were already starting to assemble it. That meant all of the electronics and cords were going to be in a place where it would be hidden from view, they wanted it to be visually pleasing after all. That made things difficult.

"What's the matter Takumi? You've been staring at your computer for ages now." the voice of Ann said, pulling him from his thoughts.

After he had finished cleaning Futaba's room, he had gone back to Leblanc. Ren and Makoto had told Sojiro that they had found Futaba outside and had gotten her safely inside. The man had quickly ran out of the shop to check on her, and had let them know that she was most likely going to be sleeping for awhile. Since she didn't exercise much, she would lose all of her energy and sleep for long periods of time, waking only when she was hungry or needed to use the restroom. For now, they had nothing to do but wait for her. She had also told Sojiro to give Takumi her phone, with the pretense that he was going to download some games on it from his computer, though he knew the true purpose behind it.

"I'm fine...just thinking." he said, giving her a smile.

From the floor beside the bed, the light clicking of computer keys could be heard. Mitsuhide was hard at work, compiling all of her notes about the Metaverse and Futaba to create one of her many thesis reports. As soon as they had arrived home, despite being tired, she had said she wanted to write everything down. Takumi had to practically force her to take a bath, having asked Ann for help. In the end both girls had to take a shower together, just to ensure that she actually bathed and not sat around for a few minutes killing time.

"Figuring out how to deliver the calling card huh?" she asked, seeing the map of Akihabara open on his computer. He gave her a nod, turning back to the monitor. She stood up from his bed, glancing at the map he had pulled up.

"I have a general idea...Jadis and Associates is going to be the host of this event. They're going to use the side of the building as a screen...so that means the projector is going to be here. Half way between the building and the area where people will gather. It's also right next to My Own Maid, which will be catering the event, free promotion and such." he said, pointing to the red dot on the map.

"Hmm...so that means they would have to use a laptop, which would be located inside this stage. Getting there will be hard...how are you going to even do that?" she asked curiously.

"That's the thing...once the flash drive is in place, it will take exactly thirty seconds. The beginning of the video is a loud alarm, along with the typical old school countdown before the film starts. The alarm is set for us all to drop the physical cards into the crowd, I planned strategic areas on these buildings to drop them down without being seen." he said, pointing to the blue dots he had placed on the buildings, at either side of the street, where the crowd would sit.

"How will we escape the authorities?" Mitsuhide asked, having appeared next to the boy. He blinked a few times, before glancing back at the map.

"Yukiko and Rise will be waiting on the opposite street to these two buildings. I was planning on having Ren and Makoto handle the drop, both of them are agile enough to get down there quick. They'll drive off normally to the rendezvous point here, Akihabara Station. It's gonna be busy so it's going to be a hub of activity. Our goal is to slip into the crowd and get into the Metaverse. We'll be able to appear in front of the building anyway, so we can teleport straight to the tenth floor." Takumi replied.

"Fair enough...looks like you've gotten everything down pat...it's just getting the card there. The stage is likely to be filled with guards." Ann said, sitting back down on the bed.

"I have an idea...Mitsuhide's going to help us with this one...she is a child no? People will think she's just a kid...so how about we make them think that she's a lost child, looking for her big sis?"

"Using me as bait? I say it is an audacious tactic...no one would be the wiser, allowing you to sneak in undetected. You cannot go without back up, Yusuke and Haru shall accompany you, Ryuji will be on standby with Morgana." she said.

"Why?"

"Ryuji's a loud mouth, he'll get us caught easily." the ravenette replied, grabbing her laptop from the floor, continuing her report from where she had left off. Takumi hit print on the map he had been looking at, and closed the tab he had been using. Once printed, he had started jotting down notes on everything, planning to give it to Makoto.

"We've got two days of planning...what exactly do we need to do?"

"Get more ammunition for one. We wasted nearly all of it on that fucking Sphinx, Jesus Christ. I can't believe someone's mind could create a cognition like that. It means we aren't limited to fighting shadows...well, we should know, since we fought both Kaburagi and Shouji, one of them using Kanami as a means to bait me."

"We must be prepared for anything big brother, that also means you must keep a handle on your emotions. I understand that you get angry, trust me I do as well. But we cannot have you going on a tangent like you did back in Shimizu's Palace. It could be the end of you." Mitsuhide said, earning a frown from the boy. He glanced at his watch, seeing it was already half past seven.

"Ah man...I forgot I had to make dinner. Mom is out of town for a business meeting, and Ayumi and Toni are staying with their Squad for the rest of the week...shit."

"Why not Pizza? It's cheap, really good and you don't have to waste time cooking it!"

"I'm assuming you're joining us then?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a nod from the blonde model.

"Course I am...my guardian is gone for the week and my parents are in New York...so I'm crashing here. Just as a warning, we may be dating now, but that doesn't mean you can grab my chest whenever you want."

"Goddamn it, that was an accident okay? Sheesh, you can't blame me for what happened earlier." the boy said, pushing his chair over to his dresser where his phone and Futaba's phone had been charging.

"I feel like it was entirely on purpose...my battery is about to die. I'm going back to my room to finish this report. Call me whenever the pizza arrives, make sure it doesn't have any green peppers."

"Green peppers are healthy for you sis."

"No! No green peppers, or I swear I'll pull out the baby pictures!" she hissed, earning a defensive look from the boy. She glared at him as she left, her curtain of black hair trailing behind her. Ann giggled, covering her lips with her hand.

"I like how she basically just dominated that conversation...I see a lot of Erica in her."

"Yeah, sometimes it's downright scary. You haven't seen her when she's truly pissed off. Let's just say there's only one person who can corral Ayumi when she's being annoying and it isn't mom." he said, searching his contacts for the number to Dominoes Pizza.

"Well, we can't all like vegetables...sometimes we just gotta eat sweets and drink soda."

"Not everyone can have your metabolism Ann, she's still nine, whether she wants to admit it or not. That means she needs all of the vitamins vegetables can provide. That or I'm gonna force her to take her Flintstones gummies...anyway, what kind of pizza do you want?" he asked, already on the website.

"Huh? Oh right, I'll just have a boneless pizza and a two liter of coke."

"Fuck kinda pizza?" the boy asked, glancing up from his phone screen. Ann gave him a serious look.

"A boneless pizza."

"Pizza doesn't have a bone in it."

"The fuck did I say then?" she asked, earning a sigh from the boy.

"You said, a boneless pizza, like pizza got a damn bone in it." he replied.

"Just don't have them put that shit in my pizza bruh, how many times do I gotta say it?"

"Ann, you're just fucking with me...I'm getting meat lovers, a small cheese for Mitsu, soda and some of those chocolate volcano things." he said, glancing back at his phone.

"Aw...I was kinda hoping you'd get the joke...you know, boneless pizza?" she asked. Takumi glanced up at the girl, his brow quirked in curiosity.

"I have no idea what the hell you are talking about."

"Well...you like memes right? I figured I could learn about them, so we could have something to talk about...you know, since we're...dating." she replied, bowing her head slightly in embarrassment. The boy chuckled, leaning back in his chair.

"You don't have to learn anything Ann, just be yourself...you like video games, fashion and what not. I'm content with talking about that stuff, and sure I'd like for you to learn the fine art of memeing, but it isn't necessary. I like you the way you are." he said. She flushed brightly, covering her face with her hands.

"This is so embarrassing...your my first boyfriend okay? I just don't want to mess this up."

"You aren't...just act confident...that's why you asked for acting lessons right? Speaking of which, I've prepared a bit of a script for the two of us. You wanted me to meet Shiho right? She'd make the perfect audience to gauge how far you've come along. So you'll be performing this for her...are you game?" he asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"Bring it on! I'll be sure to knock her socks off!"

"If you say so, I've gotta do some editing before I print it out...it won't be long, just a single act...so you needn't worry." Takumi said, tapping away at his phone as he continued the order, imputing the numbers of his credit card to confirm the payment.

"Hey...you remember how Yukiko said her persona grew strong because of her love toward her boyfriend?"

"Hmm...? Yes, I remember."

"Do you think...if we keep dating, that one day our love will strengthen our personas like hers?" she asked. The boy stood up from his chair, taking a seat next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist.

"I'm sure our personas will grow if we continue strengthening our bond. I know we just started dating, so let's just take things slowly. We've been through a lot already, but before anything, I want you to know one thing. I don't like you for your looks or because you're sexy...I like you because you are an honest person, you have a bouncy personality and are just a chill person overall. You're sweet, kind, and the very definition of a rose with thorns...so I'm happy to be able to date someone like you." he said.

"Aw, you're so sweet...your the first guy who's actually said something about my personality. Usually, the men I speak too always notice my body or my looks. It's refreshing to hear something like that, honestly I've grown tired of that stuff. I see guys like Ryuji all the time, but I can tell you're different than that. You care about your family and friends, I can tell your have a lot of love to give to everyone that's close to you. You aren't that bad on the eyes either, and let's just say, that commercial you filmed before coming here is one I keep going back too." she replied with a flush, looking away from the boy.

"So? You like seeing me running shirtless down the beach? Well, I guess you'll be seeing that after all of this is over. I managed to get a hold of those rooms, sadly we can't go the entire week as I had planned, but the 23rd through the 26th are still available."

"Isn't the 26th when Shimizu is supposedly going to leak those photos of your sister?" Ann asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yup, though he doesn't have shit now...remember we gave him that flash drive. He killed his own computer so he doesn't have any of those pictures saved up, and after we change his heart, he's gonna turn himself in so it will all be used as evidence. No matter what, his goose is cooked, he has nowhere to run and nowhere to hide. We've got him by the balls, and now, the Phantom Thieves will proceed to crush said nuts." Takumi said, a grin on his face. Ann giggled, leaning against his shoulder, sighing contently.

"You're right...this is gonna be the best kind of punishment for him. He's going to suffer for all of the lives he's taken, all of the lives he's ruined. I hope he gets torn apart by society, and if there are victims he didn't kill...I hope they get the courage to come out and tell their story...so that this man can live in infamy for the rest of his life."

"It's gonna be glorious, everyone around the world is going to burn his films, and we got a front row seat. All we gotta do is decide one thing." Takumi said, causing the girl to look at him.

"What would that be?"

"What kind of popcorn were gonna get, regular or movie theater butter?" he said. She let out a laugh, laying back on his bed, arms behind her head.

"Ah...that was a good joke...movie theater butter is classic though...hey, will you do me a favor?" she asked, earning a curious look from the boy.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Um...kiss me?"

He rolled his eyes, sweeping some hair out of his eyes. He pressed his lips against hers, a cute giggle escaping her lips. She grabbed a hold of his shirt, balling it in her hands virtually holding him in place as she kissed him back.

"Big brother, the pizza's here."

"Yes, finally! I'm starving!" Ann cried, pushing Takumi back tossing him off his bed and onto the floor. She took off out the door, leaving the stunned actor wondering why his girlfriend had done that to him.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday August 3**_ _ **rd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: ?**_

 _ **Time: Late Night**_

 _ **Weather: Clear (Hot Night)**_

 _ **Objective: Send out Ryoutaro Shimizu's calling card**_

 _ **xxx**_

Waking up in the Velvet Room was something Takumi was steadily growing used too. It was an odd feeling for him, as if his soul had left his body, but he was still in a sort of dream. The chain attached to his ankle rattled a bit as he approached the cell door, peering through the bars, being greeted by the smile on Igor's face.

"You have taken down an ever elusive foe, and have gained an ally in the process. A young woman, confused by the lie that had shielded her from the truth, awakened to her true power. This shall certainly help you in your rehabilitation."

"I barely did anything, it was all hard work between me and the rest of my friends. Futaba was a troubled girl...I can relate to her and what she went through...but I wanna know who killed Wakaba Isshiki. It's obvious that it was to destroy her research, do they not want anyone to know about the Metaverse?" he asked curiously, earning a chuckle from the man.

"That is something you are going to have to find out on your own. Now that you have gained another ally, and your elusive enemy shall be taken care of. You must focus on your true quarry, a vile man who has ruined the lives of countless victims."

"That's right Inmate! This guy you are about to face is very powerful, his desires have gone haywire for years. You have to make sure he is brought down, so make sure you use your power adequately, don't embarrass us or our master!" Caroline snapped angrily.

"The power that our master bestowed upon you has yet to flourish, but there have been sparks in your heart. The anger you faced traversing that temple will coalesce into another burst of power. Will you let this man defeat you, or will those coals spark a strong flame of rebellion? I await to see what you do to handle this scenario." Justine said cryptically, earning a nod from the boy.

"Flame of rebellion huh? I guess I'm in for quite the battle...I'll show that man what it means to fuck with me. He isn't getting away with this...not anymore, not after this."

"Hahaha...it seems you have been properly motivated. Trust in yourself and the strength of your bonds, and allow them to turn into a new power. I await your return." Igor said, giving the young man a nod as he faded out of the room.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday August 5**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Electric Town(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Time: Late Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Send out Ryoutaro Shimizu's Calling Card**_

 _ **xxx**_

Ryoutaro Shimizu was not a happy man...in just under a week, he had lost his two closest associates. He had been forced to kill Kaburagi because he was going to turn himself in. Just when he thought he could rely on the son of his closest friend, he turns around on him and said he wanted some time to himself. It was completely unlike the young man, usually he would be ready to act in any of his films. But when he had started hitting one of the extras for his film because she broke an expensive prop, he had told him he wanted to leave. Akihiko Shouji, a man who loved beating people, had refused outright to lay a hand on a woman. It had been the most suspicious thing he had seen from him, so he had to make sure he wouldn't spill the secret. However, when he called his father, Takeshiro, he had said the boy had just been in his room, working on a manuscript of some sort.

He had wanted to retaliate on Kanami and her brother for what they had done. Having escaped his grasp, he still couldn't believe his own incompetence, but he was busy with the film festival. He still needed to save face, he had been working hard on When Idol's Fly, and he needed to show a bit of it at the annual Akihabara Film Festival. The stage had been set, the crowd had slowly gathered, so all he had to continue acting like normal. The film had been finished, despite Kanami's refusal to work, and was in the final stages, but his editors had given the crew a small five minute scene to showcase at the festival.

The plaza in front of the building had been closed off to foot traffic, the streets had been closed off by the police as well. The entire area had been lined with rows upon rows of chairs for all of the guests that had been invited, fellow actors, movie goers and directors alike. At the very back of the venue, was the stage that had been set up to house all of the gear needed to showcase the films, the entire area had been lined with large surround sound speakers for the true cinema experience. He was dressed in his best suit and had his lucky beret, knowing his film was set to be the best of the best. Even then, he couldn't help but fell anxious.

"Director Shimizu, are you alright? You seem a bit tense." a man, one of his fellow directors asked. The man gave him a confident look.

"Of course I am, I am debuting my film for the summer! It's just a shame, because one of my co-stars couldn't be here. The lovely Kanami has front row seats to her own feature film. I assure you, you'll all love what you are about to see!" the man said happily, glancing to the front row, where Kanami Mashita was, nervously sitting along with the other stars of his film.

"I hope so...the festival is about to start, and your film will be starting us off. It's gonna be interesting to see what you have for us this year Director. I wish you the best of luck!" the man said. Shimizu nodded, waving him off...the man sighed, glancing toward the stage where all of the films were going to be presented. The projector was placed next to the microphone for the announcer to control, but everything else was behind a white tarp.

" _Damn...this day should have been one free of anxiety. Shouji, you have let me down, I have no choice but to eliminate you as well. I must apologize to you, Takeshiro, but your son has become a hindrance. It's sad, but Kanami shall have to pay the price as well as her brother and her family. They have stolen my holy grail, and that is unforgivable. Just wait until this festival is over."_

 _ **xxx**_

The sun had started disappearing behind the buildings in Akihabara, thus starting the presentation of the films. The first few minutes would be a speech to the crowd, naming all of the directors and actors that would star in the following films and what not. That was something that Takumi didn't care for. The area had been crawling with Police officers all there for the safety of the people that were there for the film fest. There were hundreds of people gathered there as well, making everything a lot harder than he had expected, but still the plan was set. He was standing next to one of the nearby buildings, trying not to stand out too much. He pulled a green smartphone from his pocket and held it to his ear, a smirk on his face.

"Songbird is in position, Joker, Queen, sound off...over."

" _This is Queen, I'm in position on the East side of the plaza...I've got my payload, come back."_

"Confirmed, Joker sound off."

" _This is Joker, I'm in position on the West side of the plaza. I have to say the afternoon is beautiful. The skies are clear, the people are gonna be entertained, and the smell of despair is soon to be in the air."_ Joker replied, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Fair enough."

" _Songbird this is Fox...the Moon has risen, I repeat, the Moon has risen."_

"Copy that, calling card is enroute...stay on standby, Yukiko, Rise are you ready?"

" _Ready and waiting, good luck Songbird."_

Takumi smirked as he stepped away from the building, clicking a few things on the phone screen. He tapped into the nearby surveillance cameras, which were pointed straight toward the building that was going to be used as a projector screen. He cut through the crowd of people, head bowed as he continued watching the live feeds streaming straight to his phone. He had to thank Futaba for allowing him to borrow her phone. Without it, he wouldn't be able to pull it off. He heard the sounds of crying among the crowd, noticing a security guard walking around the crowd, holding the hand of a raven haired little girl. As Takumi past the two, the girl shared a nod with the boy, before returning to her sobs.

He made it undetected onto the stage, passing by Fox who had been posted near the stairs as a watchman. He made his way through the tent, seeing all of the wires and devices plugged into various power boxes. Just as he had expected, the entire area had been completely empty, he heard the voice of Beauty Thief not far off, as she had been chatting with the one that was set to operate the movies for the festival. He easily found the cart where the laptop had been position, seeing all of the devices plugged into it, including the HDMI port hooked to the projector. He smirked pulling out a pair of white gloves placing them over his hands.

" _Now then, as you all know this is an annual event, where we welcome some films from our famous directors. Last year's festival had been so successful, that we decided to go all out this year. So we have decided to include amateur film as well. Budding directors had submitted their own films for this special event, so that you all can garner in interest in their style of cinematography."_ the MC said, continuing on with his speech. Takumi pushed the stack of DVDs to the side, quickly looking for the one that belonged to Shimizu. He pulled out a Sharpie he had brought with him and turned the disc over, writing the phrase "Take Your Heart" in a fancy script, leaving it face up on the stack of discs. He plugged the Flash Drive to the USB port, quickly loading the file.

" _And now, without further ado, we will begin the festival with a five minute showcase of When Idol's Fly, by my very good friend, Ryoutaro Shimizu! Let's all give him a round of applause!"_ the MC cried, causing the crowd to break into applause.

"Heh...after this one, I doubt you'll be liking him. Eagle one has been delivered, the Songbird is flying the coop. Meet up at the rendezvous location, good luck to you all." the boy said, pressing the play button on the computer, quickly taking his leave.

Everyone in the plaza had grabbed their seats, turning to face the building as the spinning countdown clock had appeared on screen. It suddenly stopped before it reached the one, a loud scratching sound booming through the speakers, followed by a beeping alarm. A distorted laugh boomed through the speakers, unnerving everyone present. They all started muttering, wondering what was happening, when a wave of crimson cards started fluttering down into the crowd, making them all gasp in shock.

" _ **People of Akihabara, fellow movie goers and directors, may I have your attention? I only need a moment of your time. Now that I have caught your attention, it's time for me to explain the truth behind this special little film.**_

 _ **There is something you must know, about what is happening behind the scenes. It seems that one of our good Directors, is hiding a secret."**_

Everyone gasped when news articles started filling the screen, all of them displaying the reports about the people that had been killed. Images of Hana Song, Tsubaki Kasugano and various other victims had slowly started appearing on screen, all of them slowly fading into red, the music slowly starting to face, a small chuckle coming from the speakers. Someone ran to the stage, trying to stop the film from playing, but they were unable to get it to stop.

" _ **Those reports that you all saw, are all one hundred percent true. Nineteen people have been assassinated in cold blood, for the atrocities committed by this man and his lackeys. Hana Song was found murdered in her home in Seoul, South Korea, she was 19 years of age, and was sexually abused by this man. Tsubaki Kasugano, was a young idol with a bright career, and she was sexually abused by this man's assistant, and driven to suicide. A man was hung in Ikebukuro's Destiny Land, on his daughter's 4**_ _ **th**_ _ **Birthday, leading to the closure of the amusement park!**_

 _ **Countless extras and actors have been forced to partake in disgusting sexual fantasies, all of them being put on film by this disgusting retch. His victims no know bounds, the youngest victim in his resume was a young girl that was seven years old. He had killed her mother in front of her and had decided then and there that he would exploit her for his own benefit.**_

 _ **Now you must be asking yourself, who is sick enough to put this on film? Who is sick enough to rape countless children, teenagers and women, for his own messed up desires? Who is fucked up enough, to drive people to suicide, rape a girl and then put a bullet in her skull because she didn't agree to be in his film? And finally, who is sick enough to offer a nine year old girl a role in his next pornographic film with the promise of making billions out of her merchandise?**_

 _ **Well, I'll clue you into who that is...that is of course the Director that's famous for filming everything in only a single month! Sir Ryoutaro Shimizu, patron sinner of Lust and Avarice, you have broken the cardinal rule of society, by forcing children to partake in sexual behaviors, and forcing people to submit to your will through blackmail. You have beaten people close to death and have caused one woman to lose her child. We are here to make you confess these sins with your own mouth.**_

 _ **We will steal your distorted desires without fail. So that you may never ruin the lives of the innocent again. I do hope you are ready, because we have come to Take Your Heart~ This message has been brought to you by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts...I hope you all have a magnificent night!"**_

The music finally stopped as the projector shutdown. The police started blowing their whistles, already dealing with the crowd that had formed around the building. People were already muttering things, all of them scrambling toward the pamphlets that had been dropped from the nearby buildings. The names of each victim had been printed on it, along with pictures of everyone that was hurt, killed or committed suicide because of Shimizu. The man himself was looking at one of the calling cards, growling under his breath, as he glared at the building.

"What farce is this? None of this is true! Do not believe a word they are saying, I am but a humble director, my films are magnificent! I would never abuse children like that!" he shouted, glancing back at the crowd. The area darkened, as his shadow self took over, a smirk on his face.

" _ **So...you've finally brought everything to the light? Do you think you can steal my Holy Grail? Then come Phantom Thieves, I shall wait for you in my Shrine. I shall pray for your souls, so they receive eternal rest after your deaths."**_

"Have you found the culprit behind this?" Shimizu asked, turning to one of the stage hands.

"I'm sorry sir, we haven't found anything...all we found was this Flash Drive, as well as the disc that contained your film." the man said, handing both to the director. He looked at the disc, seeing what had been written on it. He smashed it against the ground, growling in anger as he looked at the flash drive, which had the crest of the Phantom Thieves. When he found out who they were he was going to make sure they all suffered a grisly death.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday August 5**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Ryoutaro Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Ryoutaro Shimizu's Treasure**_

 _ **xxx**_

"I gotta admit Songbird, that was pretty cool." Skull said, bumping fists with his friend, who was leading them toward the Cinema Temple. The palace felt exactly like Futaba's had felt a few days prior. It was safe to assume, Shimizu was on high alert.

"Thanks, I knew you'd like it. Go big or go home, amirite?"

"Of course, your planning was impeccable...especially the routes that you had me and Joker take."

"Queen is right, you've left me quite impressed Songbird, you've been planning this for awhile huh?" Joker asked.

"Mostly, I scaled those buildings myself, which is why I gave you those set paths, that lead toward Rise and Yukiko. It was a team effort, but we wouldn't have been able to accomplish anything without Duchess's acting, she had that guy for a fool."

"I was taught by an actor, of course I did excellent. I believe it was Beauty Thief that surprised all of us though, where did you get the chloroform?" the ravenette asked curiously, earning a giggle from the heiress.

"That's a trade secret, I wasn't expecting to run into Sugimura there though. That was who you heard speaking, I had to bail at the last moment. Thankfully Rise caught me just as I ran into the open street."

"You're lucky I didn't swerve into you...regardless, we all pulled off a magnificent delivery. You made sure to wipe your prints off of everything right Songbird?" the idol asked.

"Mhmm...I made sure my prints were off the flash drive, I wrapped it in cloth as well so no fibers would be left behind. I wore gloves so I didn't leave prints on the laptop itself. I also disabled all of the cameras around that area so it wouldn't record our activities. Our bases are covered, all we have to do now, is steal his treasure." he said, finally reaching the front of the building, for Fox, Mona, Skull and Queen, this would be the first time seeing this place.

"Patron saint of Avarice and Lust huh? I guess it's fitting, considering this building looks exactly like a penis." Mona noted, causing everyone to look it. Songbird grimaced, with the girls all gasping in shock.

"Ew...god your right...the cinema around it looks like the ball sack."

"Panther, why are you even saying something like that? Sheesh, keep it to yourself!" Queen snapped, her gaze coming away from the building.

"After we steal his treasure, his temple is gonna be quite flaccid."

"Songbird!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself!" the actor cried, earning glares from the girls. Joker sighed, taking the lead as he tugged on his gloves. He reached the edge of the building, activating the magic circle that would lead them straight to the Tenth Floor.

"It is a shame...this is the first palace I haven't fully explored...I'd like to see the aesthetics of a movie theater such as this."

"Trust me Fox, you aren't missing much...all of the screen rooms are showing porn, and the floors belonging to Kaburagi and Shouji are disgusting." Beauty Thief replied, earning a frown from the artist.

"Is everyone ready? You all know the plan correct?" Joker asked, turning to his teammates. All of them were ready for the fight that they were going to walk into.

"Be prepared for anything, this man is a director, but he's also a good actor. He was able to bait Duchess enough for her to manifest her persona. He can trick you into a false sense of security and strike you when you least expect it. He also seems to have the power to summon high level shadows to his aid. Check your six and stick to close to your partners, the last thing we need now is casualties, we don't have Futaba with us to boost our stats. So check yourselves." Songbird added, earning nods from everyone. With a nod, Joker took the lead, stepping into the circle.

In a flash, they appeared in the garden on the tenth floor. It was quite breezy up here, with fluttering sakura petals flying in all directions. Songbird took a shaky breath as he looked around, his grip on his rifle tightening when he saw the garden was completely empty. After doing a quick scan and finding it empty, Rise pointed them toward the shrine. Joker started walking toward it, a confidant look on his face. He held his Desert Eagle in his hand, ready to use it if necessary. As soon as he opened the Shoji, he noticed the form of the Shrine Maiden, kneeling down in front of the shrine, her hands clasped in prayer. She looked up at them, frowning as she slowly rose to her full height.

"You shouldn't have come here...the Kunnashi is enraged...I fear you will not survive through the night."

"We'll take our chances...now, if you could kindly point us in the right direction...?" Joker said.

The girl sighed, reaching into her sleeve for a small mallet. She walked over to the back of the shrine, where a golden gong had been placed. She struck it once, the deep echo of the instrument filling the temple. With every single strike, everyone grew more and more confused. Songbird lowered his rifle, holding it by the strap as his hand slowly made its way to his short sword.

"What is she doing?" Panther asked curiously.

"Most likely praying for our souls...this is something the Shrine Maiden is responsible for." Fox replied.

"We came all the way here for this? I mean, I know the Shrine Maiden is Songbird's sister, but still. Shouldn't she be dead? You shot her right?" Skull asked, glancing at the brown haired actor. He drew his sword, swiftly turning around, dashing toward the center of the garden. A loud clang filled the air, as the young man clashed swords with Shimizu, who had a smirk on his face.

"So...you were able to sense my presence?" he asked, pushing the boy back, the blade of his katana resting between the slits of Songbird's Sword Breaker.

"I'm a sniper, if I can't take notice of my surroundings, then I wouldn't be very good eh?" he asked, pushing the man back with ease. By now, everyone was facing the shadow, who was holding a sword in his hands. He smirked, turning the blade for them all to see.

"Do you like it? This was a gift from a friend, it's a Kata Murata-tou...a sword forged for battle, given to only the very best Samurai." he said.

"Yes, it was a double edged sword, created by General Murata Tsuneyoshi, the creator of the Murata Rifle. It is a beautiful nihonto-katana, the only thing is it doesn't belong to someone like you. A person as disgusting as you only brings shame to such a beautiful weapon." Songbird said, earning a chuckle from the man, who took off his head gear, tossing it aside.

"Let's just skip the formalities already, I know what you are here for...you are here for my Holy Grail, and I am not going to let you take it. So, if you think you can use your silly powers to stop me, then step right up, I'll cut each and every one of you down." he said firmly.

"Heh...you sure are confident...I guess we're gonna have to knock you down a peg." Songbird said confidently, spinning his sword breaker around his hand. The man shook his head grabbing something off the ground, tossing it to the boy, who caught it with ease.

"You have something that belongs to me...you will fight me with all your strength, like a Samurai. I will do no battle with you if you have a sissy sword in your grasp." Shimizu said. Songbird swallowed hard, looking at the sword, seeing it was a Nihonto-katana, another Murata-tou, though this one had beautiful golden markings on the scabbard, and black leather straps wrapped around the hilt. The boy smirked as he sheathed his short sword, strapping the scabbard to his left hip.

"Songbird?"

"Don't worry Panther, he's still going down...I may hate his guts, but I can at least fulfill his final wish. If he wants to go down like a Samurai, then who am I to deny him that?" he said, sounding quite mature. Joker gave nods to the rest of the team.

"Get ready, we don't know what he's going to pull. Rise, it'll be up to you to gauge his power."

"Leave it to me and Kanzeon." the girl said, backing away from the makeshift battlefield, already summoning her persona. Duchess and Yukiko stood by her, prepared to support and defend her if necessary.

"Ah...wait, before we make this a true battle, I must change the venue...I am a director after all...and I want my battlefield to be perfect." Shadow Shimizu said, snapping his fingers. The garden started distorting, morphing into something new.

"Look out, we don't know what he could be trying!" Mona cried, looking around in worry.

"Come on Mona, don't you know anything about field changes? Is that even a thing?"

"I don't know everything Skull! This shadow has the capability to manipulate cognition, this is going to be a very deadly battle!" the feline cried, just as the garden changed, looking more like the Plaza before Jadis and Associates, the building itself had disappeared entirely.

"Now come...show me your strength! Do not blame me if you die on the battlefield." Shimizu said, finally getting into his battle stance. Songbird dashed forward, drawing his sword as he ran pulling it back. He swung it full force, clashing with Shimizu's sword.

Sparks flew from the blades as they continued swinging at each other. Songbird tried to break his guard, but the man kept redirecting all of his blows, aiming to sever his arm. The boy was quicker, being able to dodge all of his attacks. He flipped out of the way of an attack, landing in a crouch as he placed a hand over his mask.

"Persona! Megido!" he chanted, summoning the Phantom. The masked man chuckled darkly as he snapped his fingers, violet light swirled around Shimizu, exploding around his body.

"Carmen, Agidyne!" Panther cried, using this chance to do some damage. Carmen threw the swirling ball of flame at the sword wielding man, hoping it would do some harm. Shimizu smirked, jumping at the ball of fire, slicing it apart with his sword, much to their surprise. He dashed at the blonde, holding his sword back, only for it to clash with Fox's katana. The young artist pushed him back with ease.

"Outta the way, go Captain Kidd, throw that thing at him!" Skull cried, urging his persona forward. Everyone watched as the pirate themed Persona grabbed a hold of a large Shouji, throwing it at Shimizu. He dodged it at the last second, the giant object breaking apart as soon as it hit the ground. The director hissed, shaking his head.

"Tch...looks like I didn't account for this...I'm going to need a little bit of help." he said, snapping his fingers. On cue, several shadows appeared in the field, all of them flying straight toward the Phantom Thieves, who were caught by surprise by the act.

"Brace yourselves, these shadows are really strong!" Rise cried out.

"Lady Loveless, Matarukaja!" Duchess called out, hoping to increase their fighting power. She ducked to the side as one of the shadows swung its sword at her. She reached into her sleeve, flicking her baton in time to parry one of the attacks, easily pushing it back.

"I may be small, but I'm pretty strong too! Bring it on, Lady Loveless let's do this!" the ravenette cried, earning a dainty giggle from her persona.

"Now, while your friends are distracted, the true battle will rage on." Shadow Shimizu said, running straight at Songbird. The young actor easily parried his attack, deflecting his sword slash, throwing one of his own, only for the shadow to spin around in time to guard it.

" _Tch...I wasn't expecting a full on sword fight...all of my teammates are distracted, I can't really do anything here!"_ he thought to himself, groaning a bit in pain from a slash he had taken on the shoulder. He jumped back in time to dodge another swing, reaching for his short sword. He drew it in time to parry an attack, swinging his katana right at Shimizu's chest, the tip slicing right through his clothes slicing his skin open. The man backed up, a smirk on his face.

"Well...at least you are intelligent when it comes to your attacks...but that alone isn't enough to defeat me. Set change!" he cried, snapping his fingers once more. Just as the others had defeated the last of the shadows, the stage started morphing again.

"What...another change?" Mona cried.

"This bad...if he keeps changing the environment, it's gonna make things a lot harder for all of us!" Yukiko added, panting a bit from her fight.

The battlefield finished changing, leaving them in a large clearing, surrounded by nothing but forest. The ground started shaking, as large tree roots sprouted from the ground, rising high into the air. They all watched on as Shimizu jumped onto the tree monster that had grown in front of them, hanging onto one of the high branches of it, as it slammed its fist into its open palm.

"Get them Treant!" Shimizu shouted, pointing forward with his sword.

"Phantom of the Opera, Mastema!" Songbird cried, hand on his mask as he summoned his Persona. Despite knowing it was a bad idea, the masked man cast the spell, the glowing black feathers swirled around the boy, increasing his speed and power for the time being.

He dashed forward, jumping straight to the high branches of the monster, swinging his sword right at Shimizu, who easily countered the attack. He jumped down from the tree, holding his sword up above his head to counter the downward slash Songbird had thrown at him. The young actor jumped back in time for a green ball of wind magic to sail past him, slamming into Shimizu. He clapped hands with Joker, passing the baton to him.

"Persona Change: Ara-Mitama!" the frizzy haired lad chanted. Before him appeared a crimson tear drop shaped persona, growling angrily at it's enemy. Songbird briefly wondered when he got the new mask, but decided to focus on the battle. He saw the Treant shooting one of its roots at Joker and moved to intercept, slicing it apart with his sword, cape fluttering as he stood between the tree-like creature and Joker.

"Relying on friends? What's the point in doing that when they all betray you in the end? Just like that bitch betrayed me!" Shimizu shouted, swiping his sword at the persona, only for it to bounce back.

"Miracle Punch!" Joker cried, urging the creature on. It flew forward, spinning almost like a boomerang, striking Shimizu's shadow right in the gut. Songbird jumped forward, slamming his fist into Shimizu's face, grabbing a hold of his arm, throwing him in front of the Treant.

"Haha! Let's go Captain Kidd! Ziodyne!" Skull chanted, slamming his fist into his hand. The Captain fired a large bolt of lightning that rained down on Shimizu, causing him to scream in pain.

"He has a weakness to Lighting magic, let's focus on that for now!" Rise cried out, earning a nod from the Phantom Thieves. They all drew their guns, pointing them at the fallen shadow, who looked at them with a sneer on his face.

"You think just because you stunned me I'm done? I'm still hiding my true power, don't think you've won just yet. Once I'm through with you, I'm gonna make all of you the stars of my newest Holy Grail."

"God, do you ever shut up with that shit? You are just some perverted old man, thinking you can force minors to live out your fantasies! We're done dealing with your bullshit, we came here for retribution, to get back at those that you killed! And we aren't leaving here without your treasure!" Songbird cried, jumping back.

Using the diminishing strength from Mastema, he dashed forward throwing a punch to the man's face. He spun around on his heel, slashing across his chest. Beauty Thief came down on him with a furious growl, slashing to and fro with her axe, littering his skin with deep cuts that oozed dark black blood. She jumped back in time for Queen to slam into the man, aided by Johanna, the strike was enough to send him flying back into the Treant, knocking both of them to the ground. Joker and Songbird both clasped their hands as Skull came running straight at them. With all of their strength, they threw the blond track star into the air. He spun around, bringing his club down full force on the shadow, the ground beneath the Treant cracking from the attack.

"Our enemies are stunned, let's take this time to hit them with everything we've got!" Mona called out.

"Sumeo-Okami, Agidyne!" Yukiko chanted, summoning her persona. She flew up into the air, forming a glowing ball of fire in her hands that she launched forward, striking the fallen shadows.

"Nice one Yukiko! You're on fire!"

"Hehe...thanks." the young woman replied, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"Lady Loveless, Garudyne!"

"You too Zorro, Garudyne!"

Songbird ran forward, being carried by the force of the wind attacks, he jumped up into the air, driving his Katana down on the Treant, causing it to disappear into a thick plume of smoke. He landed on the ground, just as Shimizu was scrambling for his sword, which he kicked out of his grasp. He held his katana at his throat, a firm look on his face.

"Do you surrender? I'm not beneath killing you, you know...you deserve it."

"You've only scratched the surface boy...I was just testing you...now I can unleash my full power!" the man said, uttering a laugh as his body started glowing. Songbird backed away from the man, shocked at what he was seeing.

"Come my Shrine Maiden, aid me in this final battle!" the creature cried, reaching a hand forward, a chain shooting out of his palm. The Phantom Thieves dove out of the way in time to dodge it, only to see it wrap around the cognitive Kanami's waist. He pulled her forward, wrapping his arms around her as the two of them started glowing a brilliant gold.

"This isn't good...it looks like he was hiding another form...I wasn't expecting this." Mona said.

"His power level is through the roof! We're gonna have to be careful with this one guys!" Rise warned, swallowing the lump in her throat.

The shadow finally finished transforming, towering above the Phantom Thieves. It seemed as if its legs had fused into the ground. It was a ghastly creature with two heads, both bearing horns on them, not even looking like the faces of the original people. Its skin was a charred black color, with thick pulsing orange veins running through it. It had four muscular looking arms, each of them bearing dark orange claws, sharp enough to tear into the ground. One of the arms seemed to be holding something that looked almost like a video camera, aimed right at the Phantom Thieves, while another one was holding what looked like an bloodied katana. The twin heads peered at the Thieves, both heads had one eye covered with bandages, only one eye being visible from both. They both let out a distorted laugh, sounding nothing like Kanami or Shimizu.

" _ **Come face my wrath...you shall be captured in film for all eternity!"**_ Shadow Shimizu screeched, raising his arms above his head.

"He's gonna attack, everybody brace yourselves!" Rise shouted.

Not much sooner, the creature brought its arms down full force on the ground, causing a violent earthquake that almost tore the ground apart. Songbird held onto Panther and Duchess, using his body as a shield for some of the incoming rocks that had been knocked free. The area stopped shaking, leaving them partially stunned. Shimizu rose its katana up slashing it across the field, sending everyone flying back.

"Ah...is everyone alright?" Joker asked, clutching his head in pain, as he glanced at his teammates.

"Mostly." Queen muttered.

"Man...what a psychopath...he really did let his desires distort him, he's not even a human anymore." Skull added, placing his club on his shoulder. Yukiko held her hand up, casting Mediarahan into the air, healing all of their injuries at the same time.

"We're gonna have to be careful with this one...are you guys ready?" Joker asked, earning firm nods from the others.

"We've come this far...why not go a little further?" Songbird said, chuckling as he loaded a round into the chamber of his rifle.

" _ **Do you feel it? The unrelenting despair? I wanna see you die fighting! It's going to make the best snuff film in the world!"**_ Shadow Shimizu shouted, once again changing the battlefield.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? V The Hierophant(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 1)**_

 _ **? X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIV The Temperance(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **? XVI The Tower(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	40. Steal the Treasure IV: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Well as promised, here is the second part of Shimizu's fight and the finale of the exploration and treasuring stealing parts of this arc. After this you all get treated to sweet sweet filler, the kind that will rot your teeth. So, enjoy this chapter and leave me a nice juicy review afterwards. I'm gonna go back to playing Tokyo Xanadu, which I have completely ignored for the sake of bringing you all this story. Still on Chapter 2, but hey I'm getting there! Yeah P.o.P Hold it down!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 40

Steal the Treasure Finale:

Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Friday August 5**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: Ryoutaro Shimizu's Palace**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Steal Shimizu's Treasure**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Shimizu had finally finished changing the battlefield, now they stood on a giant chessboard, nothing in their way but the giant creature itself. It held a single hand in the air, forming a giant ball of golden light. It threw it in the air, ball breaking into smaller orbs that rained down on the field. Songbird growled a bit from the pain of the attack, but quickly knelt down, rising his rifle to his shoulder. He took aim at its shoulder, licking his lips as he pulled the trigger. The cry of pain was all he needed to line a second, and then a third shot.

" _ **You damn retch!"**_ Shimizu cried, aiming a punch at the boy, who easily dodged it.

"Joker, Panther!" he cried out. Panther let out a grunt as she flicked her whip forward, wrapping it around the shadow's arm, pulling it back as hard as she could. Joker climbed onto the arm and started running on it, hand on his mask.

"Persona Change: Kikuri-Hime, Mafreila!"

Kikuri-Hime appeared behind the frizzy haired lad, forming the glowing nuclear spell in her hands. With a flick of the wrist, she sent it flying right at the Shadow's faces, stunning them enough for a follow up attack. Joker jumped out of the way, just as Skull and Duchess sent out a combined Zionga, striking the Shadow right in the face.

"Panther, let's follow up! Sumeo-Okami, Agidyne."

"Carmen, Agidyne!"

"Assist them Milady, Psiodyne!" Beauty Thief called out, launching her own attack. The three spells melded together to create a funnel of violet colored fire that struck the shadow in the chest, causing it to scream in agony. It grabbed a hold of its sword with both hands, holding it at an angle.

" _ **This is where you die!"**_ it shouted, bringing the sword down on the Thieves.

"Goemon, deflect it!" Fox cried out. Goemon appeared before him, holding its pipe outward to block the incoming attack. It was too strong, and the persona was easily thrown back, causing the young artist to drop to his knee in pain. The shadow slammed its fist into the ground, large pillars of stone shooting up from the ground. Fox cried in pain from the attack, being thrown back from the force of the strike.

"Fox is down, someone get help him!" Mona cried, a look of worry on his face. Duchess and Yukiko were quick to run to his side, checking him over for injury.

"I got this Duchess, you take over for him. Protect Rise!"

"Got it, Lady Loveless, Matarukaja, Masukukaja!" the ravenette cried, snapping her fingers above her head. The spells washed over everyone, providing a bit of a boost for them. She clutched her head in pain, gritting her as she forced herself to remain standing.

"You're really starting to piss me off Shimizu! Come over here and fight like a man!" Beauty Thief cried out, firing one of her grenades at his chest. She loaded a second one into her launcher, aiming for the same spot, earning a cry of pain from the man.

"Hahaha! That's it, I wanna hear you scream in pain! I want you to suffer the same pain your victims felt!"

"Whoa...looks like we got a sadist in our midst!" Skull muttered, earning a chuckle from Joker.

"Phantom of the Opera, Riot Gun!" Songbird cried, ripping his mask off his face. His persona drew his weapon, firing a single round into the air, strengthening their gun skills. The boy rose his rifle to his shoulder, aiming right at Shimizu's face. He growled in pain, bringing his fist down on the boy, though he was easily able to dodge it.

" _ **I tire of this! My holy grail will never be replaced at this rate!"**_ Shimizu shouted, holding his hands in the air, forming a giant ball of light. He brought it down on the field, willing it to explode, the shockwave was enough to send everyone flying back.

"Gah...no way...how could we be defeated like this?" Mona muttered, pushing himself up with his paw only to fall over in pain.

Songbird glanced around the charred field, seeing all of his friends in much the same state. Joker had used himself as a shield to protect Duchess, both groaning in pain. Queen was laying on the ground, being tended to by Rise, who's clothes had partially ripped from the attack. Skull was trying to force himself to his feet, but was unable to, remaining on his knees, punching the ground in anger.

"Dammit!" he shouted. Beauty Thief weakly rose her grenade launcher, a firm look on her face. She pulled the trigger, hearing a dull click her arm dropping weakly to her side.

" _ **Hehehehe...so these are the notorious Phantom Thieves...being defeated by someone like me. That's what you get when you challenge a God like me. There is no way for you to win! You will submit to me, and be the next subjects in my film!"**_ the shadow said, his distorted voice sending chills down their spines.

"Fuck you! I will never give into you! Not after what you did to Kanami, not after what you did to Tsubaki and Hana! I am going to destroy you!" Songbird shouted, forcing himself to his feet. He held his hand to his mask, the flames swirling around his legs.

"Phantom of the Opera, Megidoloan!" he shouted.

"Songbird you idiot, don't!" Panther cried, reaching a hand toward the boy. The Phantom appeared behind the teen, forming a giant ball of glowing blue and white light in his hands, only for it to burst. Songbird let out a painted cry, clutching his head, dropping to his knees.

" _ **Hmm...Takumi Mashita-kun, you are weak...you will always be weak. You think you are a hero, trying to save your sister...but you are nothing more than a failure. You had such promise, but then your career tanked...to think, you were so close to being my next subject!"**_

"Shut the fuck up!" he shouted, drawing his handgun...he emptied his entire magazine, quickly exchanging it for a new one. It was barely doing damage to the creature.

" _ **Just imagine what will happen when the news finds out about your hidden secret...how do you think your father would react?"**_

"Do you think I give a shit? You can't hold my sexuality over me asswipe, news flash. I don't give a shit! You aren't going to keep abusing people for your selfish gain. We are going to defeat you and change your heart!" Songbird shouted, forcing himself to his feet.

He grabbed his rifle, taking aim at the Shadow, nailing him right in one of his exposed eyes. He let out a howl of pain, clutching his face as dark red blood oozed from the wound. He felt the effects of Mediarahan taking over, and gave Yukiko a thankful look. Joker, Skull, Panther and Beauty Thief all scrambled to their feet, facing the writhing shadow.

" _ **You're going to pay for that!"**_ the shadow cried, swinging his sword at them. They all dodged the slash with ease, brandishing their weapons.

"He's blinded, we should be able to abuse that." Songbird said.

"Stay to his right, he won't be able to see us. We're gonna have to use all of our power for this one." Joker replied. The young actor reached for a new magazine, dropping the empty one to the ground.

Joker took the lead, dashing straight at the shadow, swiping his dagger at its chest. Skull followed up with a Ziodyne, bashing the wound with his club, stepping back in time to avoid the Agidyne, Panther had sent at the creature. Beauty Thief finished the attack, firing another grenade at Shimizu, hoping to do some major damage to him.

" _ **You're attempts are futile. You shall die by my hand!"**_ Shimizu cried, holding his hands up in the air, forming another ball of light. He slammed it into the ground, causing it to explode. The Phantom Thieves braced for impact, this time being able to guard against the attack.

"I dunno how much more of this I can take...I'm starting to feel dizzy here." Skull said, forcing himself to stay standing.

"We gotta keep fighting...we can't give up. Not after what we've been through." Panther replied, grabbing a hold of her mask. She tried summoning Carmen, but was too weak from the barrage of attacks to manifest her. Songbird continued shooting at the creature, ignoring the recoil from his rifle. He was growing weak, he knew Shimizu didn't have much strength left in him. He dropped another magazine, reaching for a new one.

" _ **All of this resistance...why? Why not join me? All of you could make millions from this lucrative offer. If you want, I could leave the little girl out, just say yes...I promise you won't be ashamed."**_

"God, do you ever stop with your shit? We're not like you, you sick fuck!" Skull shouted angrily. Shimizu chuckled, his distorted laugh echoing through the field.

" _ **I guess I'll have to teach you what it means to mess with me. Shall I...eliminate one of you?"**_ he asked. Before anyone could react, he flicked his wrist, sending a thick black chain at Panther. She tried dodging it, but it wrapped around her leg, lifting her off the ground. She let out a scream, having dropped her whip in the process.

"Let me go you bastard!" she cried. She let out a gasp, feeling more chains wrapping around her other limbs. Each of the chains were wrapped around Shimizu's fingers, the man chuckling as he held the girl up, almost like a puppet.

"Put her down asshole, or I swear I'll kill you!"

" _ **What can you do Mashita-kun? You are powerless to stop me, all of your friends are weak...you can't even use your power. If you think you can stop me then go ahead, but I'm going to turn your blonde little bitch into my puppet...you know just how much I adore women."**_ he said sarcastically, pulling on the chains. Panther screamed in pain, her limbs being pulled on by the chain.

"Panther!"

"Let her go asshole!"

"Hang in there Panther, we gotta attack, we gotta make him let her go!" Beauty Thief cried.

" _ **You can try, but if you move a single inch, I will kill her instantly. I've never pulled someone apart before, it's a shame she couldn't star in my movie. I guess Mitsuhide Isoshima will have to do...you'll see...soon enough, she'll start begging me to put her in my films."**_

"Come on man, aren't you gonna do something? That's your girl right? Fuckin save her!" Skull cried, glaring daggers at Songbird, who just remained on his knees, staring up at the creature Shimizu had become, tears running down his cheeks.

"I can't...my persona...I can't summon the Phantom...I'm out of bullets for my handgun...if I do anything, she'll die." he said softly.

"Songbird...Takumi don't give up...if you do he wins...do you want him to win?" Joker asked firmly.

"No...I want him to confess his sins." he replied.

"Then make him confess, make him repent...make him feel your unbridled fury. Never give up, and never give in...let the flames of rebellion become your wings." the frizzy haired lad said, causing the boy's eyes to widen. He clutched his head in pain, digging his fingers into the ground.

" _You are destined to fail, it is your fate. But for every failure, there is a lesson to be learned, so that you may avoid failure the next time around. This is not one of those times, are you going to sit by while this man toys with the woman you love? Are you doing to stand by and let him win?"_

"Hell no...I'm not going to let this bastard get off scot-free, and let all of those people die in vain! I'm going to defeat him, right here, right fucking now!" he shouted angrily, earning a chuckle in return.

" _Good answer, I have judged your skills and believe you are capable of handling my power. You may contact me whenever your rage burns with the fires of hell. Now, call my name."_

"I summon thee, Ifrit!" Songbird cried, pulling his mask off his face. The area around him burst into brilliant orange flames, which seemed to rise right out of the ground. Everyone watched, eyes widened in surprise.

The sound of footsteps filled the battlefield, as a lone figure walked through the flames. He looked almost human, with glowing orange skin, and a muscular upper body. He wore a kilt around his waist which was dark orange in color and came down to his knees. He had black hair and two horns coming from the sides of his head, coiling around.

"Sinner of Avarice and Lust, he who abuses people carelessly as if they were your pawns. I shall use my flames of hellfire to burn you alive." the man roared, fists bursting into flames. Songbird chuckled, holding his hand up.

"Alright Ifrit, show him your power. Maragidyne!"

The man broke into a sprint dashing forward so fast that it looked like he had disappeared. He drove his fist into Shimizu's shadow, causing him to scream in pain. He jumped up to his hand, slashing the chains that kept Panther bound. He grabbed a hold of her as she fell, setting her down before racing back to the shadow, throwing several fireballs at him, all of them exploding on contact.

"What the heck is that? Did you summon another Persona?" Panther asked, causing the boy to shake his head.

"No, he isn't my persona...he's just someone I made a contract with. Whenever I let my rage get out of control, he'll lend us a hand." Songbird said with a smirk. Ifrit jumped back, avoiding a punch from Shimizu, a smirk on his face.

"Come on old man, you ain't shit!"

" _ **I'm going to destroy you all! Everyone of you deserves nothing short of death!"**_ Shimizu shouted, holding his katana high in the air. It brought it down hard, only for Ifrit to grab a hold of it. Using his fire, he was able to break the sword completely in half.

"Now, let us all attack together!" he cried back, glancing at the Phantom Thieves.

"You heard him, let's go...all out attack!" Joker called out.

They all teamed up for the final attack, putting everything they had into each attack. With each slash, stab and gunshot, Shimizu screamed louder and louder from the pain. Joker jumped out of the way, allowing Songbird and Ifrit to have the final hit.

"Now Ifrit, Hellfire!" he chanted. The man let out a mighty roar, running as fast as he could toward the shadow, his body bursting into flames. He jumped up into the air, bringing his fist down with the entire weight of his body, willing the flames to erupt. A plume of orange flames swallowed Shimizu's form, his screams of agony filling the battlefield. Ifrit landed on the ground before Songbird, giving him a nod.

"Until next time friend, it's an honor to work with you again."

"Again?" Songbird asked in confusion, only for the figure to burst into flames, disappearing entirely. The battlefield slowly returned to normal, everyone finding themselves back on the garden at the top of the building.

Shimizu's cries of pain could be heard not far from where they stood. Skull was about to walk forward when Joker stopped him, letting Songbird to go instead. He handed the boy his handgun, giving him a nod as he walked. He checked the chamber, seeing one bullet still in the chamber. Shimizu sat up, eyes widening as he saw the young man stalking toward him. He started moving back, trying to stand up only to see his burned legs. Songbird placed his foot on his chest, aiming his gun at his face, just as the other Thieves surrounded the man.

"Don't kill me...you can't kill me...the world isn't ready to lose such a brilliant director!"

"Brilliant? You aren't brilliant you piece of shit, all you do is extort and rape people...all for some sick gain. What the hell is wrong with you?" Skull cried angrily.

"You just don't understand...what it's like to grow up being different. Feeling different, not being accepted for who you are...you understand right Mashita?" the man asked, a desperate look on his face.

"No...I don't...you know why? Because I accept myself the way I am...I admit it. I am attracted to men and women, but I don't let that define me. Just because you like a certain sex doesn't mean you should let people's acceptance or denial of you hurt you. Who gives a shit what people think? As long as you are happy and love yourself, that is all that matters." he said.

"Accept myself? Love myself? You're insane...no one will accept me, even I don't accept me. No one watched my films before, not until I started writing romance...I needed money to further my own ambitions...who cares if those people committed suicide? It doesn't matter...it was their choice after all."

"You make me sick...you bastard, you're lucky I ran out of bullets...I have no issue with killing you...you asshole! Baby killer!" Panther shouted, spitting at the man's face.

"What are you gonna do Songbird? This scum bag can't be allowed to get away, will you be able to handle his demise?" Joker asked curiously.

"Demise...? No...please, I've already lost the battle...I'll...I'll take back the offer...I won't force Mitsuhide into the film, and Kanami is free from her contract. We can go our separate ways!" he said. A gunshot tore through the air, causing the man to scream...Shimizu reached up to his face, feeling the bleeding cut on his face.

"You are going back to your real self, and you will confess to every single crime. You will name your victims on public television, in alphabetical order, and say what you did to them. Starting with that seven year old girl that you prostituted and sold into slavery...is that understood?" he asked.

"Y-yes...I will confess...please just don't kill me." Shimizu cried, a pleading look on his face. Songbird slammed his foot against his throat, a choked cry escaping his lips.

"It is by grace you have been saved. Through faith, not by works." Songbird said, removing his foot from his throat, watching as the man's shadow slowly disappeared. He handed Joker his gun back, walking back toward the Shrine.

"You did great Songbird...I'm proud of you." Queen said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to see him die...but it would have been to easy. Sometimes the world tries to spoil you, and it's up to you to prevent yourself from accepting those spoils. I'd rather see him being destroyed by the world, than to be sent to the throws of death."

"Are you really attracted to men?"

"Skull!" Panther hissed, earning a sheepish grin from the boy.

"What...I was curious."

"It's fine honey, to answer your question Skull...yes I am. It's something I can't control, and worry not...I'm not attracted to any of my friends, that would be to weird." the brown haired actor replied. They stepped into empty room, seeing the glittering grail sitting on top of the shrine. Songbird walked over to it, grabbing it from the pedestal.

"Well guys, this is the treasure...I can safely say we have accomplished our mission." he said happily. The entire building started to shake, causing them all to fall to the ground.

"Ah...what was that?"

"We took the treasure, this place is about to collapse! We have to get out of here!" Mona cried, leading everyone toward the warp panel, only to see it had been completely destroyed by the fire.

"Um...what do we do now? The elevator is out...we can't take the stairs either. Their all blocked!" Panther cried out.

"Quick, the fire escape!" Joker said, moving toward the edge of the garden, only to see the fire escape break apart, falling completely off the side of the building. Several windows blew out from the shaking, sending large pieces of glass down to the crowd below.

"Well...we're screwed." Skull muttered.

"No we're not, there has to be another way out of here...what do we do? Any ideas?" Mona asked.

Duchess sighed, reaching into her quiver for one of her bolts, setting it up into her crossbow. She took aim at one of the nearby buildings, firing it toward it. The hook opened up, securing itself onto the railing of it. She grabbed a hold of the rope that had been attached to the arrow, tying it to a nearby tree.

"Hope you like ziplines." she said, pulling some of the leather cords from her corset out.

"Are you serious...we're gonna use this as an escape?" Rise cried.

"We don't have an option, we need to get out of here now...Rise, give me your belt." Yukiko said, earning a surprised look from the girl. She pulled it off, grabbing a hold of her skirt. The building started to shake even more now, several of the support beams holding the garden up started to snap, causing the entire place to start tilting.

"Come on, we don't have much time here!" Mona cried.

"Let's get out of here everyone." Joker said, taking the lead after having grabbed his own belt. Duchess followed suit, followed by Rise and Yukiko who were forced to share a belt.

"Panther are you ready for this?" Songbird asked.

"Hell no! I'm scared of heights, not you're asking me to fucking zipline across a building? I'd rather die here thank you!"

"Jesus Christ woman, just do it!" Skull shouted, handing her one of his bandoleers before using the zipline himself.

"Come on, I'll be right behind you. Just go!" Songbird cried, urging her forward. She swallowed hard, wrapping the belt around the rope, jumping off the edge of the building. Songbird did the same, just as the entire building started to collapse. He closed his eyes, hoping he didn't meet a grisly fate.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Ugh...god, that was too close." Ryuji cried, hands on his knees as he panted for breath.

"Tell me about it...we almost didn't make it out of that wave of debris. That's two palaces in a row where we've almost died to a wave of dust." Ann replied, leaning back against the vending machine, having sat down, her legs still shaking from the run. Takumi grabbed a hold of her hand, giving her a smile.

"I don't know how you aren't jittering...man what a rush...zip lining across a building, running down the stairs, and having to dive into Mona just as the building started falling on us. Damn, that would have made an amazing movie trailer."

"How fitting, it seems only Takumi enjoys this immense feeling of tiredness. However, we did succeed in attaining Shimizu's treasure...what exactly is it?" Yusuke asked, causing the boy to shove his hand in his pocket.

"I dunno...let's see." he said. He opened his hand, showing everyone a small golden key, with a round tag on it, bearing the number 403 on it.

"A key?" Mitsuhide asked curiously.

"We fought, a giant two headed monster...for a damn key?" Rise cried, a look of disbelief on her face.

"It doesn't matter what we got in the end, we teamed up to take down an evil man. That should be more than enough for us...being able to fight shadows like we used to...that's more than enough of a reward for me." Yukiko added.

"Which reminds me...what's your story? We have yet to hear it...and we have the time. Perhaps you should share it with us over coffee?" Ren asked, causing the two girls to share a look.

"Alright...we have been neglecting that. How about we go to Leblanc?" Rise suggested, earning a nod from the young man.

"Let's go then...I'm eager to just lay down." Ryuji said, a tired look on his face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Sojiro had closed up shop by the time they had all arrived at Leblanc, making it that much easier on all of them. They occupied the empty store, while Ren made them all coffee, and in Ryuji's case, a glass of soda. Once everyone had their drinks, Rise and Yukiko had begun telling their story. It was a lengthy one, spanning an entire year, as they along with their friends, fought shadows with their own persona. Takumi realized that they were telling the story of the Inaba Murders, only it wasn't as it seemed. While they were solved at the confession of Touru Adachi, it was never explained how he killed his victims. Rise and Yukiko filled in the blanks, speaking about the Midnight Channel, another world beyond the TV where one could use Personas, and would face the repressed versions of themselves that they hid from the world. They couldn't help but notice the similarities between them all.

"So...you mean to tell me, Namatame...the guy who's planning on running for Prime Minister, was one of the people that caused the Inaba murders?" Ryuji asked.

"That's right, but he was confused. He thought that the people he saw on the TV were victims of a murderer. So he put them inside the TV to save them, he didn't know that while in there they would face their other selves, and would be killed by them. We were able to accept that part of us, and they manifested into our personas. Mine was Himiko, and Yukiko's was Konohana-Sakuya." Rise said, setting down her coffee cup.

"Do you think we could visit that world?" Ann asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, we haven't tried to go back recently. There aren't any shadows there, but since there's a Metaverse, I believe there might be some correlation between the two worlds. Perhaps we should contact our friends on the Shadow Brigade, the might know something about this phenomenon." Yukiko replied, a pensive look on her face.

"I believe the Phantom Thieves should be allowed to handle Tokyo. We've been through quite a lot recently, it wouldn't be fulfilling if someone else found an answer to our question." Mitsuhide said, feverishly typing on her computer.

"I gotta agree, I know you'd like to ask this...Mitsuru, about this. But I myself wish to find the answers with my teammates." Ren said.

"That's fair...we shouldn't intrude on this anymore...we just wanted to help Kanami, and we've achieved that end." Rise said.

"Actually, we haven't...though we stole Shimizu's treasure, we still have to wait for the change of heart to occur. We'll have to wait until August 26th to see if he actually confesses." Morgana said.

"We have to wait that long?"

"Sadly...we like to finish these things early, that way we don't have any loose ends to handle. It worked with Kamoshida, Madarame and Kaneshiro. It also worked with Futaba, so there is no reason it would fail this time." Yusuke said.

"Which reminds me, what about Futaba? She said she would be okay with a couple days of sleep, but it's been four since we changed her heart? Is she gonna stop Medjed or what?" Ryuji asked.

"We mustn't rush things Ryuji. She said she would handle it, and she will...the strain of summoning a persona took a toll on her. She needs her rest, so I'm sure everything will be fine." Makoto said.

"Mhmm...all we have left to do is wait...wait to die...wait to live...wait for an absolution, that will never come."

"Dude, that sounds so depressing." the blond track star said, finishing his soda. Haru giggled, setting down her tea cup.

"If I do recall, that was a line from one of your favorite movies, wasn't it Taku-kun?" she asked.

"Ah...you caught the reference? Nice! She's right, it's a line from Titanic, the greatest movie in the world...suck on that George Lucas." the brown haired actor said happily.

"Well...even though we have to wait for awhile, we did accomplish our tasks. Both palaces have been taken care of, and with luck everything will be handled nicely. However there is one thing that we have to take care of, I hope you'll be able to handle it Makoto." Morgana said, earning a firm look from the girl.

"What do you mean?" she asked. Takumi reached into his pocket, pulling out a red envelope, with the Phantom Thieves crest on it. He placed it on the table, pushing it toward the brunette.

"This contains the flash drive that I was able to recover from Shimizu. Even if he doesn't admit his crimes, we have this...I've asked Futaba to remove the self destruction program on it. I haven't seen it...I don't wanna see it...I don't want anyone to see this. If worse comes to worse, give this to your sister, she's a prosecutor right?"

"Yes...I understand. If all else fails, I'll place this in our mailbox...I doubt she'd even assume it was me doing it. Until then, I'll keep it very well hidden...count on me." she said firmly, placing the envelope in her purse.

"Well...I think it is time for us to take our leave. The trains will be shutting down soon, and the last thing we want is to be stuck in Yongen-Jaya for the night." Yusuke said, gathering this things.

"I wanna say thanks, to all of you...I know I started this on a bad note. I lied to all of you, trying to go at it alone, something I shouldn't have done. But in the end, you helped me defeat this vile bastard...so thanks. Let's keep taking them down, one change of heart at a time." Takumi said, holding his fist out. Ren nodded, bumping fists with him.

"Just as long as you don't look at my butt whenever we're infiltrating palaces."

"No promises." he replied, giving the frizzy haired lad a wink. He burst into laughter, followed by the rest of the Phantom Thieves.

"Still...that power that Takumi was able to unleash...just when I thought we were all lost, here comes a new ally. What was that power?" Haru asked curiously.

"I'm not sure myself...all I know, is that Ifrit will help us when we're in a pinch. We should get going, wouldn't want to stay stuck here for the night. If anything changes with Futaba, contact us alright?" Takumi said, earning a nod from Ren. Mitsuhide stood up, once she had packed her laptop into her bag, taking a hold of Takumi's hand as she walked.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday August 6**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Torrential Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Wait for Futaba to wake up**_

 _ **Await the Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _That was amateur video of what happened here last night at the Film Festival. Hundreds of calling cards were dropped over the crowd, while a film played over the building. It is thought that the Phantom Thieves were responsible for this stunt. Amidst their war with Medjed, it seems they have accused Director Ryoutaro Shimizu, of the following crimes, 19 counts of murder, several counts of child abuse, several count of physical abuse on his employees. He is also being charged with sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and child pornography. We have asked Director Shimizu about this, but the man has turned down all of our attempts to reach him. He insisted last night to a friend, that this was all a stunt by the Phantom Thieves, but the opposite cannot be proven. The police are already investigating, but haven't found anything to prove Shimizu I guilty of these crimes."_

" _In other news, Medjed seems to be active once more, being egged on by last nights stunt by the Phantom Thieves. They insist that their cleanse will go on as planned, and that we should not give into the Thieves unjust ways. An update on their profile stated, "We will hold the Phantom Thieves responsible for this stunt. Ryoutaro Shimizu is a victim, and everything you have stated is false. We will prove to you and the rest of Japan that we are just. We are Medjed, we are unseen, we will eliminate evil. Several companies have been hacked in the last few hours, and have been forced to shutdown all operations until further notice."_

"This whole Medjed thing is starting to get old fast...all they do is claim the Phantom Thieves are unjust, without having any proof. If it wasn't for them, Kaneshiro wouldn't have been caught. I would probably be dead if not for them. Jesus, just leave them be, if they're taking care of criminals, who are you to stop them?" Erica said firmly, glancing at the reporter with an angry look.

"Whoa mom, chill out...that poor television is going to explode if you keep glaring at it." Takumi said jokingly, earning a sigh from the woman.

"Sorry son...I just get sick of hearing about Medjed all the time...it's not like they're going to expose the company of someone who deserves it." she said, turning back toward the kitchen. Mitsuhide was in the living room as well, still working on her thesis. And much to the surprise of both Takumi and Erica, she wasn't wearing her sweater, having chosen to wear a light green camisole along with her jean shorts instead.

"I get what you mean...everywhere I go, it's Medjed this, Medjed that...people are starting to lose faith in the Thieves, even after all of the cool stuff they've done for them." Ann added, shoving a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.

Takumi rolled his eyes, it had been the second night in a row that the blonde had stayed over. Since Ayumi was with her squad until Monday, she had been crashing in her room, having brought clothes for herself in her school bag. It was something that Takumi was glad for, especially because he could spent more time with her. They had been making plans to go on a walk through Shibuya, just to enjoy a bit of their summer. Sure they were still worried about Medjed and Shimizu, but it was better than sitting around all day, doing nothing.

"They're all ungrateful...everyone is just lucky that the Phantom Thieves care too much about this place. But is that all they think of them? Are they just entertained with everything that's going on?"

"It is what it is...maybe this is just a fad. Maybe the Phantom Thieves will become the next Medjed, just disappearing entirely. Only to become active later on to take care of a few more bastards. Still, I can't believe Ryoutaro is being accused of such disgusting things. I thought he was a nice person, I supplied him with instruments for his movies. He even offered you that role." she said.

"Yeah...trust me though, it was good that I was late. Kanami told me that she was hit a couple times by him. She's just too frightened to say something to the cops. It doesn't matter, if the Thieves sent out a calling card, a change of heart won't be too far off...we just gotta trust in them." he said, glancing back at the television screen.

" _And in other news, it seems someone's a player...that's right ladies and gentlemen. The man who had captured Risette's heart, was seen holding hands with another woman. Takumi Mashita was seen late last night walking through Shibuya, with a young girl thought to be his half sister Mitsuhide, as well as a beautiful young woman. She has been identified as Ann Takamaki, a seventeen year old fashion model, who has been on the cover of Vague Magazine. Risette posted on her social media that they had never been dating, but sources say that she might just be too heartbroken by this picture. If that's the case, then shame on you Mashita-kun! How dare you turn down a national icon for some blonde girl?"_

"Ugh...mother fucking paps." the boy hissed angrily, shutting the television off. He growled angrily, his hands balled so tight his knuckles had turned white. Ann placed a hand on his shoulders, giving him a smile.

"Hey, let them say what they want...you weren't dating Rise at all, it was just a stupid rumor."

"Well yeah, but now you're gonna get shit too...from both Rise fans and my fans...I don't want you to get hurt." he said, sounding concerned. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, grabbing her cereal.

"It'll be fine, my claws are pretty sharp...you should know just how sharp they are."

"Yes...just keep those claws hidden while I'm in the room, you'll mess up my concentration." Mitsuhide said firmly, her eyes remaining on her screen as she spoke.

"I'm happy you two have decided to date for real...you make a cute couple. You take care of my son, okay Ann? And you make sure to take care of her Takumi. It isn't every day that an otaku gets a fashion model as a girlfriend, especially one as beautiful as her." Erica said firmly, causing the couple to blush.

"Mom, you're embarrassing me...sheesh...Ann sweetie, why don't you get ready? We can take that walk through Shibuya and head to the hospital to meet with Shiho."

"Okay, I just gotta take a shower...finish my cereal for me?" she asked, handing him the bowl. He nodded, watching her walk back toward Ayumi's room, where her clothes were.

"You have condoms right Takumi?"

"What?" the boy screeched, almost dropping the cereal in his hands.

"What...I just wanna make sure." Erica said, shrugging it off.

"Sweet Jesus, why was I given such a nosy step-mom?"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

It was a bit weird to be in the hospital again...Takumi had asked about Yukari Masuda to one of the nurses, but she had apparently been transferred to another hospital, near her home town. He had been sad, because he wanted to at least visit her one more time. He was sure she had seen the events of the previous night, so that would suffice for now. He and Ann were talking to Shiho's room, the blonde had chosen a light pink tank top, with the word Love written on it, along with a pair of white jean shorts, and her flannel shirt, which she had tied around her waist. She wore regular sneakers, finishing her casual look. Takumi himself had decided to wear a sky blue shirt, with a black vest over it, which he had left unzipped, along with a pair of black skinny jeans and his combat boots. He had worn his beanie as well, trying his hardest not to bring attention to himself, but everyone on the street had insisted on taking pictures of him, something that annoyed him quite a lot. Ann took it all in stride, not at all being bothered by it. He guessed she was used to having her pictures taken, so it just didn't phase her.

"You know, you're gonna scare Shiho with that scowl on your face." she said, lowering her sunglasses, her sea green eyes glimmering in the light.

"Pardon me, I'm just pissed off...everyone can't keep their fucking phones in their pockets. I'm sick of being photographed." he said, causing a nearby nurse to put her phone away. He sighed, giving her an apologetic look.

"I know what you mean...people are going to make rumors regardless right? So I just tend to ignore them."

"You have it easy...this is just another file for me. On top of the drug allegations, the fact that I supposedly ruined a national idol, now I'm cheating behind her back with you. I wish I was just...a normal person sometimes." he said.

"But if you were normal, then you wouldn't have seen me in spandex." she said jokingly, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"I guess that's true...I do like you as Panther...though I'm still curious about that tail...and I also wanna know what happens when you unzip that suit." he said, wiggling his brows a bit.

"Tch...you damn perv. If you wanna see what happens, you're gonna have to wait at least six months." she cried, glancing away from the boy, crossing her arms. He grabbed a hold of her hand, kissing her cheek.

"I'll wait as long as you want, okay?" he asked. She sighed, giving him a nod. She pulled him along, leading him into one of the hospital rooms, where a black haired girl was, currently tying her hair, sitting at the edge of the bed. She looked up from her mirror, a smile on her face.

"Ann! I'm so happy to see you!"

"Hey Shiho...why aren't you wearing your hospital gown?" she asked curiously, seeing her friend was wearing nothing more than a tee shirt, a pair of pants and some worn looking sneakers. The girl stood up from the bed, holding onto the rail.

"I'm getting discharged today...the doctor said that I've made a full recovery. I'll still need some physical therapy, but not daily like I'm used too. I can move around with a cane until I regain my strength." she said. The blonde hugged her friend tightly, almost on the verge of tears.

"I'm so proud of you Shiho! I know you'll be able to walk normally again soon. Oh right, I've been taking my modeling serious, I got several gigs lined up, and I'm even in a commercial! It's gonna air tomorrow night at seven."

"That's wonderful Ann...I can tell you're giving it your all...so I'll do my best to recover just as fast. Oh um...hello, I don't believe we've met." the girl said, glancing at Takumi, who had remained silent during the exchange.

"We haven't...my name is Takumi Mashita, I transferred into Shujin back in early June...I've actually...taken your spot in class...sorry." he said, looking apologetic.

"It's alright...I've actually decided to transfer schools. So that seat's all yours, my name is Shiho Suzui, please call me Shiho. Any friend of Ann's is a friend of mine." she said, shaking his hand.

"Okay...do you...not know who I am?"

"Hmm...yes, you're a famous actor...but I'm not going to let your career change my opinion of you. I could care less about that stuff, as long as you are a nice person to me, and to others, that's all that matters." she said, giving him a smile.

"Wow Ann, you're right, she really is down to earth. You don't find many girls like this in this world anymore." he said, earning a giggle from Ann.

"Yup, she's one of a kind, and my best friend. Which is why you deserve to know something, me and Takumi...we're actually a couple." she said, taking a hold of the boy's hand. Shiho's eyes widened a bit, her cheeks puffed out.

"You got a boyfriend before me? I thought you were gonna let me get one first."

"Sorry! I just fell in love, I couldn't help myself." the blonde cried back, an apologetic look on her face. She sighed, glancing at Takumi.

"Take care of her okay? Kamoshida put her through hell...she deserves someone who can handle her. Someone who isn't afraid to say, "You've had enough cake, time to stop eating!" or "Stop drinking so much soda, you're gonna lose all your teeth!" you have no idea what you've gotten yourself into."

"Oh trust me...there's only one woman I know who can eat an entire cheese cake, and ask to eat part of mine." he said, scratching the back of his head.

"That reminds me, there was this one time when she in middle school, where the school store was selling cupcakes. She ended up buying an entire platter of them and eating them during recess."

"Come on Shiho, that's a lie...I gave you all of the blue ones." Ann said, a flush on her cheeks.

"My mistake, you're right you did give me the blue ones. Just be careful Takumi-kun, just make sure you're never in a situation where it's you or cake. Cake wins every time."

"Hehe...I'll be careful. Anyway, we've come here for something, not just for a visit. I'm not sure if she's told you about the acting lessons, but she's been doing really well. I wrote a script for her, and we want you to be our judge...you game?" he asked.

"Yeah come on Shiho...I assure you, my acting has gotten a lot better than the first time I showed you." Ann said, earning a nod from Shiho, who sat back down on the bed.

"Of course, I've got some time before my parents arrive." she said. The blonde model grinned, grabbing the papers from her purse, handing it to Takumi.

"Alright then, get ready because my acting is gonna blow your mind!" she said. Takumi rolled his eyes, giving the blonde a kiss, much to her surprise.

"Good luck, show me what you got!" he said, the flush on her cheeks becoming apparent.

"Um...yeah...okay." she said, fumbling around with the papers. The boy sighed, knowing she still had quite a ways to go. The purpose of the kiss was to make her flustered, so he could test to see how she would act in that scenario, and she was already failing. He knew he'd have to work on her acting more than ever now.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? V The Hierophant(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 1)**_

 _ **? X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIV The Temperance(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **? XVI The Tower(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	41. Await the Change I: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 41 of Codename: Songbird. The final battle against Shadow Shimizu has been won, and now everyone will await for the change of heart. Yes, another filler arc is in store, for that I apologize. But hey, it's interesting filler at least. For now, I hope you all like this chapter, I will be adding 42 later on today. I said I was going to post only one from now one, but I felt like keeping this double posting thing going for awhile longer.**

 **I might be taking a break from the story in the near future, so I can work on its structure. There are a lot of problems that I am finding as I write that need to be taken care of before I actually continue. Not just that, a few people have been asking me to continue my Danganronpa Series, and I have been toying with the idea of picking that series back up for a bit. I also need to continue my Fairy Tail story which I have abandoned for awhile. It's about to hit 100,000 views now so I was thinking of doing a special chapter for that story. I dunno. Ever since the end of Fairy Tail, I just haven't been motivated to continue, the ending was such shit, and I don't want my story to come out like shit too since I'm following the plot. I mean, the Grand Magic Games, the Eclipse Arc and the Tartaros arc were so good, and then the author cheezed it during the Alvarez Arc...like Jesus, that arc was terrible.**

 **That aside, I might just focus on Danganronpa and Persona for now, focus on restructuring the story and planning out the next arc. I've already planned it out, so I'm gonna write it. I just don't want to put it on hold right now because I'll lost interest in it, hell keeping my motivation up to continue this right now has been difficult.**

 **A few changes...I am going to be removing the ranking system from the chapters. For now, I'm gonna keep the ranks themselves up because I'm too lazy to go back and remove them all from the chapters that they're on. So do ignore those ranks from now on. From CHapter 53 onward, there will no longer be and rank ups, but the names of the Confidants will remain, so that everyone knows that Takumi does have relationships with these people. The reason why I am getting rid of this is because the rank ups are a major hinderence to me. They're the reason why I ended up writing so much filler, because I'm focusing too much on ranking up confidants rather than on the story itself. By removing these, I hope to beget the filler and have a perfect blend of story and filler that I can work with. I mean, I have to write three more chapters right now that will take me to chapter 56 or so and it's all filler, not even reaching the month of September in the story, that's an issue that I needed to address. So from now on, do ignore those ranks, they mean nothing. I'll me sure to remove them from the next post and onward as I have to do some editing for chapter 43. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Leave a review if you liked it and what not. See ya later!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 41

Await the Change I: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Sunday August 7**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Gigolo Arcade(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Wait For Futaba to Wake Up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Big brother, Toni told me you were thinking about entering End of Summer. Is that true?" Ayumi asked, causing Takumi to look away from the claw machine he was playing at.

"I was thinking about it, I never said I would definitely join. I mean, I don't even know what Stride is. All I know is that it's a relay race with Parkour." he replied, his gaze back to the machine. The claw closed around the phone case he was aiming for, lifting it up from the bottom of the machine. It was dropped into the prize chute and he reached for it, looking it over.

"It's so much more than that though! Several schools will be competing from all around Japan. The best runners will be there, all of them trying to score the best time. Shujin Academy doesn't have an official Stride team, but we are allowed to form one for the event. So far, only Toni and I will be on it, the rules state that for it to be an official team, you need at least three runners. We don't need a relationer, as long as we can figure out the timing ourselves." Ayumi said. The boy leaned up against the machine, pulling the plastic casing around the phone case, which had Pokeballs printed on it, and was light blue in color. Once he had gotten it out of the packaging, he snapped it onto his phone.

"I dunno...I mean, I'm not that good at parkour...sure, me and Toni are training, but we spent more time running from cops than anything." he said.

"Oh...I know, I totally forgot! I was going to teach you how to do flips right? Well how about we do that now? The time trials for the competition begin on August 24th. Then after that we have to go through the tournament, the qualifiers, the quarter finals, semi finals and then the finals. The team that gets to the finish line first at the end of summer wins the prize!" the girl cried excitedly.

"What kind of prize? Is it monetary?"

"Yeah...a six hundred thousand yen. Since there's three of us, we can split it three ways. We also get a cool trophy for the school, and gold metals for participating. It'll be fun, please say yes?" the girl plead, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Fine sis, I'll do it for you...what exactly do I have to do?"

"It's easy...I've already decided to be the one who starts the race. Since there are five runners, usually the relations are split into fifths. But I'll have to do two sprints, before passing off the relay to someone else. Toni is going to finish it, she said her rival from her old team is going to be in the competition...and she wants to be the one to finish the race." she said.

"So...I'd have to be the middleman. Literally handling the obstacle and man-made course. But I barely know any parkour, I only know the basics, I'll have to run, leap, jump, flip...I don't think I can do all of that!"

"Hehe...which is why you have a cute cheerleader as your little sister! Come on, I've already told you! I'm going to teach you want you need to know...let's go to the park." she said, grabbing a hold of his wrist, pulling him along. He sighed, deciding not to fight against her, he could never win when his sister asked him for something.

As they were walking back toward the train station, Takumi noticed his sister had been acting a bit weird, unlike her normal bubbly self. He was going to ask what the problem was, but as he turned to face her, he noticed she had stopped walking. She had been looking at the lottery counter that was located near the Teikyu Building entrance. He knew that place often times was filled with teenagers and young adults, trying to score big bucks using the lottery. He had bought a ticket from there once, but hadn't gotten anything. Even if two out of the six numbers match, you end up getting a prize of some sort, usually below twenty thousand yen. He tapped her shoulder, earning a look from her.

"If we don't leave, the train to Inokashira will go without us. We'll have to wait 45 minutes for the next one." he said.

"I know that...it's just...you see that girl there?" she asked, pointing to the lottery counter. They weren't that far, so he could see the girl she was talking about.

She seemed to be around Takumi's age, give or take a year. She was wearing a long sleeved light pink smock top. She wore a mid length beige colored satin skirt, and a pair of brown sandals, the straps wrapping around her lower leg. She had waist length auburn colored hair, tied up into twin tails with blue ribbon. She had a white shoulder bag around her shoulder, and seemed to have her attention on a ticket in her hand. She had a light colored complexion, and beautiful feminine features. She was a very pretty girl in his opinion, and it would seem some of the guys around the plaza thought so too, since many would give her side long glances, or outright look at her. If she was bothered by those looks, she didn't show it.

"Do you know that girl? Is she from school or something?"

"No, but I do remember her. Remember when I took those lottery tickets home? And you told me they were fake? Remember how I told you I bought them from a bum?"

"Yeah...wait, don't tell me that girl was the one who sold you those tickets. She doesn't look at all like a bum!" the boy said.

"No shit Sherlock! She must have gotten a lot of money from that Kaneshiro dick hole. She was probably working for one of his boys, trying to scrape by selling those fake tickets! Now she's living the high life, she isn't getting away with it. She still owes me!" Ayumi snapped, stomping toward the Lottery Booth. Takumi sighed, walking after his sister.

"Hey you! With the pigtails!"

The girl glanced up from her lottery tickets, glancing at Ayumi with a confused look. She didn't know what the issue was, but it was clear she wanted something. She figured it was due to her having lost money at the ticket counter and stepped aside, but the girl wasn't having any of it. She grabbed a hold of her shirt, slamming her against the small building.

"Ah...what the hell is wrong with you?"

"You sold me those fake lottery tickets bitch, I want my goddamn money back!"

"Ayumi, Jesus we're in public. Let her go." Takumi snapped, pulling the girl's hand away.

"You really should control your girlfriend, it's not a good idea to let her run around assaulting people." the auburn haired girl said, brushing the wrinkles off her shirt.

"First off, she's my little sister...second, she said you sold her some fake tickets awhile back. Is that true or not?" he said, earning a scoff from the girl.

"I sell a lot of things to a lot of people, you're gonna have to be more specific."

"June 8th, I was on a trip for Shujin Academy, and you sold me two lottery tickets for ten thousand yen, claiming they were winning tickets. But they were in fact fakes, so I'd like my ten grand back." Ayumi replied. The girl narrowed her eyes in thought, before bursting into laughter, her pigtails shaking with her every laugh.

"Oh yeah...I remember you now...you were carrying around that stuffed whale and were shouting, _Fuck Sea World_ at the top of your lungs. Ah...you were an easy target. Did you buy that whole "I'm a bum" thing?"

"Yeah, you stupid bitch! I bought those tickets because I thought they were real, because I thought that maybe I could help you. But you're just a con artist!" the girl cried. The girl leaned back against the ticket counter, twirling a strand of hair around her finger.

"Listen boo, in this world you have to make a living somehow. There's a sucker born every minute, which means there's a sucker willing to buy your sappy story. Oh, I lost it all, I'm only fifteen years old. I have these tickets, I'm not old enough to cash them in, if you give me ten thousand yen, it'll go a long way...and they buy it hook, line and sinker."

"That's just messed up...why would you do that to people? People who take pity on you?" Takumi asked, a firm tone in his voice.

"It isn't my fault people are gullible...in order to make a fortune, you gotta be willing to make a bet. Once you have all of the cards in your hand, then you can sweep them with a royal flush. What's the point of walking around, working for money, when you can easily make it and only spend ten grand doing it? I make more money in one night with my sap stories then I would working at Big Bang Burger."

"And you think that's an honest life? What about the people who you con out of their money? How do you think they feel? When they scratch that ticket, they think they win but realize they were conned out of their money?" Ayumi snapped.

"Not my problem, if they think it's a con they can just keep their wallets in their pants."

"Except you make them feel pity...you're just a dishonest person...hell you aren't any different than our politicians. You're just another filthy liar." Takumi replied, earning a growl from the girl.

"I am not a liar."

"You dress as a bum and con people, that's pretty much the very definition of a lie." the young cheerleader said, arms crossed over her chest.

"It's not a lie, it's a bluff...all you have to do is decide whether you wanna put your chips into the pot, or fold. Sadly, a lot of people toss those chips in the pot, and the one that ends up winning it is me. Now would you mind leaving me alone? I'm waiting for the next drawing." she said, glancing away from the pair.

"Hmm...you like bets right? That means you like to take a gamble."

"Yes...is there an issue with that?" the girl asked curiously.

"Not really, but if you like gambling, I've got a game for you...if you're willing to play it." he said, earning a smirk from the girl.

"Alright, you've gotten my attention."

"Follow me, we'll be going to Big Bang Burger for this, but there are some materials I need to acquire first. Don't worry, I'll pay for lunch." He said. She audibly sighed, pacing her ticket back inside her purse.

"Well, I don't have all day." she said rudely. Takumi frowned, taking the lead toward Central Street. Ayumi followed along, wondering what her brother was planning.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Sorry for the wait, the local game store didn't have the right things I needed." he said, placing two sets of five dice on the table, along with two plastic cups.

"Whatever, can we just get this moving?"

"Jeez, you aren't very polite are you?" Ayumi asked, earning a glare from the girl. Takumi ignored their antics, leaning back in his seat.

"The name of this game is Liar's dice. There are five dice in play for either side, ten in total. The object of the game is to outbid the other player, but naming a face value, this includes all the dice, not just your own. If the bidder gets the right number of faces, he wins, if not, the challenger wins. Get the gist?"

"It's a game of deception, meaning I have to consider my options with every move I make. You had my interest, but now you've got my attention...you're the challenger, so what do you want?" the girl asked curiously.

"Your name."

"My name? That's all you want?" the girl asked.

"Big brother! Why would you ask for her stupid name? What about my money?" Ayumi whined, only for the boy to push her back.

"Someone that can create new cons out of thin air, and is able to gamble without a care in the world, would be an asset. I'd like to get to know you, so I could learn your tools of the trade. That's what I want, for you to be my teacher."

"Pfft...me, teach you how to con people? You don't look it...though you seem familiar, are you sure we haven't met yet? Maybe in at the amusement park with those fake prize tickets?" she asked.

"You're horrible." Ayumi muttered, taking a gulp from her soda.

"No...we've never met. But now you know what I want, your name and for you to teach me your trade." the boy said confidently, she smirked, leaning forward in her seat.

"Fair enough, but if I win...I want five million yen. I don't care how you get it, but I want it in my hand by the end of the night. Is that an acceptable deal?"

"What? You aren't gonna ask for my name?" he asked jokingly.

"Hmm...maybe...five million yen vs me teaching you how to con people...those are the terms of this game...however, if you are caught in a lie, it's an automatic loss." the girl said, holding her hand out to him. Takumi nodded, shaking her hand.

"We have a deal." he said. Both of them grabbed their dice and placed them in the cup, giving it a firm shake before placing their cups down on the table. Ayumi was watching intently, having to lean over the divider separating the booths.

"Three 2's." the girl said, a confident look on her face. She didn't even look at her dice, making the boy rather skeptical. He took a peek at his dice, seeing he didn't have a single two. Rather he had three fours, one six and two fives. He lowered his cup, glancing up at his opponent.

"Five 4's."

"Heh...you seem confident with that bid, are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I am confident with my bid, or else I wouldn't have made it." Takumi replied. She glanced under her cup, seeing two fours, one five and two six's. She lowered her cup, a smile on her face.

"Six 4's."

"Okay...I'll raise my bid again, seven 4's." the young actor said, earning a scoff from the girl.

"You're a liar, I can see it on your face."

"You're calling me a liar? Alright, raise them up." Takumi said, removing his cup from his dice, the girl did the same showing off her hand. The smug look she had on her face diminished when she saw the Seven 4's he had bet.

"Shit."

"Heh...you call me a liar when I was telling the truth. That's one less die for you miss." he said, taking one of her die, handing it to Ayumi to hold. He scooped his dice and placed them back in the cup, giving it a shake.

"Next turn ends the game...I'm gonna miss my drawing if I keep wasting time here." the girl said, slamming her cup onto the table.

"Alright...just as long as you don't call me a liar." he said. She glanced under her cup, seeing two 1's and two 4's. She narrowed her eyes a bit in thought, knowing there was nine dice in play. She lowered her cup, glancing at the boy.

"Three 4's."

He remained silent, trying to see if she was trying to make a bluff. Sadly, he wasn't able to discern anything from her face, making it that much harder to guess. He looked under his cup, seeing four 6's, along with two fives. Knowing she had four dice, there was no way there could be three 4's in play, unless she had all three. He decided to bait her, a blank look on his face.

"Four 6's."

The girl stiffened a bit at his call, though it was barely noticeable. He did see her hair move slightly, which would have probably flown over anyone else. She glanced under her cup again, seeing the same dice staring back at her. She wasn't sure if she was going to win, the boy had backed her into a corner, if she called him a liar then she'd probably lose. She sighed, lowering her cup.

"Izumi Akazawa."

"Huh? What kind of bet was that?" Ayumi snapped in annoyance. Takumi smirked, leaning back in his seat.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Izumi Akazawa...did you like our little game?"

"Very much so, I'm surprised I haven't run into this game before. The terms of this bet will be upheld. You wish to learn how I make my fortune huh? I suppose I wouldn't mind passing the tools of the trade to an apprentice. Though I have to wonder, what do you want to learn this stuff for anyway?" she asked curiously.

"Gambling is a skill anyone can make use of. If I can take a good gamble, then it'll make it all worth while. If you were able to con someone like Ayumi out of her money by dressing as a bum, then I know there's something that will benefit me."

"Big brother come on! Are you serious about this? I thought you wanted to get my money back!" Ayumi cried angrily.

"Sweetheart, you got that money back when Kaneshiro was arrested. There is a reason why I wanted your name...I want to know your relation to Junya Kaneshiro." Takumi said.

"Tch...you wanna know my relation to him? Beat me in poker and I'll give you that information. But you aren't ready to make that gamble yet, hell I bet you can't even play cards right, I'll be surprised if you can win a game of blackjack."

"Teach me." the boy said, holding his hand out. She looked at his outstretched hand, giving him a surprised look.

"Fine...I'll teach you the art of gambling and more. I'll turn you into a fine con man."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Fortune** _Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Wheel of Fortune)xxx**_

"Let's trade contact information and chat ID's. I'm not gonna make time for you, so when I do message you, you'll have to decide whether what you are doing is important;or whether you want to learn something new. Got it?" Izumi said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Don't worry, as soon as you message me...I'll meet you at the Lottery Counter in Shibuya Square." Takumi replied. The girl stood up from her seat, grabbing a hold of her purse. She dug her hand inside it for her phone, exchanging information with Takumi.

"See ya around." she replied, taking her leave. Ayumi growled angrily, squeezing the rail dividing the booths.

"You just let her walk away...what...the hell? I thought you loved me big brother."

"I do, but I want to know more about her, this was the only way I could. Don't worry, you'll get your ten thousand yen back, and then some."

"You aren't gonna start conning people are you?" she asked, causing the boy to shake his head.

"Eat your food."

"I'm not teaching you parkour today." she said, much to his chagrin.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday August 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Inokashira Park(Inokashira)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Wait for Futaba to wake up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

"You sure you wanna be out here sis?" Takumi asked, glancing at Kanami, who gave him a nod. The two of them had met up in Inokashira Park, at her request.

He didn't know why, but ever since the day before Futaba's Palace infiltration, she hadn't said a word to him. He didn't know if there was something troubling her or not. She wasn't limping anymore, and he didn't know if she still had her bruises. She had regained a bit of her bubbly personality, but he could tell it was just a front. After everything he had seen at Shimizu's Palace, he knew she had a lot of stuff she needed to get over. The two of them were sitting on the wooden railing, by one of the trails that lead around the lake.

"You uh...wanna go to the zoo?" he asked.

"Nah...seeing animals in captivity pisses me off." the woman replied, keeping her gaze out into the water. He saw her reaching into her bag, pulling out a pack of cigarettes. He sighed, crossing his arms.

"Sis, what did I say about smoking?"

"Come on Takumi, you at least gotta let me have one. You have no idea how stressed I am right now." she replied.

"If you're stressed now, imagine how stressed you'll be when you got lung cancer and have to be hooked to an IV." the boy deadpanned, causing the idol to frown. She shoved the pack and the lighter back into her purse, shifting her gaze back to the lake.

"Why did you call me out here? Was it just to sit here staring at the water?"

"No...I've...I've been thinking of quitting my idol career. I just...don't feel like I want to be an idol anymore."

"What? Come on Kana...you can't tell me you wanna quit now. You're Kanamin, leader of Kanamin's Kitchen! Think about your group, your fans! What would Rise say?" the boy asked, causing the girl to frown.

"She was the one who suggested it...she said that maybe it was time I took a break. I've been performing since I was fifteen, never taking time off...it was one tour after another, I finished one album, I started another one. Then I starred in my first movie, it was a success and right out of filming, I was on tour."

"I guess I understand...you want some time to rethink everything. You have that right...but outright quitting, that isn't the solution. I think you should just go on hiatus." he replied. She remained silent, glancing away from the water's edge.

"I heard you and that Ann girl were dating...I wanted to say congrats. It must be amazing having someone like that by your side."

"It is..she's really sweet and understanding. I...recently told them I was bisexual, all of my friends were really accepting. If I had told anyone else, they would have probably bullied me over it." he admitted, bowing his head slightly.

"Don't ever be ashamed of who you are. I was that way once, wondering if being an idol was as fulfilling as I thought it would be. But then I remembered my friend, the reason why I did this was for her...which is why I've never quit. But it's been so stressful lately...now the Phantom Thieves targeted Shimizu...I don't know, I feel like everything is crashing down on me."

"Kanami...you and I were captured together that day...I know what Shimizu was doing to you. How he chained you up, and took those pictures to sell online. How long has he been doing that?"

"Not long...he only made me sign that release form recently. I don't think he ever got to sell those pictures though. He was just holding them over my head for blackmail, so that I would serve him. I still remember the beating Shouji gave me." she replied, placing a hand on her stomach, eyes firmly closed. Takumi took a hold of her hand, holding it tightly in his grasp.

"Why didn't you tell anyone Kana? What didn't you tell me? I'm your brother, you could trust me...what about your mom, does she know about any of this?"

"I haven't spoken with mom in ages. She's busy taking care of my grandmother, so she doesn't know much. It's mostly me and Rise now...I'm thankful that she's there. I'm glad that you're here too...I knew I was in trouble, but I just sat through it. You know me, I'm a really patient person...I tried seeking a way to keep everything balanced. I wanted to make sure that my real life, and my idol life never crossed each other. But Shimizu...he messed everything up."

"I heard he was the one that came to you...I also know that he only did that because Akihiko Shouji had a sick obsession with you. Don't worry, I know the Phantom Thieves will change his heart, he's gonna confess...I promise you." he said firmly.

"Yes I know...which is why I'll be patient and wait...but for now, I'm going to remain on hiatus. I know the girls will understand, none of them know anything about what happened, and I don't want them to know. I don't want them to know that their friend and leader was turned into a literal glamour cow." Kanami replied, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"What will you do then?"

"Eh...Boss offered me a part time job at Leblanc, and I've been debating on taking it. After being on tour, on stage, on the silver screen...I think I just want a calm and quiet life for now. I've already payed him back for everything, but I want to know how he makes his curry. I finally convinced Rise to let me use her recipe...he's thinking of calling it, the Kanamin Special."

"A new dish with your name, Kanami that's nice...I'll be sure to buy a nice helping of it when it is available." Takumi replied.

"Hmm...there's something I wanted to talk to you about. It's about your acting career, I know you've been struggling to find something."

"Yeah, I haven't gotten much...I've been busy lately, so I've only gotten commercials. Everyone keeps turning me down because of those fucking allegations...now I got people calling me a cheater and a player because some asshole said I was dating Risette." he snapped, tightening his fist.

"That's just something you have to get used too. I want you to find meaning in your life, what is it you are meant to do. Do you truly wanna keep acting?"

"Of course I do! I'm not gonna give up because of what Dad did to me. He thinks he can force me to be his heir, and I'm not gonna do that! I wanna show him that I am a good actor...so I'll do what I can, even if I fail at it. I'll keep getting up until I reach the top!" he said firmly.

"Well...if acting is your purpose, and you find true meaning in it, then keep going for it. But you also have to be patient, you can't expect something to be delivered to you on a silver platter. How do you think I got the lead role in Drop Kick?"

"You used your tits to seduce the director?" he asked, quirking his brow. She puffed her cheeks, fixing her glasses.

"No...I did not do that. I just kept my mind focused on other tasks...if you keep insisting, you'll come out as overbearing. Insisting on a job at your local supermarket shows that you are a good worker. But when it comes to movies, it makes you out to seem like you are needy, and unprofessional. So you'll get canned before they even look at your resume. Just be calm, polite, modest and respectful...surely you'll get the part, and if you don't, then move onto the next one."

"Okay...what advice can you give to a struggling actor like me?" he asked.

"Shoot for the stars...you can achieve anything you want in life if you try hard! Don't forget, cows are your friends, even though meat is mighty tasty!"

"Kanami, be serious!"

"Hehehe...okay, I was being serious...you can do whatever you want in life if you try. So if you want to be a successful actor, don't give up...you're gonna get kicked down a lot. But just keep standing up, you'll get battered and bruised, but eventually, you'll make it. I'll always be there to support you." she said, placing a hand on his shoulder. The boy wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her chest.

"I love you sis...you have no idea how worried I was. Seeing you limp, knowing you were being hit. It was driving me insane, the thought of losing someone so dear to me...I just couldn't bare it." he said, earning a smile from the girl.

"I'll always be here for you Takumi, no matter what. I'm sorry about lying to you, I was just scared that he'd hurt you. I'm not sure sure anymore...he said he'd expose my nude photos on August 26th...I'm scared that he will. My life will be ruined if he does."

"I won't allow him to do that, trust me...he isn't going to. He's gonna confess, to everything." he said.

"Alright, then let's leave it to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. There is one thing though, you live surrounded by musical instruments, yet you aren't making use of any of them."

"I am...my mom is teaching me to play an instrument. So far, I'm starting to pick up scales on the guitar...it's sort of challenging though. Especially because I'm left handed." he admitted.

"Well...if you're learning an instrument, then I'll teach you something else. How about I teach you how to sing? You have a nice voice, I'm sure we can put it to use."

"Kanami, I'm not sure about that...I'm not a good singer."

"Now you aren't...singing is an acquired skill...you aren't born singing. In fact, singing is all about patience, you can't sing a song without knowing how to sing. You have to build your talent up until you are ready. If you are willing, we can start with vocal lessons."

"I...okay, I got nothing to lose right?" Takumi said.

"That's right...I'll turn you into my ace in the hole. After all, Ayane is still recovering, maybe we can put you in a cute dress and make up and pass you off as a girl."

"Yeah, in your dreams."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Temperance** _Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Temperance)xxx**_

"Come on, we can start now...since you're learning scales with a guitar, we can start with that. We'll start with vocal range, let's see how high you can sing without me kicking you in the balls."

"I'm in for a fun time, aren't I?" Takumi muttered, a frown on his face.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday August 8**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Tokyo Skytree(Sumida)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny (Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Wait for Futaba to Wake Up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

After having had a heart to heart with his older sister, Takumi and Kanami split up for the day. She had various things to do, one of them being a press conference where she would explain her hiatus. Of course she had to plan for all of that, and her manager was going to help her. He really did wish he could do more for her, but until Shimizu had his change of heart, he couldn't do anything. The news had reported the man was apparently locked up in his home, and was refusing to speak to anyone. They had tried speaking with Akihiko Shouji, but he was also unavailable, instead his father Takeshiro did most of the talking. He had said something about his son mentioning a script for a movie or something. But so far, he didn't have any concrete proof on either of them wanting to confess.

Though the same thing had happened to Madarame, he had just shut down entirely muttering "I'm Sorry" to Yusuke for the duration of his change, until he confessed everything publicly. All he had to do was hope that the change would happen, he had seen it twice already, so he had no doubt it wouldn't work. It was also why he wanted to come to the Sky Tree alone. He just wanted to do a bit of soul searching. A lot of things had happened since he had arrived in Tokyo on June 3rd of that year. Sadly, his little adventure was stopped in its inception when he got a call from an annoyed Caroline, saying he barely hung out with them, so he decided to invite them with him to Sumida.

"I must admit, you humans know how to break boundaries. Your creations really do leave nothing to be desired." Justine said softly, glancing out of the panoramic windows into the sprawling metropolis below them. Takumi chuckled, leaning back against the railing, glancing out of the window as well.

"You can see Mt. Fuji from here, I have some friends who live in a town near the base of it. Normally, you can't see the snow caps, but I guess it's not foggy over there." he replied, his eyes focused on the distant mountain range.

"This is so boring, can we at least go do some shopping?" Caroline snapped, earning a frown from Takumi.

"You know, life isn't all about shopping. I know you might seem bored, but I invited you here for a reason. You wish to know more about the human race? Well, why not take a look out that window and tell me what you see." he said. The blonde huffed, grabbing onto the railing as she leaned forward, eyes narrowed.

"I see buildings...lot's and lot's of buildings."

"Yeah, and?"

"And what? That's it...just a bunch of buildings!" she cried, glaring at the boy. He rolled his eyes.

"You are only seeing material things...you know what I see when I look down there? Human effort, pain...suffering...long hours spent away from family and friends, all so that people have places to live. Imagine how the builders of that metropolis felt, knowing they had to be away from home for long periods of time, building houses, stores...malls, for people they didn't know."

"I would imagine it would be quite stressful." Justine said.

"Yeah...it is...but there's something else in there that people don't see often. Gratification. When you do something, knowing that you won't benefit much, but someone else will. If it wasn't for people building those houses, there would be homeless people everywhere, men, women...children, without warm homes in the winter. There still are mind you, but there would be a lot more. Why do you think people struggle to design clothes every year?"

"They're afraid people will think they aren't being creative. If people don't buy their fashion, then they won't feel proud of their accomplishments...there wouldn't feel any gratification." Justine said.

"Bah...that's just stupid. You humans focus on the most mundane things in the world."

"Well...when you have but one life to live, what else are you supposed to do? You can't just walk around, meandering forever. You gotta pick something and stick too it. Humans have lots of talents, it's just people often times use them in the wrong way. Take Shimizu for example, he had the makings of an amazing director, his movies were wonderful. But hidden beneath them, was his true motivations, and the truth behind his talent. It's the same for big businesses...they only care about the money, not the products, not the people. Not everyone is like this...but more often then not, that's how it is."

"So...you're saying that society as a collective whole, is just a bunch of messed up individuals taking advantage of one another?" Justine asked. Takumi sighed, brushing some hair out of his eyes, taking his glasses off his face.

"Most of the time...I'll clue you in on one thing...Money is the root of all evil. People fight for it, they kill for it, the rape innocents for it, it turns even the gentlest of people, into a cruel monster. Money makes the world go round, without it, you die. That is how society sees it...but honestly, is it really that hard to live without money? Sure, you don't have the necessities, but how do you think the Native Americans lived before the White Men came to America?"

"Huh? Your kidding me right? There was barter, and I'm sure there was money too." Caroline said.

"Well yeah...but most of those tribes could live perfectly in peace. As long as they had food, water, company...that was all that was needed. Then everything they had was taken from them, sicknesses came, their people died or were sold as slaves...what I'm trying to say is, humans aren't pretty creatures, we have done very messed up things, just look at the Atom Bomb. But we are also capable of doing wonderful things...you see this tower we are currently in? It stands as a symbol of human ingenuity, that we can all put aside our differences and work together to create something great. Something that will benefit everyone, when we all reach our hands out, and take the hand of another person, and relish in its warmth, we know we aren't alone. Together we can change the world."

As soon as he finished speaking, the people around him started clapping loudly, startling him out of his trance. He noticed everyone was recording him with their phones or taking pictures of him. He flushed, bowing his head in embarrassment. Justine took a hold of his hand, leading him away from the crowded area. Once they were away from them, the boy let out a sigh.

"Honestly, can't people just mind their own damn business? I thought I was yesterdays news...it's like people wanna keep me relevant." he said, placing his glasses back on his face.

"Perhaps people don't wish to let your name fall into obscurity because you are an interesting person. You have opened my eyes on how humanity works, and have shed quite a lot of insight. I wouldn't say this trip was a waste of time."

"If Justine says it wasn't a waste, I suppose it wasn't. Though I do have one question Inmate, why wear glasses?" Caroline asked, causing the boy to look at her.

"I dunno...I guess they help me blend in. I don't need them to see or anything, but I'd rather not stand out much."

"That is a very difficult thing to do, especially because of your career." she replied, earning a nod from the boy.

"I know that...it doesn't matter...people aren't gonna let me go at all. If it's not drug allegations, it's me dating my friend who I consider a sister. If it's not that, it's a video of me being pissed off at something, and if it isn't that, it's that little show I just put on. Not to mention the people that follow me and my girlfriend around, snapping pictures as if it was okay. It just...it's stressful."

"Why don't you quit?"

"Excuse me?" the boy asked, earning a confused look from the twins.

"Well...if you find this profession difficult and stressful, would it not be ideal for you to release yourself from it? You would be much happier if you did."

"It isn't that easy Justine."

"Why not? Can't you just go on television and say, "Yo, I quit this shit, I'm outtie, peace" and be done with it?"

"No Caroline, I can't do that...one, it would be rude, and two I'm not Slim Shady." he replied, earning a huff from the girl.

"Then what is the true reason you remain as an actor? Does this tie into why you see Sixteen as the worst number in your life?"

"No...you know why I'm still an actor?" the boy asked, slowly approaching the windows. The glanced down at the city of Tokyo, a frown on his face as he saw the tiny cars moving around erratically, almost like ants bringing food back to the nest. He brushed his hair behind his ear, glancing back at the twins.

"I'm still an actor, because I wanna show my father, that I don't need his company to be my own person. Everything ended for me when my mother died, that was when I realized the world was a cruel place. No one is safe, we're all gonna die, it's just a matter of time. Why hide away and pretend everything is merry? Because, as a child that's the only thing you can do. You hide from the things you are scared of, and don't understand. I became an actor, so I could be someone else."

"Someone else? I do not follow your logic." Justine said.

"Hehe...I wouldn't expect you too. Acting is like...it's like putting a mask on your face. You can be anyone you want, you can be the super suave 007, you can be the insanely funny Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, you can be a Rock star, a super hero...nothing is out of your imagination. You can be anyone you want...except yourself...in a sense, up until I came here, I was a living mask...just a husk of a person walking around, pretending everything was fine, when I knew it wasn't."

"That's why you're a Phantom Thief, because you didn't want to be a husk anymore. The Phantom rebelled within you, and you finally ripped the mask off your face, you broke the chains and spread your wings. Reclaiming what you had lost." Justine said, causing the boy to turn around.

"Yeah...in a sense. It wasn't even that though...I remember, once New Age was done filming, I went back home. My dad was spouting some bullshit about company policy or whatever, when he suddenly sprung this trip on me. Go to Japan for a year, you clearly need to get away from here. I can't let you become the head of the business when you act like that. It was like he was tossing me aside, yet, I don't I understand why...I remember seeing a butterfly that day, swirling around his head."

"A butterfly?" Caroline asked, giving him a confused look.

"Yes...a sapphire blue swallow tail butterfly. It was also the first moment I heard her voice, it was so broken and sad. "You have been chained down and oppressed, this is the only chance for you to reclaim what is lost. I apologize for not getting here earlier, but this is the last of my power. There are others like you, please you must help them save the world from ruin." that was it. That was when I first heard the name Lavenza."

"That name again?"

"Hmm...I have been looking into it for awhile but, there is no one I know by that name. Yet, it makes me feel...a little odd whenever it is mentioned." Justine said, earning a curious look from Caroline.

"You feel odd? It's just a name though...you're just falling for the Inmate's sap story. He's an actor, he can make you feel things!" her twin cried.

"Sure, if you say so...what do you feel when you hear the name Lavenza?"

"Ugh...it makes the hairs on my neck stand on end. I dunno who this Lavenza chick is, but you seem to have quite the hard on for her. Whenever we summon you to the Velvet Room, you mutter her name in your sleep. You sure she isn't something more than a memory?" she asked, wiggling her brows a bit.

"You're supposed to be my wardens, not my damn love doctor. I told you, I don't know who Lavenza is. But whenever I hear that voice, whenever I make a pact with someone...it just makes my heart ache. It's one of the question that haunts me...I try not to think about it. But I also can't help but imagine her...being alone somewhere, in the dark...cold...alone, just like I was. I reach my hand out to hers, and I just...can't grab it."

The twins shared a look, both of them being quite serious. Justine and Caroline both took a hold of his hands, channeling a bit of their power into them. He looked at them curiously, feeling the energy swirling around the center of his chest.

"Our master can only offer the Velvet Room facilities to the Wild Card, but we can share some of our power with you. You have been given Eagle Eye in the past, it is why you are able to easily take down shadows with a sniper rifle." Justine said.

"Huh? You mean...that's the reason my aim is always on point, even with a handgun?" he asked.

"Yup, that's right! Eagle Eye can be used in the real world too, remember when you mentioned Mt. Fuji's snowcaps?" Caroline asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"That was an extent of that power...with it, you can see far distances. You can also see things that are hiding in plain sight, including pesky paparazzi trying to photograph you. However, the new power we have granted you is different than the first."

"Different, how so?"

"There are times where people will try to hurt you. You have seen it yourself, you were almost assaulted by Kaneshiro's men. You were kidnapped by Kaburagi and Shouji. This power is normally reserved for people like us, Velvet Room attendants...but we shall allow you to use it. Consider it a gift, for allowing us to understand humanity." Justine said.

"Before you ask, you can now summon your Persona out in the real world."

"Huh? Are you serious Caroline? I thought you could only do that in the Metaverse!"

"Shush! Not so damn loud, yes...you can. There are people that can summon theirs through rigorous training. They need an evoker...but we have given you a bit of our godly aura. However, you can only summon your persona once a day, and do save it for emergencies."

"Caroline is right, summoning your persona requires a lot of mental strength. You have the power to summon it in the real world, but if you aren't focused, it will not work. Once you do however, you will be drained of most of your stamina. Humans are weak in this regard, I would advise that you train your mind and body before attempting to summon it. Unless you have massive stores of stamina or a lot of adrenaline whenever it is you decide to invoke it." Justine said.

"Can...can anyone else do this?" he asked curiously.

"Nope, we're granting this power only to you. You should feel grateful Inmate, we were generous with this gift so use it wisely. However, if you do wish to grant this power onto someone else...well you'll have to prove yourself useful."

"Prove myself?"

"In battle...for us to assess your true power, we shall do battle. We have extended this offer to the Wild Card as well, and he has agreed, only when the time is right. Concentrate on growing stronger, and when you are ready, you need only say the word. Without your consent, we shall not attack you. This is a test after all." Justine explained, earning a nod from the boy.

"That's right...and if you do manage to beat us, not only will we grant this power to one other person of your choosing, but we'll throw in something nice. That one is a surprise of course!" Caroline said, a grin on her face.

"I...okay, I'll train...I'll grow strong with the Phantom...when I am, I'll challenge you two to a battle. But know that I am not going easy on either of you. I will use every ounce of my strength and I will bring you down!"

"We wouldn't want it any other way." the twins replied in unison, genuine smiles on their faces. Takumi didn't know why, but he felt the need to smile too. He could feel a new power growing within him, a power that he would use to help his friends change the world.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? V The Hierophant(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **? XVI The Tower(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	42. Await the Change II: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **I dun goofed. I ended up editing chapter 43 because my dumb ass didn't make sure I was on the correct chapter. And since I'm pressed for time, you get this unedited chapter 42. My gift from me to you, enjoy it in it's pure uncut glory, with such classic fuck ups as there there, unnecessary punctuation marks, that one random capital letter in the middle of a sentence, and who could forget random spaces between sentances? For the low low price of free, you get to deal with this tonight!**

 **Order now, and you'll get chapter 43, for half price in about three hours. (Not Really) If you want to sweeten the deal go to .com for the most entertaining time of all time!**

 **Viewer Discretion is Advised**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 42

Await the Change II: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Sunday August 9**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Seaside Park: Rainbow Bridge(Odaiba)**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Wait For Futaba to Wake Up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Dude, you sure you didn't ask me out for a date? Because this is a place you'd bring your girlfriend too." Takumi joked, earning a chuckle from Ren who pushed his glasses up his nose, leaning against the railing.

"If you wanna consider it a date, then go for it. I'm not holding your hand."

"Fuck you."

"Hey now, we're here on business." Morgana said firmly.

"Right...I wanted you to meet someone, my informant of sorts. She's a bit...out there, but she's reliable. All she wants is info on the Phantom Thieves, and she'll dig up anything you want. However, she has someone that I can't really get a hold of." Ren said firmly, grabbing the young actor's attention.

"Someone you can't get a hold of? Mind explaining that for me?"

"Well...we went to Crossroads last night to meet with her. Ichiko Ohya, you remember her right? We went to Shinjuku to get information on Kaneshiro?"

"On her...the lazy goddamn drunk you were muttering about a day or two ago."

"That's the one...she said she had some information that could be relevant to the Thieves. Something about that prosecutor that was yelling at Boss the other day. Thing is, she happens to be related to one of us." Ren said.

"Huh? One of us? Wait...oh shit, you mean she's...Makoto's sister?"

"Mhmm...Sae Nijima...she's apparently working the Phantom Thief case. Ohya's friend happens to be a detective in the force, also working that case. We wanted to get close, but since Ren is on probation he might get tossed in jail. Which is why we asked you to come here...you're an actor, you can get in and out easily."

"You can't be serious Mona, Christ this is a detective we're talking about...De...Tec...Tive! You wanna get us all arrested?" the boy hissed.

"That's the thing though, Ohya assured me this woman is good. She's on the side of justice, thing is she doesn't know what to do. She's sort of split on who to support...but this could be an integral lead. If we had information on what the Police are doing, we could work safely behind the scenes. We were almost caught in Akihabara, no matter how much we plan, the police will be a hindrance." Ren said, earning a sigh from Takumi, who gave him a nod.

"That's true...but still, don't you think this is a bit risky? What does Makoto think about this?"

"We haven't told her...we figured if we mentioned her sister, she might try to make contact herself. That could put us all in danger, not to mention Shimizu hasn't had his change yet. We need to meet this woman, and convince her to give us a line."

"Yeah right...how the hell are we gonna do that?" Takumi asked.

"You'll see, she's here." Ren said, pointing to the black haired woman walking toward them, clutching her head tightly. As soon as she approached them, Takumi caught the scent of alcohol. He was convinced he would get drunk if he breathed anywhere near here, so he backed away a bit.

"Hey there Ren, I see you brought your friend, that's nice~"

"Ichiko-san, isn't it a bit early to be drinking?"

"Early? Nah...not if you don't sleep. Anyway, this the boy you were talking about? That actor that's all over the news?"

"It's nice to meet you Miss Ohya, I'm not a fan of journalists, but you seem like a nice person. You can just call me Takumi, if you'd like." the boy said politely, going as far as giving a formal bow. She rose a brow, shrugging it off.

"At least he's polite...anyway, that information you wanted, I was able to dig it up. But you know how this goes."

"That's right, information for information...Takumi, you have something more concrete about the Thieves right?" Ren asked.

"Eh? I uh...yeah, I do. It's about their latest target, Ryoutaro Shimizu...I've been hearing rumors in Akihabara. People say, that the good director was attacking and raping the women on his set. Not just that, I have proof, my older sister Kanami is one of his victims. She was able to get me these." he said, digging his hand in his pack for his notepad, which still had his confessions written on them.

"What's this, confessions?" Ohya asked, her eyes tracing each word.

"That's right, from three different people, a make up artist, a costume designer, and a young woman who was in a hospital. Apparently, Shimizu beat her to the point where she lost her baby, the former two aren't that far off. They were beaten and had limbs broken as well."

"Tch...what a piece of shit. No wonder the Phantom Thieves targeted him...this might make for an interesting column. Alright, here's the information I was able to dig up. This girl and I go way back, to high school even, but she's a bit odd. Her name's Detective Konan Makidou, she's a bit aloof at times, but trust me, she knows her shit." Ohya said, giving Ren the glossy business card.

"Alright, why is it that you want us to make contact with her?" Takumi asked curiously.

"Because, I wanna know what the fuzz is doing. They're handling the Phantom Thief case too, but I wanna know what their progress is. It might help with...never mind...she isn't gonna share jack with me, I'm a journalist. But if either of you go there, she might be willing to help you. Besides, she said if she saw me drinking during the day she'd book me, so I can't get near that place. Well, bring back good news, happy hunting!" the woman said, before stumbling off, giggling like a school girl.

"I do not see how alcohol could be such a wonderful thing. Honestly, it just makes me sick."

"I know what you mean Mona, alcohol can be a vile drink, it can turn even the most noble of gentlemen into idiots." Ren said firmly.

"Just drink in moderation, Jesus...that woman is just off her rocker. Obviously, the first think she thinks of in the morning is a bottle of Jack. But it looks like she's drinking to drown her sorrows away, might lead to what she almost let slip. Anyway, that ain't my business...my business is this Makidou woman." Takumi said, accepting the card from Ren.

"Yes...you're gonna scout for information Takumi...it might lead to some nasty criminals in the Metaverse that we have to take care of. There's a particular bastard out there killing cats in Shibuya. So as soon as you can, saddle up for Mementos, and make sure Rise, Yukiko and Haru are available, they should at least come with us on an exploration." he said.

"Fair enough...I'll be heading into the Snake Pit, wish me luck."

"Wait, take me with you...I wanna meet this woman myself. I'll be able to see if she's a good judge of character or not." Morgana said, causing the actor to stop.

"You wanna come with? I'm okay with that, what say you leader?"

"It would be ideal, I'll gather the team and explain everything to them. Keep me posted, okay?" Ren said. Takumi nodded, opening his backpack wide enough for Morgana to jump inside. Once he was, he placed it around his shoulders, the feline sticking his head out of the opening.

"Don't worry Ren, we're going incognito...we'll get all of the information you need." he said happily. Takumi rolled his eyes, heading toward the train station.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

The Public Prosecutors office was a lot bigger than Takumi had imagined. He had been expecting something akin to a Police Station, but he remembered Detectives don't generally work in police stations. He swallowed the lump in his throat, knowing he was walking into a mine field. He was just hoping Akechi wasn't anywhere inside, because that wouldn't bode well for him. He took a deep breath, feeling Morgana moving around in his bag as he grabbed the door.

"You nervous?"

"Hell yeah, I'm walking into an office filled with detectives and cops. You actually think this is fun?"

"I thought you liked this sort of stuff? You seem to enjoy running when Palaces come down." the cat said, a smirk on his face.

"That's difference, you can't get arrested in the Metaverse...I know, I'm overreacting, but bare with me. I'll just don my mask and walk inside, if anything I can easily get out." he said, finally entering the building, the cool rush of cold air making him shiver.

He walked straight into the office, seeing various workers walking around. He barely saw anyone his age, only one or two people, most likely interns, rookie detectives or people looking for family members. He continued walking forward like he had a purpose, though technically he did. He knew that if he stopped walking that would attract attention to himself. He just hoped that no one saw Morgana in his bag, he didn't know if carrying a cat inside your backpack was illegal, or considered animal abuse, but he really didn't wanna find out. He stopped at the front counter, where a secretary was looking at some files. She glanced up, giving the young man a smile.

"Hello there, is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I'd like to speak with Detective Makidou, if she's available. There's something I wish for her to help me with, someone said she's the best in the force, I wanna see if that's true." he said.

"Of course, her office is on the third floor, this is usually her break time, but she's normally in there. I'll give her a call and let her know someone is on their way to meet her."

"Thank you miss, I hope you have a wonderful day." the said politely, making his way toward the elevator. He waited for the ones inside to walk out before stepping inside, pressing the 3rd floor button. He let out a sigh once the doors had closed, leaning back against the wall.

"Ack! You're crushing...me!"

"Ah...sorry Mona, I forgot you were in there." the boy said, quickly jumping forward. The cat stuck his head out of the backpack, shaking it a few times.

"Just try not to kill me, I'm too young to die...and I still wanna be hugged by Lady Ann."

"Dude...she's my girlfriend."

"I know...which is why you can get me that hug. Come on, it's just a hug." he said, a pleading tone in his voice.

"Fine...I'll see what I can do buddy. But that means no Sushi, you gotta do a trade off, since she's my girl."

"Okay, that'll totally be worth it!" he said excitedly, muttering things about Ann's breasts and warmth that Takumi really tried tuning out.

He stepped out of the elevator, and started walking down the empty hall, passing by the offices of various other detectives, most of them being empty. As he walked however, he couldn't help but hear a voice, which was becoming louder and louder as he walked. He stopped next to the office at the end of the hall, seeing a placard on the side, the name Konan Makidou written on it. He just stood there, listening to the conversation.

"You don't understand! We have to take this seriously, the Phantom Thieves are making a mockery of us. Yet here you are debating whether or not their actions are just. You and I both know that's bullshit!"

"Making a mockery of us? A mockery of you perhaps. But have you considered that they might, in fact be doing something good? For all of society, they captured Kaneshiro no? Made him confess? Or are you just mad at them because you lost your promotion? How's your sister doing by the way? Is she alright?"

"You are insufferable...take your job seriously and help us with this case. If not, then I'm going to ask the SIU director to remove you from the case." the first woman snapped angrily.

"I do take my job seriously, who was it that headed that homicide case last week? I mean, it must be serious shit if it's being covered up. Some poor sucker get disemboweled in the middle of Shinjuku, and here you are worrying about whether I take the law seriously or not. You have to figure your priorities out Sae...or else you might start getting wrinkles."

"Just take this seriously." the woman snapped, the scraping of a chair came out of the room. Takumi jumped back a bit as the woman walked out of the office, stopping when she saw him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Me? Oh uh...I wanted to speak with Detective Makidou...is this a bad time?" he asked curiously. The woman sighed, walking past him.

"All yours. Good luck trying to get anything done with her." she said, disappearing up the hall.

"Takumi, that was the woman that went to Boss's house. The one demanding stuff from him, and threatening court." Morgana said, causing the boy to turn around, only to see she was gone.

"That was Sae Nijima then?"

"Seems like it...wonder what that spat was about? Might as well find out." he said. Takumi nodded, walking toward the office, knocking lightly on the door frame.

"Um excuse me...Detective Makidou?"

The woman spun in her chair, glancing at the young man. He had been expecting someone a bit more stiff than what Ohya had claimed, but the woman before him was completely different than the picture he had in his mind.

She seemed to be rather tall, though she was currently sitting down. She had light pink color haired, tied into a high ponytail at the back of her head, held up with a white ribbon. She was wearing a white smock top, that left her shoulders exposed, the straps of her bra. She was wearing light colored eye shadow around her eyes, making the vibrant emerald green pop out. She had lightly tanned skin, a light bronze in color, unlike the more pale skin tones he was used to seeing in Tokyo. She remained silent for a moment, before beckoning him over.

"Well come in, don't just stand there staring. I'll charge you if you do, and close that door." she said. He nodded, closing the door after himself. He sat down on one of the chairs in front of her desk, taking notice of everything around the room. Along with her degrees, she had various awards, pictures, accolades and nick-knacks strewn about the office. It was unlike what he had been expecting.

"You must be the one I got a call about...I was hoping you'd get here earlier to break that spat up. I guess you found standing outside the door more interesting?"

"You knew I was out there?" he asked curiously.

"I'm a detective, of course I did! Now, what was it that you wanted to talk about? I'm dying to know!" she said happily. She leaned back in her chair, placing her legs up on the desk. Takumi was taken aback by this action, unable to really say anything. He blinked a few times, glancing at her footwear, a pair of brown leather boots with thin heels on them.

"You...wear Carlos Santana booties?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, cute huh? I got them while I was overseas. America is a wonderful country, the FBI are totally badasses. But anyway, you aren't here for fashion tips, and I know you're staring up my skirt, try to make it discreet."

"The fuck? I'm not...I can't...Jesus...Detective Makidou, there's something I want to ask you. It's rather important so please do pay attention." he said firmly, earning a nod from the woman. He sighed, leaning back in his seat as he cradled his bag in his arms.

"Okay...I heard from a...a well informed source, that you are finding information on the Phantom Thieves...is that true?"

"Hmm...why do you ask?"

"Because my older sister works for Ryoutaro Shimizu, the man they just targeted. I don't want them to get her involved in anything, and I've been hearing a lot of nasty things about him." Takumi said, a serious look on his face. The woman reached for her drawer, pulling out a small thin pipe from within, along with a lighter. She placed some tobacco inside it and lit it, taking a drag from the other end before exhaling the smoke.

"I am working the Phantom Thief case, along with three other detectives. You've had the pleasure of meeting Sae Nijima, the Prosecutor for this case, and fellow detective. We've been appointed by the SIU Director to head this investigation, but haven't made headway. We just cannot connect their motives with the changes. A lot of people are saying that they are unjust and well..." she paused, taking another drag from her pipe.

"Let me guess...you're stuck trying to decide whether what they're doing is right? And following the laws stating that they're actions are wrong." he said. She exhaled the smoke, giving him a nod.

"I just don't believe they're doing this out of the malice of their hearts. They're trying to pin the Psychotic Breakdowns and Mental Shutdowns on them too...that damn brat Akechi, I can't believe we gotta work with a damn rookie, always thinking he can get his mug in our business. Bah, who am I to make a sound judgment?"

"Detective...aren't you well...a detective? If anything, I'd be more inclined into listening to your thoughts on the whole matter." Takumi said.

"Eh? You? Who are you? What are you here for?" she asked.

"Takumi Mashita, you know...the failed actor? Who everyone thinks is a drug addict, among other things." he said. Her eyes widened a bit in shock.

"Wait a minute...I remember you...I was the detective in charge of your case. When those allegations were made, I was still a rookie, fresh out of school...I remember being the one to gather evidence. All of that shit was take, I didn't find a single print on anything your father handed us. All of the information he gave us wasn't concrete, which was why there was no trial."

"Huh? I don't remember ever meeting you though...I remember someone interviewing me, but she was way different than you...she was stiff as a board, didn't have a tone other than morose and monotone, like a damn robot." Takumi said, earning a groan from the woman, who emptied her pipe in the ash tray, the embers still glowing.

"That was me, my old man told me that as a detective;I needed to be firm, so that I could get the information I needed. It was total BS, I felt that if I did things my way, I could get more information out of people. Gentle coaxing is better than heartless interrogating, which is something most people don't get. What are the odds that I'd run into you again?" she asked, refilling her pipe.

"One in a million perhaps...but I do remember now, you were stiff...but towards the end of the investigation, you were smiling. I think you gave me some candy, told me everything would be fine. It was...so thank you, I'm sure there would have been a trial if you hadn't done your job."

"I need not your praise, anyone who isn't a goddamn idiot could have seen it was all lies. You had no injection sites on your body, neither your arms or your thighs. There were no prints on the steroid bottles, the pills were untouched, and the supposed protein mix that you were mixing with cocaine didn't even exist. There's also the fact that you were twelve, and those idiots didn't bring age into the mix. God, I still wonder why these laws even exist, if people are to stupid to enforce them. It's why people like the Phantom Thieves are running around."

"Are you glad...that they're doing your job better than you?" he asked. The woman paused as she was about to light her pipe, the flame from her Zippo still burning.

"Don't insult me, I don't particularly like being ragged on by someone else. But if they can get the job done, who are we to stop them?"

"So, you appreciate the Thieves and what they're doing, but still want to uphold the law? That is an interesting view Detective." Takumi said, leaning back in his seat.

"Okay, I'm still confused, why are you here? The secretary said you had something important to ask me. I'm sure you aren't here for regular chitchat."

"It's simple...you think the Phantom Thieves are necessary in our society, but your detective side is burning to arrest them. You are curious to see if they are just, but cannot legally do it because of your career. Let's just say...I know someone who knows the Thieves."

"Oh...do you now? Mind sharing that information with me then sweetie? I promise not to arrest you, though you look like someone who'd love to see me as a warden." she said, a smirk on her face.

"Ha, you're funny...I don't like women who smoke honey, so put the pipe down, and you might get a date out of me." he countered, earning a chuckle from the woman.

"You've piqued my interest...okay, so you know this person, who has connections to the Thieves. What exactly do you want from me?"

"Information, I wanna know what is going on in here. I need the names of people suspected of being criminals. My friend says that a single name can lead to a change of heart. I have no idea how it works, but they like to clean society from the bottom up. So if you have any names of suspects or wanted criminals, you can hand them over to me. I'll get you those confessions."

"Confessions? You want me to give you that information, knowing that I could get arrested or worse, and I have is your word?" she asked.

"What do you want from me? Anything but sexual favors."

"Don't flatter yourself, while I do go for younger men, high school kids don't interest me. I am a detective after all...but this does open the realm of possibilities. How about this...I give you that information, if you agree to be my apprentice, the new generation could use a detective like you. Not to mention, your character was partially a detective in Fleeting Angel 2. How about it? It saves me the trouble of that legal bullshit when handing out information." she said.

"What do you say Mona, is it a good idea?" he said softly, hugging his backpack pretending to be in thought.

"It is...go for it."

"Hmm...I accept. Like I said, I'll need information on what goes on here, particularly with Goro Akechi and Sae Nijima, they are...important targets for the Thieves." Takumi replied.

"Fair enough...I don't have information right now, but I'll be sure to message you. Here, this is my cellphone...a personal line directly to me. I'll be able to get another one, it's encrypted for obvious reasons. So I'll message you with information. I feel...like this is the start of something interesting."

"Indeed it is...just don't backstab me, because if I go down, you'll come down with me." he said, shaking her hand once he accepted the cellphone.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Hierophant** _Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Hierophant)xxx**_

"Has anyone ever told you, you look like Ariana Grande?"

"More times than I can count...it's sort of annoying really. I can't walk down the street without someone asking for an autograph. I'm not her though, red is a horrible color on me, plus she was totally annoying on that Nickelodeon show...ugh...would you like a drag?" Konan asked, holding the pipe out to him.

"No."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday August 9**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Wait for Futaba to Wake up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

Even though it was raining, Ayumi and Toni decided to go out and practice parkour in the rain. Something about practicing under weather conditions, that Takumi didn't bother listening too. He was still debating on entering End of Summer with them, the first prelims would be in Miura Beach, which lined up with his planned beach trip. He just wanted Futaba to wake up. He had heard from Ren that she had woken up but felt sluggish and didn't feel like going out. Sojiro had told him that she'd make a comeback soon and would be eating Yakisoba, Pocky sticks and any type of food she could get her hands on. So all they had to do was wait. Ren had asked everyone to gather up, and he had invited them over since Ayumi and Toni were gone and Erica was running the store, and wouldn't be bothering them until closing time.

Rise and Yukiko hadn't been able to come over, so it was just the main Phantom Thieves, including Haru. Takumi himself was showing Ann how to play Blazblue, and teaching her some of the combos Rachel Alucard was capable of using. Ryuji was busy playing on Takumi's PSP, wanting to play some of the old games he had in his collection. It was mostly quiet chatting, researching for Mementos requests and Mitsuhide sharing some prototype tools with Morgana who was teaching her about the tools he could craft. That was at least until she took a break and started looking through the funds for the Phantom Thieves. She pushed her laptop aside, glancing up at Ren who shivered at the look she had given him.

"Ren-kun, you call yourself the leader of the Phantom Thieves, yet you do not know how to properly manage money. Did you know we are severely lacking in funds?" she asked.

"What? I thought you said we had plenty of money, what did you do with it?" Ryuji said, glancing away from his video game.

"I bought new weapons for the team. The guy I go to has been pulling out some of the good stuff and I've been customizing things for everyone. Some of the parts have to be shipped in, so I pay him extra for customs. I also bought some strategy books so I could better manage our infiltrations as well as materials to craft tools...and protein."

"Okay, I get all of the parts and materials...but protein?" Ann asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"I work out a lot at night, or hit up the gym with Ryuji. You have to stay fit to be a Phantom Thief, we can't all eat a chocolate cake with no remorse after all."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"He isn't calling you fat honey, he's just saying you can burn those calories off naturally. You model, you go for walks and have a better metabolism than most of us. If I even look at a burger or a chocolate shake, I'll gain twenty pounds." Takumi said, his eyes shifting back to the television screen.

"Regardless, we require funds in order to buy weapons and tools. We need to have spares in case our current ones break. Not to mention, we haven't been able to head into Mementos because we are low on bullets. I took inventory and we only have two hundred rounds, between all of us." Mitsuhide said firmly.

"Shimizu's shadow was a particularly difficult one to take care of." Makoto added.

"Indeed, most of us were left unable to properly fight, relying only on our guns to do damage. I fear we might be defeated next time, perhaps we should head into Mementos for some extra training." Yusuke said, closing his sketch pad.

"Yes, that would be for the best. We have time now, so we might as well explore the next area that opened up. We'll take care of the requests once we're a little stronger." Ren said.

"Before we do that...we need to settle the money situation. We cannot rely on money dropped by shadows as a source of income. I know most of you are employed, but in order to be prepared, we'll need at least ten million yen. Five million for whatever we need, and five million saved up for emergencies." Mitsuhide said firmly.

"If that's the case, I can just withdraw that amount from my account. I doubt father will even notice." Haru said, setting down her tea cup.

"Yeah...I'll just do the same, I got plenty of money from when Kaneshiro gave it all up. Just gotta make a detour to the bank and withdraw it all."

"Do you honestly believe you can walk up to a bank and withdraw ten million yen with no repercussion? Come on big brother, they will start catching on. You Haru, are even worse, your father owns a company, so what happens when he finds out ten million yen aren't where they're supposed to be?" Makoto asked, earning frowns from the two.

"I hate to say it, but Makoto-chan is right, we can't withdraw the money from an account, because they might make a connection. Small amounts are alright, but we'll have to do our best to keep the money in cash for whenever we require use of it. At the present time, we have no way to amass this amount before our next heist." Mitsuhide said.

"So...that means no more udon and sushi?"

"Goddamn it Yusuke! Now is not the time to focus on food, what do you use your money on anyway? Paint and art supplies?" Ryuji cried.

"Of course, I must better myself in my craft...one always needs to have an extra canvas to paint on when the mood strikes!" he replied.

"Yeah well, I hope you like the taste of canvas when you can't buy yourself some food." Ann replied, pumping her fist happily once she beat Takumi, who set his controller down in front of him.

"Okay...so we can't rely on shadows for cash, we can't withdraw it or we'll paint a target on our backs. No way in hell I'm gonna do some sleazy shit for it...I know, we'll sell our kidneys! 100K a pop, we only need one!" the actor said cheerfully, only to be slapped in the face by Ann.

"Dumbass."

"It was a joke woman, Christ!" he blurted out, rubbing his cheek.

"Well, what are we gonna do then?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"I have an idea." Ren said, causing everyone in the room to look at him.

"Oh...? What would that be?" Mitsuhide asked, earning a smirk from the boy, who pushed his glasses up his nose.

"We rob a bank."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday August 10**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya(Mementos)**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Wait for Futaba to wake up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **Pull of the Bank Heist**_

 _ **xxx**_

Songbird slowly pulled his crimson car over, turning the engine off. It had been rather difficult to procure a car inside Mementos. When Ren had suggested robbing a bank, he had been tempted to bitch slap him like Ann had done to him. But when he said that they could do it in Mementos, that's when the gears started to turn. Morgana had said it was possible, since they hadn't explored the overworld, just the Underground Train station. Since he and Ayumi had been to the Mementos Overworld before, he knew that everything was mostly the same as in the real world. If it wasn't for the fact that he knew he was in an alternate world, he would think he was walking around in the real Shibuya. There were cars driving around and cognitive versions of people walking around the city, making it look rather realistic.

The car he was driving was a Subaru WRX, that had luckily been left with the keys in the ignition. It seemed that people in Mementos acted like their real world counterparts, which made it that much easier for the Phantom Thieves. He had removed the cape that belonged to his outfit, having put on a turtleneck sweater over it, his mask having been over his face. Beside him sat Joker, who had taken the passenger seat, having taken off his signature coat for a regular white coat that he kept zipped up. Skull had also removed his leather jacket, choosing to remain in the shirt underneath it. Finally, Panther was wearing a white blouse and black skirt that reached down to her ankles. Her hair had been pulled out of its signature pigtails, and pulled back into a ponytail instead. All of them were holding their firearms in their hands, ready for the operation.

"Alright, we've planned this for an entire day. We know what we're gonna do, so let's do it." Joker said.

"Are you sure about this? I mean...this is still dangerous, what if they turn into Shadows?" Panther said.

"You heard Mona and Duchess, these are just cognitions...I doubt they'll turn into Shadows. Besides we have the power to handle them...come on Panther, don't be a pussy." Skull said, earning a punch to the arm from the blonde.

"We got a full tank right?" Joker asked, checking his gun over.

"Yup, don't worry...I'll wait here." Songbird replied.

Joker shared a look with his teammates, shrugging as he opened the door. Panther and Skull did the same, walking around the back of the car across the street where the bank was. Songbird watched them walk into the bank, seeing Joker holding his gun up in the air, most likely shouting something. He reached into his pocket for his cellphone, unwrapping the earbuds from around it. He searched through his playlist, finding the song Renegade by Chris Daughtry. He smirked as he hit play, buckling his seatbelt once the song started. He started bobbing his head as the intro begun, glancing out the window at his friends, who were still inside the bank.

" _Don't you wanna feel like a rebel?_

 _Renegade on the run!_

 _Real live wire in the crossfire ridin' shotgun_

 _Not talkin 'bout a deal with the devil_

 _I said nothing 'bout sellin' your soul_

 _Call it what you will if you start to feel outta control!"_

Songbird glanced out of his window, hand on the gear shift as his friends ran out of the bank. He quickly shifted into Reverse, just as they all climbed into the car, holding the large bags filled with cash. He slammed his foot on the gas, quickly reversing out of his spot. He slammed his foot on the brakes, spinning the car around shifting into drive.

" _Here we go!"_

 _Can you hear the sound of the turning wheels_

 _Burning the road like it's never been down!_

 _I'm breaking out of this town like a Renegade_

 _So baby get ready to run!_

 _Don't have any time here left to kill!_

 _Don't wanna go down like the setting sun!_

 _So let's break out of this town like a Renegade!_

 _Can't wait another minute, I'm right here ready to Run!"_

Songbird's grip on the steering wheel increased when he saw the first police car. He smirked, pulling the E-brake, drifting into the turn. He glanced back through his rear view mirror, seeing the cruiser following after them. He could see Skull and Panther's mouths moving, but didn't hear anything due to his music. He glanced briefly at Joker, giving him a smirk as he drifted into another turn. He ducked and weaved through traffic, avoiding all of the cars that were thankfully driving in the same direction as him. He noticed the blockade that had been placed ahead of him, and grabbed a hold of the E-brake, pulling it hard as he drifted to the left, speeding up the empty one way street.

" _Don't you wanna feel like a rebel?_

 _Renegade on the run?_

 _Real live wire in the crossfire riding shotgun!_

 _One hundred miles an hour with the top rolled down_

 _Racin' the wind breakin' out this town_

 _Trying to get lost, but don't wanna be found!_

 _Here we go!_

 _Here we go!"_

Songbird slammed the breaks hard almost hitting another police car. He quickly shifted into fourth gear, gritting his teeth at his lost momentum. The wheels screeched loudly as he drove up the street, eyes narrowed as there was an entire swarm of squad cars behind him, lights flashing brightly. His hands were gripping the wheel so hard he thought it was going to break. He glanced to the right, a smirk on his face as he saw an incline. He turned the wheel to the left, driving straight up the incline into the next road, quickly spinning around. He floored it, spinning the car around once he was on the freeway.

" _Can you hear the sound of the turning wheels?_

 _Burning the road like it's never been down?_

 _I'm breakin out of this town like a Renegade!_

 _So baby let's get ready to run!_

 _Don't have any time here left to kill_

 _Don't wanna go down like the setting sun!_

 _So let's break out of this town like a Renegade!_

 _Can't wait another minute_

 _I'm right here ready to run!"_

Songbird swerved to the left, avoiding the spike strip a police officer had put in the path of his car. He ran over the edge of it, causing it to fly back at the police cars chasing him. One blew out its tires, causing it to lose control and flip over, the other cars slamming into it. He let out a chuckle as he went up another incline, straight into a darkened tunnel. As soon as he made it out of it, he glanced around the area, noticing the lack of police officers. He glanced through the sunroof, frowning when he saw a chopper flying above them. He lowered his eyes back to the road, seeing a pair of cars that looked almost identical to his. He pulled the E-brake, shifting into third gear as he cut across the median into the other road. Once inside the tunnel, he cut one of the other cars off, taking its place.

Once he took the exit ramp, he continued driving normally, turning into the first alleyway he saw. He slowed to a stop when he saw a police cruiser driving in front of them, but realized it had kept going. He floored it out of the alleyway, driving up the road as fast as he could, the speedometer moving past the numbers until it reached top speed. He turned the wheel left and right, swerving in between cars, becoming nothing but a crimson blur to anyone passing by.

" _Gonna ride tonight, gonna ride tonight yeah_

 _Gonna ride tonight (Gonna ride tonight)_

 _Gonna ride tonight (Gonna ride tonight)_

 _Gonna ride tonight (Gonna ride tonight)"_

Songbird slammed his foot on the breaks, drifting into a turn almost slamming into another police barricade. He quickly floored it, causing some of the officers to jump the gun, going after him again. He hissed angrily, shifting into fourth gear, pushing the poor Subaru as hard as he could. His heart was beating hard in his chest as he continued glancing at his mirrors, seeing the flashing red and blue lights following. His eyes widened a bit when he saw the road he was driving on was closed, seeing there was roadwork ahead of him, something that amazed him entirely. There was however a flatbed truck, with the bed completely raised, making it look almost like a ramp, blocking the street, a large bulldozer being parked on the other side of the road.

He glanced at Joker, who looked at him, brow quirked in curiosity. He just gave him a smirk, shifting into the Sports Gear, causing the car to speed up even more, all of the Speed gauges were at the very right of the Speedometer, the car having reached top speed. It all became slow motion for the boy as they started driving up the ramp, shooting into the air. He was sure Skull and Panther were screaming at the top of their lungs, but he couldn't hear them over his music. He felt the wheels slam hard against the asphalt, and quickly pulled the E-break, sliding to a stop. Shifting to fourth gear, he floored it, tearing up the street.

" _Can you hear the sound of the turning wheels?_

 _Burning the road like it's never been down?_

 _I'm breakin out of this town like a Renegade!_

 _So baby let's get ready to run!_

 _Don't have any time here left to kill_

 _Don't wanna go down like the setting sun!_

 _So let's break out of this town like a Renegade!_

 _Can't wait another minute_

 _I'm right here ready to run!_

 _Don't wanna go down!_

 _So let's break out of this town like a Renegade!_

 _Can't wait another minute, I'm right here ready to run!"_

Songbird let out a sigh of relief as he entered the parking garage, having successfully lost the cops behind him. He pulled over, throwing the door open, his heart still racing, arms shaking from the adrenaline. He quickly took off his turtleneck sweater, slipping his cape around his shoulders as he walked around the car toward the Mona-Mobile, which had its side door open. He noticed Skull and Panther taking off their disguises as well, having tossed the bags to Beauty Thief and Fox who had been waiting for them. Everyone climbed into the van and closed the door, with Queen driving away normally.

"So...how did it go?" Beauty Thief asked, a hint of enthusiasm in her voice.

"We don't wanna talk about it." Skull and Panther said in unison, still shaking from the experience. Joker just chuckled, leaning back in his seat.

"Was it that bad? Perhaps I should have gone in your stead."

"Trust me Fox, you probably would have pissed your pants, I'm surprised Panther didn't, because I was close to it." Skull replied, placing a hand over his eyes.

"What did you do Songbird? Was it that bad?" Queen asked.

"Hehe, don't worry, I had Futaba's phone acting like a dash camera, while having Joker's phone recording the inside of the car. You'll be able to enjoy it first hand when we get back to base." he said, giving her a wink.

"It was...ugh." Skull said, shivering in throught.

"Hey Skull, how's my driving?"

"Kiss my ass."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"I cannot believe we pulled this off. Look at this, look at all of this!" Ryuji said, holding two large stacks of yen in his hands, a grin on his face.

"Other than the pants shitting drive, it was a really well done plan...so good job Ren. Also Takumi, never drive like that again."

"Come on, I got us away from the cops and all I get is shit on?" the brown haired boy asked, setting down the stack he had been counting. Ann sat down next to him on his bed, giving him a firm kiss on the lips.

"There you go, sorry I didn't reward you before. I was trying not to vomit." she admitted.

"Well...after the preliminary count, I say that this heist has scored us about 20,560,000Yen...give or take." Mitsuhide said.

"Holy shit...I've never seen this much money in one place at the same time. Not counting Kaneshiro's bank." Ryuji said, sitting down next to Haru, who had several stacks next to her.

"Whatever the case, this was rather profitable, we might have to do this again sometime. For now, I will leave the account of our funds to Mitsuhide. She will manage how we spend this and when we spend it...it is rather appropriate yes?" Morgana asked.

"Fair enough, you'll keep our budget and give it to Makoto to look over. As our adviser, she has the final say on what we get, is that fair?" Ren asked, earning a nod from the ravenette.

"After watching this video, I do not believe I am willing to participate in the actual heist. It's too fast paced for me." Yusuke said.

"Hehe...it was fuckin great...being able to do that shit...driving around like The Fast and the Furious...holy shit, I just realized. We just pulled a Fast and Furious, Tokyo Drift."

"Dude! I never even thought of it that way." Ryuji said, clapping hands with Takumi. A loud knocking filled the room as Erica opened the door.

"Hey Takumi, I was wondering if..." the woman paused, seeing all of the money scattered on the floor. Ann stood up, in a vain attempt to hide some of the cash, only for her to knock Takumi's stacks to the floor, spilling some of it all over the place. Erica glanced up at her son, who had a firm look on his face.

"Did you...make a withdrawal?"

"Yup."

"Oh...okay...just...keep all that money safe. I'm not even gonna ask what it's for, it's your money, just don't waste it on crap. Um...I was gonna say, there's a buffet being held at the Shibuya Harlot Hotel, I was gonna invite you to come along but...I'm sure you have other plans." she said.

"The hotel is having another buffet? Oh please guys can we go? Come on, they rarely ever hold one!" Ann cried, a pleading look on her face.

"Honey, what did we just discuss? We can't afford it." Takumi said.

"Can't afford it? You're all practically swimming money, come on you can spare a couple thousand yen. It's all you can eat, what teenage boy turns that down?" Erica said.

"Mom please...don't add fuel to the fire."

"I believe this is an appropriate time to spend some of our funds. After all, we haven't done anything fun for the summer." Yusuke said.

"I agree, we've been handling our daily lives, so let's cut back and enjoy ourselves, just this once." Makoto added, earning a nod from Mitsuhide and Ren, who stood up, grabbing four large stacks of fifty thousand yen.

"Come on...we can't work on an empty stomach."

"Yes! Thanks for convincing them Erica, you're awesome!" Ann said, hugging the woman tightly.

"You're...welcome? We'll be leaving in a few minutes, Mitsuhide would you take a quick bath before we leave?"

"Yes mother, I'll take one right now." the little girl said, standing up from her seat, leaving the room right after.

"Jesus Christ, I cannot believe we just came back from a heist, that was almost life and death, and the first thing we're doing with our money, is spending it on a buffet. You know, I think understand why we were in dire straights a few hours ago...what happened to spending it on necessities?" Takumi asked.

"But Taku-kun! Food is a necessity, you can't work on an empty stomach!" Haru said.

"No, you can't work on an empty stomach, but you can't fight on a full one. You'll vomit all over the place! You know what...fuck it, I was just the get away driver, so it doesn't matter to me what we spend it on. Let's just not spend it on stupid shit, okay?" the actor said, earning nods from his friends. Ann took a hold of his hand, pulling him along.

"Come on, let's go already!"

"Hold your horses woman, my sister isn't even ready yet! Ren you asshole, this is your fucking fault!" Takumi cried as he was pulled out of his room, the toothy grin on his leader's face haunting him as he left.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **? XVI The Tower(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	43. Await the Change III: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Well, since I edited this instead of Chapter 42 a couple days ago, I decided to post this chapter a day early. I'd rather put it up since it's ready since it's much easier for me. But that means chapter 44 will be posted tomorrow during my regular schedule. I have decided to take a short break from writing the story for now, because I want to play Tokyo Xanadu, a game that has been sitting in my playstation for a bit. I've actually been playing it into the late hours of the night, usually ending my session at around 5 am. I'm really into the story now so I really want to finish the game. I"m surprised this site doesn't have a single story for that game, either it's too new or no one has an interest. Regardless, I will still keep my posting schedule, I have a few chapters in reserve but after tomorrow I will be posting once a day rather than twice. I want to work on the story a bit and fix the issues regarding the Ranking system and the general pacing of the story. The next Arc, which will include Kunikazu Okumura's Palace infiltration will also have an original Palace that I have been working on for awhile now. So I have to restructure the explorations and make sure both palaces are explored with plenty of time. It's actually going to be Two Palaces that are joined together to form one giant Palace, you'll know what I mean when you see it. I also have to figure out some stuff for Sae's Palace along with developing characters and all that fun stuff.**

 **I will be writing a new chapter soon, after I take care of some events, but I really didn't want to make a 20 chapter filler arc because I know you all wouldn't want to see that. Right now, I'm at chapter 53 and I still have three more filler chapters to write to even make it to the first day of school. September 2nd is an important date on the calendar as is the Hawaii vacation. Right now, the palace exploration chapters are projected to be between September 25th and October 10th, so that's a little over two weeks to explore both palaces.**

 **As for the confidant system, it's gonna be overhauled. As I said, diregard the numbered ranks themselves. As I said, I only kept those for myself so that I had a reason for Takumi to spend time with people. But I have jotted down which people still need development as well as what people he will hang out with. There's still a lot of time between now and the final palace. So he will have developed bonds with all of his confidants by then. The ranks themselves were more of a reminder for me but have also put me in a state of perpetual filler chapters. Since some ranks are lower then others, that made me want to write chapters dedicated to those people, but I also have to factor in School Life, Mementos explorations, hanging out with teammates and all this other stuff that just became a hastle so that's the reason why the ranks themselves will be taken off. Once A persone reaches the metaphorical 10th Rank, I will mark it with Max on the side of their name. Only two people have been maxed out as of the current chapters that I have written, but this will also give me time to develop bonds with people I have neglected. Hopefully that makes sense**

 **Finally, I will leave you with this chapter. As I said, this will be the last double post for the story...though since I'm posting this now it isn't a double post...but eh, you get the gist.**

 **Congratulations to Prince Harry and his new wife and Princess, Meghan Markle. I didn't see the event because it was early as hell, but if there are any Brits out there reading this, I hope this has been a momentous day for you all, it's not every day you get to see Royalty being married so it's an amazing honor. Hi to all my friends in London and the rest of England! Happy Saturday!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 43

Await the Change III: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Thursday August 11**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Central Street(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny (Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Wait For Futaba to Wake Up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi didn't like the heat, it wasn't that hard to figure out. He felt rather sluggish whenever it was overly hot, and just wanted to remain in his cold room. But he couldn't fall back into the same ways he had in California. Whenever his father wasn't around, he would just crank the A/C and stay in his room, playing video games, or watching anime. He had almost done the same thing when he came back to Tokyo, but ever since he joined the Phantom Thieves, he was a lot more active. Sure, he had skated a lot when he had the free time, but it was almost impossible in Tokyo with all of the people that were on the streets. There was no way he was going to skate in the street either. He was most likely gonna forget how to do things on his board from his lack of practice.

Regardless, he was a man on a mission. He had been tasked by Ren to procure more ammunition for an exploration to Mementos they had been planning. The battle with Shimizu had left all of them nearly out of ammunition, and they had gone through the trouble of getting the money, so he had to purchase the blanks. He had stuck to the shade as much as possible, noticing the people on Central Street were all acting just like him, sluggish and tired from walking around in the heat. He saw a lot of young women walking around with parasols too, and was kinda jealous that he didn't think of bringing his umbrella with him. He bought himself a drink at one of the nearby vending machines before walking toward the alleyway where Untouchable was located.

The neon green sign was flashing brightly, being completely blinding in the shadow of the nearby building. It was a lot cooler here so a few people were hanging around in the shade, talking among themselves. As soon as they saw Takumi though, they all started talking in hushed tones. He sighed, knowing something must have been posted online. Though he didn't care, he did grow curious from time to time, and was even tempted into reopening his social media accounts to peek at it. But he decided against it, besides whatever was spoken about him, would most likely get sent his way by his girlfriend. He frowned, remembering Ann would be busy all day with fashion shoots, so she couldn't hangout with him. He didn't want to seem clingy, but there were times he wanted to be with her, not just to get to know her more but because he was slowly developing feelings for her. He just didn't want a repeat of what happened to him in eighth grade. He shook his head, glancing up at the Airsoft Shop's sign, nodding to himself as he walked inside.

The cool atmosphere of the gun shop was rather refreshing for the boy. As usual, there was one person standing by the War memorabilia, reading things about the Vietnam war with a gleeful look on his face. He was one of the enthusiasts that Iwai had mentioned, he would always come by whenever he had time, which was all the time. Takumi had spoken with him a few times, but everything was mostly war related. He did have a nice conversation with him about his grandfather's Colt 1911. Takumi gave him a friendly wave before walking toward the other end of the store, where all of the ammunition was kept. It was mostly metal BB's, pellets of different sizes and plastic pellets. There were blanks as well, which were for the more expensive guns, and exactly what he was looking for. His eyes narrowed as he glanced at all of the ammunition.

"Hmm...Ren said he bought new guns from here. He was gonna work on them all day, makes me wonder if he got himself that Action Express barrel I told him about." he muttered to himself. He shook his head, grabbing one of the nearby baskets.

He reached for the .50AE cartridges that were on sale, taking every box and placing them in his basket. Each box had twenty five rounds, and cost half of what the real counterpart would. He'd be wasting about a thousand dollars on everything he grabbed. Twenty boxes of .50AE bullets, at twenty five rounds each would equal 500 rounds, a decent supply for Ren to work with. He looked at the shelf directly below it, counting all of the boxes that were currently on display. Twenty five, all of them having 30 rounds each, .45 caliber APC rounds. For him, that would be 750 rounds, for his handgun alone.

As he went on, he continued grabbing all of the blanks that could fit in the basket. He grabbed all of the cases of Shotgun shells, 9mm parabellum, 5.56mm, .45 Long Colt, and Lead balls he could carry. Aside from that, he was able to get himself all of the .338 Lapua rounds that were on sale, along with some .308 Winchester for his .308 barrel attachment. Once he was done over-stuffing his basket, having grabbed a second one when he ran out of space, he walked toward the front counter, setting both of them down on it.

This action of course caused Iwai, to stop talking to a young woman Takumi hadn't noticed come into the store. Both of them gave him an odd look, with Iwai being interested in why he had grabbed so many blanks from the display. Takumi however was more interested in the young woman standing before the counter. She didn't look like a regular customer, at least he hadn't seen her there before. Her pale complexion and dark colored hair told him that either she didn't go out much, or she liked going out at night more, though judging by the outfit, he figured it was the latter.

This young woman was wearing a white shoulder-length-sleeved v-neck jumper with some blue embroidery around the collar. She was wearing a knee-length skinny blue shorts. She was also wearing knee-length white stockings, with blue and white boots. He noticed the two pouches attached to her thighs, along with the handle of a tantou strapped to her back with brown leathery utility belt, covered by a white sash which looked to be made from silk, and had some black hollyhock designs on the hem. She was also wearing detached white sleeves on her arms along with black gloves on her hands, the tops of them being a unsecured bright blue leather vest jacket. She wore a white woolen scarf. She wore a black choker with a blue rose in front of it. She had neck length black hair, part of it being tied up in a small bun with two chopsticks. She also wore a thin white ribbon in her hair, and had cerulean frost eyes lined with eyeliner, he also noticed the beauty mark at the corner of her eye. She wasn't wearing any makeup, which highlighted her natural beauty.

He felt rather unnerved by her stare. It was mostly directed at him, rather than the mountains of ammunition he had placed on the counter. He swallowed the lump in his throat, if it wasn't for the fact that the A/C was cranked, he would have most likely broken into a sweat. The girl shifted her gaze back to Iwai, a firm look on her lips.

"I'll be back later on, I have to make sure the information you gave me checks out."

"Ah...sure...take care of yourself kid...I don't wanna see anything happen to ya." he replied, causing the girl to give him a bow. She turned to leave, not noticing the knife that had fallen from her sash. Takumi picked it up off the floor, going after her.

"Excuse me, miss...you dropped this." he said, causing her to stop. She saw the knife in his hand, and quickly grabbed it, placing it back in her pouch. She said nothing as she left the store.

"I wouldn't mess with that girl kid, she's way above your grade level." Iwai said, causing Takumi to turn around.

"Above my grade level? Whatever you say man...I doubt we'll ever run into each other again. I apologize if I killed your conversation with her though." he said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't worry about it, we were pretty much done...so, you having a gun party. You practically cleared me out kid." Iwai said, grabbing some of the boxes he had been looking through.

"Something like that, we've stepped up our filming for the summer and my retarded friends like wasting ammo. So I decided to buy a shitload of it just so I could have backups." he replied.

"Hmm...you're lucky I turned off the cameras when she came in. You got the cash for this shit? You cleared me out, that's at least 3 million yen in ammunition." the shop owner said. Takumi shrugged off his backpack, reaching inside it for the three stacks of cash, placing them on the counter top.

"There you go, it's all there and accounted for." Takumi said. Iwai started counting the money, giving the boy a nod. He started placing all of the ammo boxes inside his backpack, making sure they were all as neatly stacked as he could.

"You know...sometimes I wonder what you are truly doing this for...you seriously making a movie?"

"Yeah, but like I said, it's shit quality, and my friends just like popping these suckers like party favors. It's a good thing I'm the heir of a big company or else I'd be broke all the damn time from how much ammo they waste." he said, placing the last box in his bag. He slung it over his shoulders, the bullets rattling a bit from within.

"Fair enough, not like I care what you do with it all. Just as long as you aren't using this shit to rob banks, last thing I need is the Feds coming to my door because I'm linked to you."

"No worries then, I don't point my gun at people or rob banks or anything like that. Speaking of, you wouldn't happen to have any knives for sale would you?" he asked curiously.

"What kind of knife you lookin for? If you want a K-bar it's gonna be extra, import fees and all that shit."

"Do you have any butterflies?" the teenager asked, earning a scoff from the man, who pulled a drawer open behind him. He took out a handful of butterfly knives, placing them all on the counter top.

"These are all the ones I got, they're not that popular around here. Too many kids like you cutting themselves."

"That's because they don't have experience with them." he said, grabbing a hold of the neon green knife. The handle had holes on it, along with black markings around each hole. He flicked the latch on it, flipping the knife open, doing a few windmills with it before he caught it, the blade sticking out. He looked it over, seeing the golden dragon that was etched into the blade.

"Oh...this is pretty cool...I'll take this one...oh and that pink one, I want my girl to have one of these. She's a model after all, can't have those creeps going after her." he said, grabbing the pink one from the bunch. It was similar in size, but instead of neon green, it was neon pink, and the blade was chrome rather than green.

"Still amazed that blonde chick you brought is your woman. I didn't think someone like you could pull that off. Then again you are an actor, maybe that's why she's into you."

"Maybe...or maybe it's because we just clicked. I'm teaching her how to act you know, she's terrible at it. But she's been learning at a steady pace...she's been through a lot. Her friend almost died, the teacher in our school treated her like a sextoy, almost blackmailed her into sleeping with him. I just...wanted to be that shoulder she could lean on, you know?" he asked, earning a nod from the man.

"Be good to her then kid, a woman like that slipping through your fingers...that would be a bad dream. Get your ass home, wouldn't want you to be caught with all of those blanks in your bag. Thanks for your business, if you wanna line my pockets again, I'm getting a new shipment of rifle scopes next week. You might find something that's to your liking."

"Hehe...I'll be here then." Takumi said, shaking the man's hand.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Thursday August 11**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Inokashira Park (Inokashira)**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny (Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Wait for Futaba to Wake Up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Okay Takumi, you've asked me to teach you how to flip and that is what we're here to do. So you better pay attention to me, everything I do and what I have to say, got it?"

"Yes...why did you have to wear your cheer uniform?" Takumi asked in a deadpanned tone, causing Ayumi to look at her clothes. She giggled, giving him a grin.

"Because I wanna represent, and I don't want other guys to call you a glittering sissy boy."

"Jesus, no need for the burn."

"Sorry, it was just what could potentially happen. Now then, this field is mostly empty, everyone is by the river bank or at the zoo. When you're learning how to flip, you usually want to start off in a soft place. We use mats, but since we can't use the gym, this will do. First off, do you know how to do a cartwheel?" Ayumi asked.

"Yes, I learned that when I was a kid." he replied, and for emphasis, did a cartwheel for the girl to see.

"It was a bit sloppy but it'll do. The reason is, parkour uses various types of flips for each trick. We're gonna start with beginner stuff, the cartwheel will lead into a lot of this stuff. We'll leave vaults and kicks out of this for now. I'm sure I don't need to explain the safety roll since Toni taught you that."

"Yeah, that one was easy. I had to learn that myself once she lead me to that five story building, fuckin bitch. I need to get her back for that." the boy said, earning a giggle from his sister.

"Good luck with that, if you think you can hold one over on her, guess again. You have one, she'll have three so don't even try it. Okay, bow about we start with balance first, balance is key to everything. You see that rail right there?" she asked, pointing to the wooden railing separating the lake's edge from the path.

"Yeah...what do you want me to do? Just walk on it?" he asked, earning a nod from Ayumi.

"Yup, you know how gymnasts use the balance beam? It's so they can do tricks and flips for their performance. It's the same thing with parkour, once you get your balance, you can pick up speed and do some of those insane runs you see in vids. Those are called Tic-tacs by the way."

"Tic-tacs? Like the candy?" he said.

"Mhmm, kinda funny huh? It's just a name, it makes it sound cooler than balancing act or something. Well go on, start walking on that beam until you feel comfortable enough to run on it."

Takumi glanced at the railing, shrugging his shoulders a bit as he walked over to it. He jumped onto it, glancing at the algae covered lake water. He started walking on the beam, keeping his arms out to balance himself. He kept going straight for a few paces before turning around, his foot almost slipping a couple times.

" _Whoo, almost fell there...that would have sucked, I'm not looking forward to a swim right now. Though this is pretty useful, I could definitely put this to use in the Metaverse, just like the scaling Toni has been teaching me."_ he thought to himself. After a few minutes, he felt comfortable enough to start going faster, until he managed to break into a light jog. Ayumi started clapping, a smile on her face.

"Good job big brother, do you wanna learn how to backflip now?"

"Aren't we going too fast?" he asked curiously.

"Not really, but if you wanna learn something we can. Let's start with a handspring then, there are several, back handspring, front handspring and side handspring. It's an effective way to catch yourself if you lose it during a flip." she said.

"That would be a good thing to know. Alright sis, show me what you can do!" he said, giving her his full attention. She flushed a bit, turning away from the boy as she walked toward the grass. She grabbed one of the hair ties around her wrist and used it to tie her hair up.

"I'm gonna show you a side handspring, it's basically a one handed cartwheel." Ayumi said. The young cheerleader started to run, easily performing the side handspring, landing firmly on her feet.

"That looks easy."

"Yeah, it takes practice though. As long as you can control your center of gravity, you'll easily be able to do it. Go ahead and try it, just try not to break your arm."

"Pfft, I'm not that weak sis, I don't have paper thin bones." the boy joked, jumping off the railing he was standing on. Ayumi crossed her arms as she watched her brother perform the move she was teaching him. He ended up doing a front handspring, only to land flat on his back. She giggled as the boy stood up, doing at it again only to meet the same result.

"Not so easy is it?"

"Shut up!" Takumi cried, glaring at the younger girl.

"Hey, don't yell at your instructor. Just take it one step at a time, if you want just do a full cartwheel, but take away one of your arms as you're about to flip. That's how I learned."

"Okay, I'll try that...I just don't wanna crack my head open here." he muttered, brushing the grass and dirt from his hands. He did exactly what Ayumi said, making him once again fall onto his back. After a few more minutes, he was able to successfully do a side handspring. He practiced it a couple of times, getting the motions down before finally taking a break.

"I did it, all I had to do was keep practicing."

"I told you, once you can control your center of gravity, it all just becomes easy. You can control which direction your weight will go, aiding in the flip itself. You don't have to focus on the flip, you focus on your arm supporting your full weight. With this, you'll be able to easily do the front handspring and that back handspring, though the back handspring is a little more challenging, since you have to know how to backflip in order to do it." she said, causing him to nod.

"Okay...I'll just keep practicing the handspring until I have it down pat. I'm still a bit goosey when doing it."

"Alright, let's keep practicing then." Ayumi said cheerfully.

After a few minutes, Takumi and Ayumi decided to call it a day, due to the heat. Takumi had learned how to fully perform a handspring, having learned how to do a front handspring as well. He knew that would definitely help him in battle. They decided to take a walk through the park for a few moments before taking the train back to Shibuya, glad that they were air conditioned.

"Sorry we didn't get to do much today, I just don't do well in the heat." Ayumi said, giving the boy a sheepish grin.

"I guess we have something in common sis, I honestly love the cold. In fact, I think you, me and Mitsu all share that trait. None of us like the heat." he replied with a chuckle.

"The heatwave is a lot stronger this year than it was last year. It's supposed to rain again tomorrow. Practicing my cheer techniques and parkour in the rain is amazing, the cool rain coupled with the breeze. Ah it's one of my favorite things to do in the summertime." she said, leaning back in her seat.

"Just don't get sick in the rain okay? Make sure you have all of your shots and boosters." he replied, ruffling her hair. She puffed her cheeks out, flushing brightly.

"Big brother! Stop embarrassing me in public like this!"

"What? I can't show my adorable little sister some affection? Ah, I get it you're afraid that I'll be labeled as a sis-con."

"Just shut up, jeez!" the girl cried, earning a chuckle from the boy. Her phone started ringing loudly, and she quickly reached into her pocket, taking the call.

"Hello?"

" _Hi Ayumi, it's been awhile hasn't it?"_

"Eh? How the hell did you get this number? I told you I never wanted to speak with you again!" the girl lashed out, causing Takumi to give her a concerned look.

" _Please, sweetie I just want to see you. I'll be near the Tokyo area in a few days. I'll buy you whatever you like."_

"I said no, and don't call me again!" Ayumi snapped, ending the call. She huffed angrily, squeezing her phone.

"What was that? An ex-boyfriend or something?"

"Ha! In your dreams, I would never date any of the idiots in our school, except maybe your friend Ren. He's got that luscious hair and mysterious look to him. A lot of girls in my class are attracted to the badboy type. Maybe you can hook me up?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna hook you up to my foot up your ass. I don't want my sister dating my friends. Besides, I'm sure Ren is seeing someone right now. I heard him mutter something about Shogi and Church last time we were hanging out." he said, causing Ayumi to tilt her head in confusion.

"Shogi at church? Hmm, that reminds me...I read this magazine article on this girl our age, or well your age. She goes to Kosei Academy, and is known as the Shogi Princess. A lot of people hate her because she's really good at the game, she looks kinda sad playing the game though."

"Probably because people labeled her with that name. They're treating her like an idol and I guess she probably doesn't like that. Anyway, who was that on the phone, if it wasn't an ex then who was it?" he asked. Ayumi frowned, bowing her head a bit, her bangs shielding her eyes.

"I don't wanna talk about him okay? He's someone that doesn't need to be talked about. Let's just ignore that call okay?" she asked. Takumi frowned, but decided not to continue the topic.

They got off in Shibuya not that long after. The refreshing air within the station made the two teenagers sigh contently. Neither of them wanted to leave, for they had to walk three blocks in the heat to get home. They both knew eventually they would have too, but they decided to take their time. As they walked through the Underground Mall, Ayumi was looking around at some of the clothes that was on display, while Takumi was at the jewelry shop. He ended up buying a light blue Ice Charm bracelet that was on sale. To a normal person, it looked like just another piece of jewelry, but ever since he had awoken to his Persona, he could see just how strong something was. He could see the power of his handgun and rifle, along with his charm, which he found out repelled Curse spells, which was why he wasn't affected by Eiha in battle.

He didn't know if Ren knew about it, but since he always brought some of the best items to their meetings, he assumed he did. The Ice Charm he had bought was for Ann, who had a weakness to ice spells. He gave a smile to the jeweler, placing the bracelet inside his backpack. As he walked out of the jewelry store, he started walking toward the nearby flower shop. He wasn't exactly a professional when it come to botany, but he didn't need to be to appreciate the beauty of a flower. He was looking at some violets when he heard a sneeze, causing him to look at the shop keeper.

"Bless you."

"Huh? Why did you say that, I didn't sneeze." the woman said, causing him to quirk a brow.

"It...wasn't you?"

"No...ah, it might be the girl that has her booth around the corner. She's allergic to dust so it might've been her." she said, earning a nod from the boy. Having been interested, the boy walked around the corner, spotting the girl the woman had mentioned.

She couldn't have been much younger than him, sixteen at most. She was wearing a light blue dress, with ruffles at the edges. The dress had long sleeves, which had been rolled up and buttoned at the bicep. She was wearing a white apron over it, which had what looked like a nametag attached to one of the straps. She was also wearing a pair of lose fitting brown boots that reached up to her calves, and looked rather worn. She had very pale skin, and long platinum blonde, almost white colored hair, that reached almost to the floor. She was wearing a pink ribbon in her hair, and had a strand of it braided, held together by a black bow. She also had light pink colored eyes, making him think they were contacts.

She had a rather bored expression on her face, her head being propped up by her hand. She had her lips pursed as well, most likely due to the lack of clientele she was getting. She was sitting behind a folding table, which had a white cloth over it. He noticed various trinkets and other things on it, mostly crafts made from paper. There were some other things as well, a couple books though from where he stood he couldn't see the title. He frowned, glancing at the wall, scratching his cheek.

" _Poor girl, she must be so bored sitting there. It isn't a bad place for a small shop, but there's barely anyone coming over here. Maybe if she moved her table over this way where she's in the view of customers, she might get attention. Well, I might as well see what she's selling since she's already interested me."_ he thought, walking over to her stand. She blinked a few times, glancing up at the boy, a surprised look on her face.

"Oh um...hello."

"Hi...I couldn't help but notice your little shop. What exactly do you sell?" he asked, glancing at the things she had on display.

"P-paper crafts mostly. I-I make f-flowers for all of m-my friends...they told me t-to sell them to people. T-they're only a h-hundred yen, so they aren't t-that expensive."

"A hundred yen? Selling yourself a little short there...this is art, I mean look at this rose. Do you know how complex this is?" he asked, grabbing one of the paper roses from the cup they were placed in. She had used pipe cleaners to create the stem, wrapping them around each other, making the green leaves out of tissue paper. The rose itself was made from countless sheets of red origami paper. If he didn't know it was made of paper, he would have thought it was a real bloom.

"It was rather hard, the origami paper is very delicate, and being able to twist the petals around was hard. I ended up tearing a lot of them and had to use tweezers." the girl said, poking her fingers together.

"Exactly, which is why you need to raise your asking price. A hundred yen is reasonable for one, but maybe you could take three and sell them for a thousand. That way you at least get back a bit of profit, there's also no way you'll be able to sell anything in this dinky corner."

"I'm...um...I'm not a people person." she replied, bowing her head slightly.

"Hmm...let me guess...you're a NEET aren't you? Barely go outside, your friends are forcing you to go out so you socialize?" he asked.

"How did you know?" she asked curiously, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"I have a friend that's like you, though she's got it worse. She's a total hikikomori, at least you were brave enough to go outside. It must be hard for you huh?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're albino right? That's why you don't go out much, because the sunlight is harmful for your skin. I can tell by your eyes, though I've never seen someone with pink eyes before." he said, causing the girl to flush, bowing her head shyly. Her hair shielded most of her face.

"I've never seen crimson eyes like yours before. Are you like me? Did you just dye your hair to avoid ridicule?"

"Not really...my crimson eyes are hereditary. My father passed the genes to me and my half sister Mitsuhide. I don't know where we get it from, a lot of people thought they were contacts. But nope, their 100 percent real." he said with a smile.

"I get that a lot too...people think their fake...but they're real. If they do believe me, they just call me an albino, or a demon because of my eyes. It makes me sad whenever I hear that."

"Yeah...people can be assholes. Just take a look at me, I got a bad rep all because of what my father did. Oh, I totally forgot to introduce myself, my name is Takumi Mashita, it's a pleasure to meet you miss." the boy said.

"Marry Yasuhiro, it's nice to meet you Takumi-kun." the girl said happily.

"There you are big bro, I scored an amazing deal at the clothes shop. Look at all the cute shirts I bought for me and Mitsu!" Ayumi cried, grabbing his attention. Marry let out a yelp of surprise, ducking under her table.

"Whoa...what the hell is wrong with her?"

"She's a little shy sis, Marry are you alright? This is my sister, she didn't mean to startle you." the boy said softly, causing the girl to peek over her table.

"Um...okay. S-sorry, I'm j-just not that g-good with p-people." she stuttered. Ayumi glanced at the things on display, grabbing a hold of one of the hair clips that had caught her eye.

"This is so cute, hibiscus flowers are symbolic with Hawaii and tropical climates. Not to mention the colors are so eye catching, how much are you selling this for?"

"That's a hundred yen...most of what I sell is a hundred yen. I only do this for fun, I'm not really looking for a profit." Marry said, retaking her seat. Ayumi fished the change out of her pocket, handing it to the girl, clipping the red hibiscus hairpin to her bangs.

"How did you even make that? It looks so well made...seriously Marry, you have a gift here. Why don't you think about going big? I know you're very shy, but your crafts are...well art. You deserve to get paid a lot for your work."

"I dunno Takumi-kun, this is just a hobby to me. Not a lot of people come here, though I do talk to a lot of kids. They always ask me for help making flowers out of paper. Most of those crafts are for the kids at the local children's hospital. I spend a lot of time there with the terminally ill patients, just making them smile."

"Aw, that's so sweet! My big brother is right, you need to sell this stuff for much more, it's all high quality. If you put in work on something this well done, then you need to at least be paid for your effort." Ayumi said.

"I dunno...I don't want to push my luck, I tend to be a bit clumsy. This is the only thing I can do that I won't mess up. I don't want to become a burden here, the mall director was nice enough to let me set up my stand here."

"Oh come on, it won't be that bad...I know, how about I become your employee? I don't mind help you out when you need it. You don't even have to pay me or anything, I can handle the promoting and stuff, I got a friend who won't mind helping out with that." Takumi said enthusiastically.

"Are you serious? I don't want to trouble you."

"Take his offer, trust me. I've seen his friend's work and it's phenomenal, he goes to Kosei after all. Besides, my big bro isn't one to let cute girls like you struggle to make ends meet. He's a really sweet guy."

"Ah...come on sis! You know I'm just being nice." the boy replied, checked tinged pink. Marry looked rather happy, an almost excited look on her face.

"I suppose I could use a hand sometimes. My friends help out too, but they're all busy with their summertime things. Since I'm not in school, I usually have to set up my stuff alone. I'm here rather early, but only a few people show up."

"Yeah well, we're gonna fix that. You'll have throngs of people wanting to come here for your crafts. In fact, I'll be your first real customer...I wanna buy those flowers and these pins. I'm sure my girlfriend will like them." he said, handing the girl ten thousand yen, much to her surprise.

"I can't accept this, please you can have it all for five thousand."

"Marry, I'm giving you the money you deserve for this. Look at these pins, they're expertly made, and I've already spoken at length about the flowers. It might not be much, but you can use that for materials. You'll be getting a lot more soon...don't you worry." he said happily. The girl frowned, placing the money in her money box.

"You're one lucky girl Marry! You just got an awesome employee, and you don't even have to pay him so it's a win-win for you. I wish you two luck on this business venture, make sure you shake on it, okay?" Ayumi said, earning a nod from Takumi, who held his hand out to the girl. She looked at for a few seconds, before shyly grabbing it with her own, giving it a firm shake. Takumi felt a slight jolt coursing through his hand, feeling a familiar twinge in his heart.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Tower** _Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Tower)xxx**_

" _That's weird...I felt a slight jolt when I took her hand...wonder why that is?"_ Takumi thought to himself, glancing at the girl.

"Quick question, how old are you?"

"Eh? Don't you know it's impolite to ask a lady what her age is?" Ayumi snapped, being ignored entirely by her brother.

"Um...sixteen...why do you ask?"

"No reason...when's your birthday?"

"June 16th 2002." Marry replied, earning a frown from the boy, who glanced away from her.

" _Sixteen...the number of the Tower...so she has the same Arcana as me. Poor girl, I don't even know her and I can already tell her life has been rough."_

"Sorry for the rapid fire questions like that...I like to know a bit about people before I can truly get to know them. I guess since you're my boss now, I'll have to give you my number and Chat ID. You can message me or call me whenever okay? Don't be shy, if you need help let me know, it's what I'm here for." he said, pulling his cellphone from his pocket. Marry did the same, pulling out an Iphone X in a pink case.

"That looks like an expensive phone."

"Oh...it was, it was a gift from my friend. I told him I didn't want it, but he insisted on me having it. I...live alone mostly, I used to go to school but...I actually don't wanna talk about it right now." she said, her focus being on her phone screen. Takumi and Ayumi shared a look, both deciding not to pry further.

"Um well...now we're in contact. Seriously, if you need anything just message me. Even if it's just to talk, you look like you could use another friend or two." Takumi said, placing his phone back in his pocket.

"Okay, I'd like that very much. It's about time for me to go home...do you think you could help me put this stuff away?" she asked.

"Definitely, we could get to know each other too. First off, what's your favorite band? It better not be something cheesy either, or else I'm forcing you to listen to Slipknot." Ayumi said, causing the white haired girl to cringe. Takumi frowned, knowing Marry was in for a lengthy conversation.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday August 12**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Sojiro Sakura's House(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Light Showers**_

 _ **Objective: Wait for Futaba to Wake Up**_

 _ **Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Are you sure it's okay to be here Ren?" Takumi asked, glancing at his friend, who gave him a nod.

Beside him stood Ann and Mitsuhide, alongside Makoto who had a nervous look on her face. Ryuji was mostly looking at his phone, while Yusuke just stood around patiently. Haru was in her own little world, humming the tune to a song while looking at some of the pictures on the walls. They had gotten permission from Sojiro to visit Futaba, in hopes that she might have recovered. Takumi had been especially worried, since he hadn't heard anything from both Sojiro and Ren, only that she would wake up for a couple minutes, eat something quick, shower and then go back to bed. He figured, since she had spent such a long time hidden from the world, she didn't get much exercise. He just hoped that now that she had her change of heart, she would get over those feelings and go outside more often. He didn't want her to get sick or anything.

"Sojiro figured she could use the support of people her age. She's a little weak due to lack of exercise, but maybe she'll wake up with us here. She's been sleeping a lot, and that's also unhealthy." the frizzy haired boy said.

"If anything, we might be able to help her break this habit. She's been locked up this entire time, she no longer has a need to hide. However, once the lifestyle choice has been set, it will be tough breaking that. Hopefully, I can coax her into going outside."

"Mitsu, she isn't your science experiment. She's a human being, I know you're into psychosis and stuff, but you gotta treat her like a person."

"First of Ryuji-kun, it's _Psychology._ Second, I am treating her like a human, I just want to explore her mind a bit. I wish to understand what lead her to believe the suicide note was real. It might also give me a bit of insight on Wakaba Isshiki and her research. Third, you're a moron for confusing psychology with psychosis." the little girl said, earning a snicker from Morgana.

"Okay, enough ragging on Ryuji. Let's just...see what's up with Futaba." Takumi said, earning a nod from Makoto, who knocked lightly on the door.

"Futaba, it's us. We're all here to check on you, um...we're coming in." the brunette said, slowly opening the door. The rush of cold air greeted them as they stepped into the young hacker's room, seeing it was almost completely dark, with only a single lamp and the computer monitors being lit up. There was a bundle of sheets on the bed, with a sleeping Futaba nestled within.

"It seems she's in a deep slumber...I doubt she will awaken soon." Yusuke noted, a disappointed look on his face. Takumi sighed as he sat down in the computer chair, spinning around for a second before facing the sleeping girl.

"Seems like it."

"It's so sad to see her like this, she must have been really fatigued after her awakening." Makoto said softly.

"What about Mitsuhide? She's a lot younger than Futaba and smaller, yet she was only fatigued for a day, just like the rest of us." Ann said, having wrapped her arms around the ravenette, who had a pensive look on her face.

"My awakening was far different than Futaba's. Mine happened because of my sheer anger at Shimizu's comments. She however had a different one, it seemed as if her feelings shifted. No longer was she blaming herself, but the adults who lied to her. Not just that, she also accepted her inner darkness, her shadow became her persona. Perhaps that affected her in some way different than us." the girl said.

"Well according to Rise and Yukiko, they got their persona after facing their inner darkness. We however made contracts with our personas, we turned what held us back into power, it's almost like our shadows are aiding us." Takumi said, glancing at his phone screen for a brief moment.

"I agree with Takumi, we were all being held back by something. When we broke those chains, those feelings were wrought into a physical manifestation, that is essentially what our personas are. For Futaba however, her distorted desires changed with the entrance into her own palace. Not only that, she accepted her shadow...so we don't know what kind of strain it has put on her body. Sadly, I'm not that much of an expert on this." Morgana added, sounding disappointed.

"Do not be disappointed Morgana. This has shed quite a lot of light on the subject matter, with more research we may be able to find a solid answer. Perhaps maybe even a clue as to why this is possible in the first place." Mitsuhide said, earning an eye roll from Ann, who giggled happily. A sudden chuckle from Ryuji caused everyone to look his way, he had a devious smirk on his face.

"What's funny?"

"Well Ann, if you wanna know, it's quite simple. Futaba was a queen in her palace right? So that makes her some sort of princess in the real world. An idea crossed my mind, since she's a sleeping princess, why not wake her with a kiss?"

"Okay, now I'm convinced you were dropped on your head as a kid." Takumi said firmly, earning a huff from the boy.

"It was just a joke...besides you have no say in it. You have a girlfriend, so you can't even kiss her."

"And neither can you, you'll never be kissed by a woman."

"Man fuck you, you're lucky Ann actually decided to date your ass." Ryuji snapped, earning a chuckle from the young actor.

"Aw, don't hate me because I'm beautiful broski. Maybe if you got rid of that yee yee ass hair cut, you'd get some bitches on your dick. Or better yet, maybe that girl you were talking to the other day will actually talk to you, once she stops fuckin with that sexy cashier she was fucking with, Cracker." the young actor said, leaning back in his seat with a smirk on his face. Ryuji was so taken aback that he didn't even say anything, while everyone else was in a mixture of shock, awe or trying to hold their laughter in.

"Holy shit, that was the sickest burn I have ever heard. Takumi, you are without a doubt the most intelligent person I have ever met." Morgana said.

"Thanks buddy, but I feel that Mitsuhide is the most intelligent one of us here. Glad you liked the roast though."

"I'm gonna get you back for that one asshole, just you wait." the spiky haired track-star said.

"I hate to agree with Ryuji, but perhaps what he said has some validity. Maybe she'll wake up if someone does give her a kiss." Yusuke said, a pensive look on his face.

"Why don't you do it then? You seem to be interested in that." Haru added, causing the artist to look at her.

"My apologies Miss Haru, but I do not think I am at a disposition to do such a thing."

"Good, because if you did try to kiss me, I'd drop you faster than you could think."

"Futaba-chan, you're awake!" Ann exclaimed, causing the girl to sit up, stretching her arms out.

"Duh, who the hell can sleep with all of this noise? By the way Takumi, I give you points for the perfectly executed burn. Ryuji, we have some burn heal in the bathroom in case you need it. You can always run the burned area under the cold tap, but since the burn is in fact all of you, I'd rather you took a shower. We wouldn't want you to get an infection." Futaba said, earning a laugh from Takumi.

"Ah...this is great...at least you're awake now. Do you feel better?"

"Extremely, sorry about being AWOL for such a long time. I wasn't expecting to be that tired...what are you all doing here?" she asked curiously.

"We just wanted to check in on you, see how you were doing. We were all worried that something bad happened with your change of heart. Are you alright? Do you still have those thoughts?" Ann asked. The girl shook her head, placing her glasses back onto her face.

"No...I don't have those thoughts anymore. I do however want to seek vengeance on the people who lied to me. Bringing that suicide note, blaming me for my mother's death...I won't allow them to do that to anymore people. Those rotten adults are going to pay." she said firmly.

"Hey...I know you woke up and everything but...about Medjed, they've been posting a lot of things recently. One major company just had everything exposed, they've also been making threats toward us." Ryuji said.

"Oh right, I completely forgot about those fools. I'll take care of them now...well in about ten minutes. I gotta piss like a race horse, be right back!" the girl cried, dashing out of the room.

"Great, another girl that doesn't act like a girl." Takumi muttered, a frown on his face.

"Better than having one that acts like Ann all the time."

"Hey, what is that supposed to mean?" the blonde model asked, causing Ryuji to cross his arms.

"Do I really need to ask, Miss I'm gonna eat three whole cheesecakes because I can."

"He's got you there honey."

"Takumi, you're supposed to be defending me you ass. Besides, weren't you happy that you finally had someone to meme with?" she asked, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah...I do, but I wanna help Futaba out. She needs to leave this room, because despite her having her change of heart, she isn't gonna change her lifestyle. It's gonna take awhile, but we need to get her used to society again. Let's just let her take care of Medjed first." he said. His phone buzzed loudly, causing him to sigh. He reached into his pocket for the device, taking the call.

"What's up?"

" _Are you free tonight? There's a little event I signed up for and I want you to watch."_ the voice of Izumi said, causing the boy to glance at the time on Futaba's computer.

"Uh...yeah, I'm not doing anything. When do you wanna meet up? Shibuya Station?"

" _No, we're meeting in Shinjuku. There's a pachinko parlor in Jinbocho that I frequent, it's also where I swindle a lot of people. So I'm gonna show you the ropes and then you're gonna make me a fortune."_

"Excuse me? I'm gonna make you a fortune?" the boy snapped, earning a giggle from the girl.

" _You beat me at Liar's Dice and won the supreme honor of having me as your teacher. Wear something inconspicuous, the last thing I want is for Takumi Mashita to be seen gambling...see you at Kanda Station."_

Takumi sighed ending the call, a frown on his face. He glanced up at his friends, all of them giving him curious looks.

"There's this girl who swindled my sister with some scratch tickets not that long ago. I ended up asking her to teach me how to gamble, figured I could use those skills to trick shadows into making bets in the Metaverse. We need all the money we can get right?" he asked.

"That's true...but you better be careful. I'll never forgive you if you cheat on me!"

"I would never do that, besides this girl has a really gross personality. I could never like a girl that likes swindling kids. Anyway, at least we got Futaba to wake up...all we gotta do now is wait for her to take care of Medjed and then it's smooth sailing until Shimizu confesses." he said.

"I'll take care of that right now, Takumi you get the supreme honor of feeding me while I work." Futaba said, handing the boy her Yakisoba and chopsticks. He sighed, standing up from his seat.

"Dammit it all...today is just not my day."

"I think we should just let her work. We can all wait for her at Leblanc, have fun feeding her Takumi. Oh how the mighty fall." Ryuji said. Takumi growled angrily, glaring daggers at the boy, as he and the others, except Mitsuhide, left the room.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	44. Await the Change IV: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone, and welcome to chapter 44 of Codename: Songbird. As I said yesterday, I am going to be limiting my posts to one a day now. I had this one already edited, and I did promise to post it today, and I am a man of my word. So here it is, however my next posting day will be This Wednesday, as I am still reworking the story, and trying to finish Tokyo Xanadu, finally made it to chapter 7 so shit is starting to get real. I have also been considering picking up one of my older stories and working on it a bit. I hate that I wrote it and just abandoned it after so long. The story is called Team SWAN if you are interested, and it's a RWBY story. I just finished rereading the trailers after a year and a half and I must say...goddamn, editing errors up the ass. Then again this was written back in 2015 when I wasn't that good of a writer. I have improved a lot since then so I want to revamp the story, make it a bit longer and improve the characters. But this might be something I do later on. I want to leave this story off in a good place to continue later. As I have done before, I have to take a break from certain things for awhile before they all become stagnant. Hell, I had to do with Ever After High, since I spent four months writing for that series and wrote 101 chapters for it. I'm not sure when I'll continue that story, maybe sometime in the fall. I still have to pick up Danganronpa again, that's usually my summer project. I usually start in July and finish it around September or so and since I only have to finish The School Trip of Mutual Killing and The End of Hope's Peak Academy: Mirai-Hen, it'll be a breeze to finish it. I also have an after story planned for that, that might lead into the story of V3, but that game,, despite it being fuckin beautiful, really disappointed me with it's ending.**

 **Regardless, I will keep working on this story for awhile longer, but my declining drive to continue at the moment might make it a bit hard. However, I am excited to start the next actual story arc since I have planned it to high heaven, so look forward to it. I might end the story after that and before Sae's Palace infiltration, and take a good break.**

 **I've also been thinking of starting a Tokyo Xanadu story, since there's a lack of a fandom for that series here. It'll be hard to actually post it seeing as there is no Tokyo Xanadu section, as far as I know. But hey, it isn't the first time I've written a story for a section that doesn't exist. It'll be fun...maybe. Though I was toying with the idea of crossing it over with Persona 5, since the themes and dungeons are similar to Mementos in way, it would have been interesting. Of course it wouldn't be this story in particular, it would probably be an alternate version of the characters in this one, I dunno I'm rambling at this point.**

 **Well...I hate to say it, but the next few chapters are still going to be filler, though I believe 45 will be the official end of the Futaba/Shimizu arc of the story and we'll actually start moving onto the Training Week events as well as the Hawaii trip, which I still haven't started mind you. *Sigh*...**

 **Anyway, tell me what you think of this story so far in the reviews. See you all later.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 44

Await the Change IV: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Friday August 12**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Sojiro Sakura's House(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"So, what exactly do you need to take Medjed down?" Takumi asked, having finished making Futaba's bed. It had only been a few minutes after the others had left, and he had quickly started picking up all of the trash the girl had left out, which wasn't much. He had also placed all of the clothes into a hamper, thankfully not finding any unmentionables. Futaba shrugged, her fingers feverishly typing away.

"Ideally, I'd need to get a hold of their IP Address, which isn't hard. Once I track them down that way, I can hack into the server, get control of the site and eventually terminate them. But obviously I don't want to just get rid of them, I want to leave a calling card behind so that people know the Phantom Thieves did it." she replied.

"As long as it isn't traced."

"Heh heh heh, no need to worry. I've never been caught before, and I'm not gonna start now." she replied, giving the boy a toothy grin. Mitsuhide hummed to herself as she glanced away from her laptop screen.

"It seems your attitude has completely shifted. Previously, you were consumed with thoughts of death within this room. Now however, you seem to have forgone all of those thoughts. You sound livelier than before...I can compare it to myself once I awakened to Lady Loveless. So this effect does carry onto others, this is fascinating."

"What's wrong with your sister? She's talking almost like my mom used too."

"Mitsuhide is studying psychology right now. She wants to know more about cognitive psience, and has been making theories about the Metaverse. It seems your mom's research inspired her to actually start, and sadly she sees you as a test subject of sorts. You're the first person who's heart we've changed that we can actually talk too. Though you are acting different, I think because you accepted your desires, they turned into Necronomicon. You aren't behaving like the others." Takumi replied.

"That is something I myself noted, Futaba do you mind if I ask you some basic questions?"

"Not really." the girl replied, sounding a bit disinterested as she continued typing away.

"Alright, when you entered your palace, what exactly did you feel? Were you impressed, shocked? Scared?" Mitsuhide asked curiously, her fingers resting on her keys.

"I was surprised, I didn't realize my own heart had become that distorted. I just wanted all of those voices and hallucinations to go away. Since you were all fighting for me, I felt guilty, that's why I followed you inside, so I could help you."

"Didn't you know that was a dangerous thing to do? It did end with you getting a Persona, but you could have easily been hurt. Not to mention you've been locked up here for months. You're a lot weaker than normal people your age." Takumi said.

"Ah...don't give me that. I may not have a lot of stamina, but I'm just as strong as you. Maybe not physically but I am mentally." the orange haired girl said, shaking her finger at the boy. He rolled his eyes, glancing at her game shelf, taking note of all of the PC games and Ps4 games that were neatly displayed.

"Hmm...I believe what first manifested your palace was what those men in black did. Reading that suicide note to you not only served to shift the blame onto you, but also to break your mind. Perhaps they realized that you were smart enough to figure out Wakaba's death wasn't an accident. They wanted to tie a loose end without dealing with you." Mitsuhide said, earning a growl from the girl.

"If that's the truth, then I'm gonna get back at them for everything they did to me. I was only thirteen, how could they do that to me? Without remorse?"

"That's how the world works I'm afraid. I was twelve when my father decided to ruin my career. He didn't care about anyone but himself, and his goddamn company. He wanted me to be his heir, so he did the only reasonable thing, instead of asking me politely, he spread that false information. And since society is stupid enough to swallow it, it became fact over fiction. Something that still bothers me to this day."

"Father is many things big brother, but a caring man he is not. After all, he divorced mother when she was three weeks pregnant with me. He managed to find a way to get our college fund accounts closed. Because of his actions, mother's shop nearly went bankrupt, leading her to make a deal with Kaneshiro. He almost got her killed, and that is something I can never forgive." Mitsuhide said, clenching her fist tightly. Takumi patted her head, giving her a warm smile.

"Seems you two have it harder than I do. Sojiro is a good guy, I could never imagine him doing something like that to me. But he was also in the wrong for enabling me all this time. I...want to become a better daughter for him. But it's scary out there, anyone could hurt you at any given moment...I just like being here, where I'm safe." Futaba said softly, her eyes returning to her screen.

"So, you have social anxiety...borderline agoraphobia...I'm afraid the only cure for that is to get used to people. Perhaps starting with a small group will be good. If you'd like, we could help you readjust to being outside, talking to other people." Mitsuhide said.

"Hey, that isn't a bad idea. Starting small is always the key, after all look at most RPGs. You start off with one person and then you end up with a party of people by the end game, all of them a tight nit group! If you want, we'll all be your party members Futaba! I wouldn't mind spending time helping you adjust to society." Takumi said happily.

"Ah...I dunno, this is moving too fast...I mean, I do need to go out. I kinda wanted to go to Akihabara, I haven't been there in a long time. I also need to get more hair dye soon, my hair is starting to fade, and my roots are turning their original color."

"Whoa wait...you aren't a natural ginger?"

"Sis, the proper term is redhead...come on now, mom didn't teach you to speak like that." Takumi scolded, only to be ignored by Mitsuhide.

"To answer your question, no. My natural hair color is raven black, just like yours. But I just didn't like it, when I was old enough too, my mom let me dye it any color I wanted. So I picked orange, and I've stuck with it since. I've dyed my hair so many times, I'm used to it now."

"Hmm...perhaps I should dye my hair orange as well...it would be interesting to try a new color."

"You are too young to dye your hair. And don't give me that, I'm a lot smarter than you crap either, you're nine. So no, you aren't putting those chemicals in your hair." Takumi said firmly, earning a huff from the girl.

"Just you wait, as soon as I turn thirteen, I'm dying my hair cerulean."

"Anyway...aside from wanting us to change your heart, why'd you approach us?"

"That is a valid question, I mean...you played a couple matches with my brother. Those few meetings aren't necessarily enough to make a sound judgment." Mitsuhide said.

"Oh that...it was simple, you know I had Leblanc rigged, so I heard most of your conversations. I knew that Takumi was a gamer because he and Ann talked about some shooters. He also mentioned Blazblue being his favorite fighting game. So I just tracked down his Ps4's IP address and rigged the matches so that I could challenge him."

"You seriously went through all of that trouble to contact us? I dunno if I'm impressed or just sad." Takumi replied, earning a giggle from the young hacker.

"Be proud, you interested me enough to track you down. Besides, I also wanted to test your skills at one of my favorite games. Turns out you managed to beat me with Rachel Alucard enough times to piss me off. That's why I used her against you."

"You lost to a person using your favorite character?" the young ravenette asked, earning a sigh from the boy.

"She knows how to juggle better than I do. Shut up!"

"It doesn't matter, I was gonna ask for your chat ID to get in contact with you, and lo and behold, you sent them to me instead. After that, I got to know you, skulked through your phone, got information about all of your friends and teammates and well, you know the rest from there. Sure, I could have used Ren's phone instead, but I had something that would interest you more."

"Information on Ryoutaro Shimizu, which eventually lead to discovering his palace and all of his disgusting shit."

"Precisely! We had mutual interests, you wanted information on Director Shimizu, I wanted help from the leader of the Phantom Thieves. We met in the middle and that's how all of this started...I was scared when Ren said we had to meet face to face...but I guess I was just sick of everything. I'm glad you all didn't give up on me though, so thank you, for saving my life."

"You're welcome Futaba! You're part of our crazy little family now...besides, I couldn't let you die in this room. I know what it's like to lose your mother young."

"Big brother, what was Naotaro like?" Mitsuhide asked. The brown haired actor sat down on the bed, taking his glasses off for a brief moment.

"I don't remember most things, since I was only six. But from what I do remember, she was wonderful. She loved to sing, so whenever I got home from school and it was just us, she'd be singing whatever song she liked. Usually it was popular pop songs, but she did sing some heavy metal at times, which was weird yet oddly satisfying. She could get mad if you didn't do your chores, and often times grounded me for not wanting to come inside for dinner. She loved flowers, so every spring, you would see her preparing her garden with little seedlings, violets and red tulips were her favorite. Whenever I got hurt, she would hold me until I stopped crying. I don't think about it much, but now that I'm an adult, I'd give anything just to get another hug."

"You're gonna make me cry over here, sheesh!" Futaba exclaimed, spinning around to glare at the boy. He chuckled dryly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sorry about that, at least we have that in common. Both of us lost our moms, and gained amazing parental figures in return. You have Sojiro, and I have Erica."

"Mhmm...you're absolutely right. Now no more interrupting, I'm almost done with Medjed."

"Futaba, I have another question. I understand that you are a hacker, but it seems you've mastered this craft. I'm sure teaching yourself complex coding was very difficult. How many times have you done this?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Hacking sites? I've done it plenty of times, back when Medjed was under my control."

"Huh? What did you just say?"

"I'm the founding member of Medjed, back when I was known as the hacker of justice. I used to hack a lot of shady companies, but after awhile people started using the name Medjed for their crimes. I didn't feel the need to stop them, so I just left them be. They disappeared after awhile, but when they started attacking companies and waging war with the Phantom Thieves, I knew I had to stop them." she replied.

"I...honestly can't say I'm surprised...why didn't you mention this before?"

"Because, my name is Alibaba now. I didn't really care what Medjed was up to, but like I said. As soon as they set their sights on you guys, I had to do something...which is why I've just put the names of every single person that was a site admin on their main page. And with this, it is done." she said, hitting the Enter Key on her keyboard. The two siblings stood up, watching the screens intently.

They noticed the Medjed homepage was no longer green, instead it was now crimson red, and bore the insignia of the Phantom Thieves. It also listed every single person that had used the site world wide. The phrase, "We have Stolen Your Heart" could be seen flashing brightly on the screen.

"Yes! You are awesome Futaba, you really are!"

"Thank you, I welcome all of your praise, hehe. Well, now that Medjed has been taken care of, I'm gonna go back to sleep. That took a lot out of me." the girl said.

"But you've been up for two hours at most. You do know a lot of sleep is just as bad as no sleep correct?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Yeah, but I'm still a bit tired. I promise, I'll hang out tomorrow okay? It'll...it'll take awhile to adjust but, I'm sure I can manage."

"I guess it can't be helped. You did enough today, so thanks a lot for this Futaba. We'll see you tomorrow, don't bail on us, I'll drag you out of this room by your undies." Takumi said, earning a cringe from the girl.

"Gee, you sound a lot like my mom now. Don't worry, I'm not gonna bail on you...I made you a promise remember? That once my heart was changed, I was gonna leave my room. L-let's go to A-Akihabara t-tomorrow...okay?"

"Sure...whatever you want." he said ruffling her hair. She puffed her cheeks, glaring sleepily at the boy. Mitsuhide gave the girl a brief hug before they left her room.

"I feel like I have gotten to know her a lot better than before. I only hope that she can get over her social anxiety." Takumi said.

"She'll get over it, as long as she has a good support system behind her, she'll be able to get over her anxiety. Everyone is a little scared of other humans and big crowds. I know I am, which is why I'm glad I have you with me."

"Aw...thanks sis, I'm glad that you can come out more. I guess you and Futaba have similarities too. You used to stay inside reading books because you were scared of what people would think of you. Despite being older, you got a lot of friends now." he said happily.

"All thanks to you of course." the little girl replied, the two entered Leblanc shortly after, seeing the rest of the Phantom Thieves hanging out in the restaurant, all of them glancing at the television screen.

" _This just in, it seems an unknown source has taken control of the Medjed website. An hour after they had posted a new threat toward the Phantom Thieves, their home page was changed to this. It now depicts the logo found on the calling cards left behind by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Not only that, it seems the names of the site admins all around the world has also been posted. The Phantom Thieves have returned fire in style. Police say they are starting an investigation into both groups, as well as following leads on all of the ones involved."_

"She works fast doesn't she?" Ren asked, earning a chuckle from Takumi.

"Yes she does."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday August 12**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Book Town(Jinbocho)**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx**_

Being an actor meant that Takumi was a master of disguise. By using different combinations of clothes, he could easily hide in plain sight. Izumi told him to wear something that wouldn't bring that much attention to him, so he dressed like something someone wouldn't expect him to wear. His normally spiky hair had been straightened and left down to the nape of his neck, and he was wearing a black beanie on his head, despite it being a hot night. He was wearing a black tee shirt with a dark navy blue blazer over it, the sleeves being rolled up to the elbows. He was wearing a pair of slim straight black jeans, tucked into his combat boots, around his waist he was wearing a studded white belt. He was wearing a studded bracelet on his right wrist, along with a pair of of red and black fingerless gloves, with Harley Quinn's diamond insignia on the back. He had his wallet chained to his belt loop so he wouldn't lose it. He was wearing a pair of black brimmed glasses, a little bigger than the ones he normally wore. He didn't look much like himself, though he doubted anyone in Jinbocho would recognize him. It was called Book Town for a reason after all.

It didn't take him long to find Izumi. She was standing by the entrance to the station, a disinterest look on her face. She was wearing a black sleeveless v-neck shirt. She was also wearing a crimson high waisted skirt, with a pleated design, which had a pocket on the left side. Long black stockings reached up to her mid thigh. She was also wearing a pair of plain red sneakers. She wore a felt hat on her head, with a pair of red sunglasses on the brim. She had taken her hair out of its pigtails, falling down to its full length, past her hips. She was also holding a pastel white shoulder bag in her hand, different than the one he had seen her with in Shibuya. As soon as she locked eyes with him, she gave him an odd look.

"I told you to dress in something inconspicuous, not to go full goth on me."

"Easy for you to say Serena, I must admit that is an amazing cosplay."

"Huh? I'm not cosplaying you moron. I saw this design on the internet and made these clothes myself. Whatever, I asked you to come here because tonight is Poker Night. You wanted me to show you how to gamble, where here it is. Follow me." she said, taking the lead. As they walked, it started drizzling, but not enough to warrant either of them to pull out their umbrellas.

"Izumi, isn't it illegal to gamble in Japan?"

"Yeah, but people do it anyway. That's why the spot is moved every week, last time I almost got a nightstick shoved up my cooter. Thankfully, I was able to get away with a friend. Now, I am going to explain the rules to you, this place we're going too is a hotspot for a lot of people. Including undesirables."

"Undesirables...wait...you don't mean...Yakuza right?" he asked softly, earning a nod from the girl.

"I do, a friend of mine is in a local clan. This is why I'm teaching you how to gamble, messing with these people means death. They are the only ones I don't cheat with, I take this shit seriously. So you are going to watch me, how I play, what hands I make, what my bets will be, everything. If you want to make a fortune you have to do it right." She said firmly, causing the boy to nod. He silently gulped, knowing he was going right into the Snake's Pit.

The Pachinko Lounge looked normal, the sound of clinking metal balls filled the entire room. It looked almost like an arcade, and in layman's terms it was. Pachinko was a game known as vertical pinball. The object of the game was to get as many metal balls into the center hole as possible. That would cause the slots to spin, line up three and you get a jackpot. Of course since you can't exchange anything for money, you exchange it for a prize. Then you'd go to another place that isn't affiliated with the lounge and exchange that prize for money. It was how people got around the "No Gambling" laws of Japan. They were very popular with the youth of Japan, just as Scratch Tickets were. But there were people illegally running Casinos underneath Pachinko Clubs in order to make it look like an official establishment. The rumor was, that most of them were run by the Yakuza, which was what Takumi was a bit worried. He knew he had to keep his head bowed, be respectful and not stare at anyone for too long. The last thing he needed was to have a hit on him, especially after he was finished dealing with Kaneshiro, who was most likely part of Shibuya's now debunked Yakuza. They walked to the back of the lounge, where an employee was currently sitting, next to various bowls filled with the balls used in the machines. Izumi reached into her shirt, pulling out a medal from inside her bra, placing it on the counter top.

"Kuroi bara." the girl said softly. The man glanced closely at the badge, gesturing for the two to follow him. Once past the employees only door, they reached another door being guarded by a suit wearing man.

"Welcome back, Miss Akazawa."

"I hope you don't mind me bringing a friend, he wanted me to teach him the art of gambling. So he'll be watching, if that's okay with you." the auburn haired girl said, not at all intimidated by the man.

"Of course, we always welcome friends of yours, Miss Akazawa...you can go ahead down. Before you do however, we must make sure you aren't carrying any weapons...if you are just leave them with me." the man said. Takumi frowned, reaching into his combat boot for his Butterfly Knife, handing it to the man.

"That's the only thing I got, self defense you know. Do you wanna pat me down or something?" he asked.

"Nah...I only pat people down if they lie and say they have no weapons. You actually made it easier on me...go ahead, I hope you make lots of money tonight, Miss Akazawa."

"Heh...you know me Kobayashi-san." the girl replied, giving the man a wink. She took the lead, walking down into the lower floor.

Takumi looked around, seeing it looked like a normal cellar, having spare Pachinko Machines and other parts for repairs. However, as he walked he noticed the people hanging around, most of them were in groups of three or four, sitting a round tables, with poker chips resting at the top. The scent of cigarette smoke lingered throughout the room, a light haze hanging around. Izumi kept leading the boy ahead, keeping a firm look on her face, not at all being frightened by the atmosphere of the room. It told Takumi that she had done this quite a few times before, and she was rather confident as well, as her lips bore a small smirk. They reached the very back of the room, where two men and one woman were sitting, quietly chatting with each other. As soon as they saw the young girl, they all paused, giving her smiles.

"Well well well, if it isn't the Black Rose of Poker. What brings you here tonight? I thought you couldn't make it?" the gruff man said. He looked to be six feet tall, his head being shaved completely bald. He was wearing a black suit with a red tie. Next to him was a beautiful woman, with shoulder length brown hair, wearing a red dress, a cigarette propped at the corner of her mouth. The last man looked to be close to their age, having dark reddish brown hair. He was wearing a sleeveless tank top, and a pair of black jeans, and had a glass of whiskey in his hands.

"My previous engagement had to be rescheduled. One of the players bailed at the last moment, so I decided to come here. I brought a friend with me, who wants to learn about poker. I do hope that isn't an issue." Izumi said, taking the last available seat.

"It's no issue to us, what's your name kid?"

"Takumi Mashita, it's nice to meet you all." the boy said with a bow. The woman flicked the ashes of her cigarette on the ash tray, a smirk on her face.

"Mashita...? You that kid actor that's been in the news recently?"

"Y-yeah...but please don't think all of that stuff is real. It's all total bullshit, spread around by my father. I'm the heir to Mashita Industries Incorporated...so he did that as a means to wrangle me in so I'd be his perfect heir. He doesn't even care that my career is destroyed and that my social life is broken, or that I get insulted daily by randos on the internet." he said, a hint of anger on his voice.

"That's just scummy, I knew a kid like you wouldn't get into drugs. Anyway, where are my manners, the name's Bacchus. It's an alias, for my own safety, this here's Kuromi, my bride to be. Then there's my right hand man...his name is Ichiya." the bald man, known as Bacchus said, introducing his friends. Ichiya smirked, rattling the ice in his glass.

"My name is indeed Ichiya, but please...call me Christ."

"Uh...okay then."

"Ah...dammit Ichiya! Don't start with that call me Christ bullshit, no matter how much you say it, you aren't Jesus." Izumi snapped, earning a chuckle from the man.

"I just love triggering you sweetheart...anyway, I'm glad you showed up. We're about to start, care for a drink?" Ichiya asked.

"Sure, just give me some Tequila, what are you having Takumi?"

"I'm not old enough to drink." the boy said. Bacchus chuckled, shaking his head.

"Kid, if you hadn't noticed, I'm runnin an illegal casino here. Might as well blend in right? Just give him something light, whiskey should do." the man said. Ichiya nodded, grabbing the two bottles from the nearby counter, pouring two drinks out. He handed them to Izumi and Takumi, who watched Izumi take a gulp of it, downing it without complaint. He did the same, coughing loudly right after.

"Ah...god that sucks." the boy said, setting his drink down beside him.

"One thing life has taught me kid, is that the only thing that changes, is you. The taste of alcohol will never change...I'll let you bum a smoke if you want." Kuromi said, gesturing to the pack on the table. He politely declined, his eyes on the deck of cards that Ichiya was shuffling.

"Alright, we're gonna have us a good clean game, no cheating, that means you Izumi." the man said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"I'm sorry Ichiya, but it was just to easy. Besides we've all cheated before, I do agree. Let us keep it civil, I do have an apprentice with me after all." she said, gesturing to Takumi.

"Pull up a chair boy, sit next to your teacher. Just try not to give away her hand or anything."

"I'm an actor Bacchus, I'm sure I can nail a poker face." Takumi replied, taking a seat next to Izumi. She handed him her bag, reaching inside for several stacks of yen, placing them down next to her. Bacchus pulled out a case of Poker chips, handing the right amount of chips to all of the players.

"You do know what poker chips are right?" Izumi asked, earning a frown from Takumi.

"I'm not that retarded. Each chip has a different value, I also know the rules of poker, and a few terms. I'm just not that good at the game." the boy said.

"You'll pick it up eventually, we'll be playing Texas Hold'em. I'm the dealer for this round, so I'm gonna deal two cards to all of the players. Bacchus is the small blind, so he'll set the smallest amount, Koromi is the big blind, she'll double whatever he puts in the pot. After that, Izumi will either call, raise or fold. I'm sure you know how that aspect works." Ichiya said, earning a nod from Takumi.

"This is easy to pick up, so pay close attention." the girl said, glaring at the actor. He remained silent, his eyes on the table.

"I'll start with five thousand." Bacchus said, tossing in one of the red colored chips. Koromi grabbed two chips and placed them into the pot. Once Ichiya had dealt the cards, he waited for Izumi to place her bet. She glanced at her cards, an Ace of Spades and a Ten of Spades. She remained silent for a few moments, before grabbing some chips, placing them in front of her.

"Raise you ten, and make it twenty."

"Damn it, starting like this already eh?" Bacchus asked, calling his bet at twenty.

"Of course, the night is young. I wanna leave a good impression on the table." she said, reaching for Kuromi's pack of cigarettes. She pulled one of the sticks out, lighting it with the zippo beside it. Kuromi frowned, placing two more chips on the table.

"I'll meet your call." she said. Ichiya took a hold of all of the chips, placing them beside him. Sixty Thousand yen were now in the pot.

"Alright then, time for the flop, you all ready for this?" he asked, smirking as he drew four cards. He put three of them face up on the table, a nine of Spades, a ten of Spades, and a two of diamonds.

"Interesting, very interesting. I'm feeling confident for this round, I'll put 50 thousand this time around." Bacchus said, placing a single green chip on the table, with the 50k written on the front.

"Check." Kuromi muttered, passing the turn to Izumi.

"I'll raise you to a hundred." the girl said confidently, placing two green chips onto the table. The man frowned, placing another green chip on as well.

"Honestly, you two are making it harder on me. I really don't want to spend money tonight." Kuromi said, calling their bet at a hundred. Ichiya gathered the chips. 360,000 yen were now in the pot.

"Are you taking notes Takumi? See how quickly the pot can get larger and larger."

"Yes, it's actually a lot simpler than I imagined."

"I can deal you in if you want." the man said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Sorry, I'm just spectating today, maybe next time, depending on how my teacher does." Takumi said, causing Izumi to flush. She pinched his arm, causing him to yelp.

"No need to remind them of our relationship, keep it professional!"

"But I was."

"Now now Izumi, treat your apprentice kindly. You never know, maybe if he does become good at this, he could end up schooling you in your own game." Bacchus said, earning a growl from the girl.

"Here's the turn. Hopefully you all don't fuck up this round." Ichiya said, placing a fourth card face up, an eight of Spades. Takumi noticed Izumi start tapping her foot, though it was barely noticeable. She glanced at her cards again, grabbing some of the hundred thousand chips which were the bright blue ones.

"Things are getting interesting, are you starting to sweat yet Izumi?" Bacchus taunted, earning a smirk from the girl.

"I dunno, your dome's starting to shine old man. Maybe you'd like to ask your wife for one of her tissues to wipe it off." she countered, causing the man to chuckle. He finished his drink, grabbing three blue chips.

"Three hundred k."

"Bacchus! Are you insane?" Kuromi snapped, earning a chuckle from the man.

"Don't worry about it babe, I got this in the bag." he replied. She shook her head, handing her cards to Ichiya.

"I fold, I've tossed away too much money."

"That leaves me in the game then, I'll meet your three hundred k and raise you three hundred more. That's six hundred k, what are you gonna do?" the auburn haired girl taunted. The man rolled his eyes, placing three more blue chips down. Ichiya gathered them up.

"One million, five hundred and sixty thousand yen. That's a lot of money." Takumi muttered.

"It is, and in a snap. You could lose all of it." Izumi replied, snapping her fingers for emphasis.

"Final card, this is called the River. Everything can change in the River kid, keep that in mind." Ichiya said, placing a third card face down next to the others. The last card he put in the middle face up was a Queen of Hearts. Bacchus glanced at the card briefly, but said nothing choosing to remain silent. Izumi however used her hand to hide her devious smirk. Just from that action, she could tell the man was in serious trouble.

"So...you betting old man? Or are you folding?"

"And let you win? Never...I'll raise you another hundred k." he said, placing a blue chip into the pot.

"Raise you two." Izumi fired back, placing her chips into the pot. The man clenched his jaw, adding another chip to his bed. With the betting round over, Ichiya collected the 400 thousand k chips, placing them in the pot, raising it to 1,960,000 yen.

"I swear to god, if you lose this hand I am going to slap the shit outta you." Kuromi snapped angrily.

"I'm not honey, there's no way she has anything higher than what I got." the man said confidently.

"Prepare to eat those words then." Izumi said happily as the final card was placed down. Bacchus flipped his over, a smirk on his face.

"Full House...beat that." he said. Izumi flipped hers over, crossing her arms aright after.

"Royal Flush, checkmate."

Ichiya, Bacchus and Kuromi all remained silent, mouths agape at the hand the girl had just placed down. Takumi was obviously confused as to what was going on. He didn't know a lot about poker hands, just a few that he had learned from watching things online. Kuromi stood up from her seat, grabbing her fiancee's shirt tightly in her hand, only to slap him across the face.

"I fuckin told you didn't I?"

"Um...I'm confused, what's a Royal Flush?" Takumi asked.

"The highest hand in the game, barely ever seen in a normal game. It's like one in 640,000 hands, and Izumi here managed to build it. To the winner goes the spoils." Ichiya said, handing the girl all of the chips. She started sorting all of them out, placing them in neat stacks in front of her.

"Ah...I love poker. It's do or die on this table Takumi, always remember that, a single card can make or break you. But if you know how to read your opponent and make a good bluff, you'll make millions." she said, giving the boy a wink.

"Yeah yeah, you didn't hide any cards in your tits did you?" Bacchus asked, taking a swig from his bottle of beer.

"Nope, you wanna check? If it's cool with your wife that is."

"No, I am not cool with it. Let's just start the next round, maybe if we're lucky we can get our money back." Kuromi said, as Ichiya passed the dealer chip to Bacchus, the man shuffling the remainder of the cards to start the next round.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"So, did you learn something?" Izumi asked, as she and Takumi sat at one of the local cafes. Jinbocho was a quiet town, even more so at night. Several book stores were still open, and were filled with customers, though they were beginning to pack up for the night, because of the intermittent showers.

"Yeah, I actually learned a lot about poker. I also learned how to make a successful bluff and trick my opponent into a corner, where he has no chance to move, either he checks, folds or raises. I'm sure I can put this into practice at some point." the boy said happily. Izumi couldn't help but giggle at his reply. She took her hat off, placing it on the table, searching her purse for her ribbons.

"Well, at least that game wasn't a waste of time then. Next time we meet up, you and I will be participating together. You can't learn anything new if you don't put what you have learned into practice."

"I'm not sure I'm ready for that Izumi. I mean, I'm still learning, do you think I'll be ready for that?"

"You never are. The thing is, now that you've successfully learned the art of the bluff, you can easily use it to your advantage. You can fool your opponent into thinking that you are a good player, despite it being your first game. When I played Poker for the first time, I was an amateur, I only knew what the bums on the street taught me, which wasn't very much." she replied, taking a sip from her tea.

"You seem to be very comfortable talking about that stuff...you aren't homeless right now are you?"

"Nope. Thanks to my talents, I was able to buy myself a modest apartment in a nearby condo. I stick around Jinbocho mostly, but I do often times seek out dumbasses in Shibuya and Shinjuku. You probably think I'm the worst kind of human out there, but I've had it a lot worse than you can imagine." she said.

"Oh? That so?" he asked, leaning back in his seat.

"Since you learned how to play poker, or at least picked up some new information on it, I'll give you a reward. Since your my student, I have to give you something to look forward to. After each lesson, if you have impressed me, I'll give you a gold star. In which case, that gold star will be a part of my life story."

"I kinda wanted the star though." the boy said, earning a huff from the girl.

"I am giving you the supreme honor to learn more about me. If I am to be your teacher then we must have a good relationship. I know plenty about you, you have your own Wiki page after all."

"I have a Wiki page? Huh...how come no one ever told me that? Okay whatever...I guess that's enough. I do want to know about you, despite having a gross personality and disgusting views on attaining money, I am rather interested." he said.

"Well...it's not the first time someone's called me gross. Certainly not the last time either, but with ever card drawn you'll know more about this cute wild card. I suppose I'll start with my inception...or rather birth. I was born seventeen years ago, on September 11th 2001, I'm sure you know about the tragedy that happened on that day. It isn't a day I like to remember, despite me being a newborn. It was also the day my life would change forever."

"How so?"

"As it turns out, my father was a businessman who often traveled to New York City. It just so happened that on that fated day, he was on the 89th Floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He didn't make it. Faced with caring for a newborn by herself, my mother couldn't take it and went insane. She is currently in an insane asylum in Kyushu, where my family originated. I was left in a church and raised by Nuns. The sisters would always treat me kindly, but as I grew up and learned more about the world, I started to realize something. Religion is bullshit."

"Well...I wasn't expecting that." Takumi said, earning a chuckle from the girl.

"Not many are, I'm afraid. I always wondered, what kind of God or Gods let so many evil things happen on this planet. All of those evil people taking advantage of others. I ran away at the age of seven and found myself on a train to Tokyo where I have lived most of my life. As a child, it was hard surviving, but the homeless around these parts were kind. They shared their food with me, along with their blankets when it was cold. There were other children as well, so I wasn't bored. It is here that I learned the art of gambling from some Veterans from the Vietnam war. Card games were a popular pass time, and the decks were cheap, so there were plenty around. This is where I will stop my story, if you want to know more you'll have to wait until the end of our next lesson."

"Dammit, you had me hooked and everything." he said.

"That was the point wasn't it? It's getting late, it's supposed to rain all of tomorrow, and I don't wish for you to get caught in that on the way home. The trains will shutdown in about fifteen minutes, so I suggest you make your way to the Kanda station before that happens." Izumi said, standing up from her seat. Takumi did the same, placing the payment on the table top.

"I had fun today Izumi, watching you school people in poker was entertaining. I guess I'll have to learn more about you before I can make my full assessment."

"You talk like I'm an experiment...regardless, I had a wonderful time. I haven't decided when we'll meet next, but I shall contact you when something comes up. I hope you have a nice night Takumi." Izumi said, giving the boy a polite bow before walking off.

"Well...I at least learned something new about her, can't say I didn't expect that." he muttered to himself.

He shrugged, and turned around, walking toward Kanda Station. Once he had payed the fee, he walked down to the platform to wait for his train, arms crossed as he glanced around the nearly empty station. He pulled his phone from his pocket, checking the time, seeing it was nine thirty-five at night, meaning this was the last train to Shibuya. He was about to call home to let Erica know he was one his way home when a familiar voice called out to him.

"Takumi."

"Ann? What are you doing here?" the boy asked, whirling around to face the blonde. She was panting a bit, most likely from having run to the station.

"I wanted to prepare for our next acting lesson. Ren told me about this bookstore that sold a different variety of books, so I came to check it out. After you left Leblanc, I got a call from my manager for an evening shoot. They wanted to take some pictures in the setting sun, that's why I came to Jinbocho so late." she admitted, placing a hand on the back of her head.

"You should have just told me you were in Jinbocho. Had I known, we could have met up at the bookstore."

"Sorry, you know how forgetful I can be sometimes. At least we can take the train together...I got another shoot in the morning. So I won't be able to do anything until after noon." she admitted, earning a frown from the boy.

"Oh. I was gonna hang out with Futaba, since you seem a little closer to her than the others, I sort of wanted you there."

"I know, sorry for all of these shoots. Someone's been messing around with people's schedules, so a lot of the models don't show up. I know you want to spend more time with me, so I'll try to make some time when I can."

"No no, it's alright. You don't have to change your schedule for me, we're bound to hang out a lot more later on. Not to mention school starts soon, so we have that to look forward too." Takumi said, earning a frown from the girl. She took a hold of his hand, slipping her fingers through his own.

"It isn't alright, I know you wanna spend more time with me. It's normal for couples to want that. It's fine to have your own space, but there are times you just wanna be with that special someone."

"I know, I just don't wanna seem clingy. I already told you, when I fall in love, I fall hard. It's just...you're my first girlfriend, so I don't wanna do anything that would end up breaking us up." he admitted, earning a kiss on the cheek from the girl. He stiffened a bit from the action, causing her to giggle.

"As if I'd break up with you right after we started dating. I fall hard too, so we're the same. When Ryuji told me you were in his class, I'll admit I was curious. I thought you were gonna be one of those douche bags who flaunted their fame and lorded their money over everyone. But you're one of the sweetest guys I've met."

"Love at first sight then?" he asked curiously, earning an embarrassed look from the girl.

"Yup, that fake relationship we were in at school also made me start seeing you that way. We weren't fake dating for that long, but now I'm glad we're dating for real. So seriously, if you want to spend time with me, just tell me. You can come to my shoots, just like I come to your auditions. I mean, even Ren has time to come to my photo shoots, despite all of the stuff he does."

"Huh...interesting...I do wonder what he does sometimes. He's met some rather interesting people. I guess if you want to hang out with me, then you can just message me too." he said, a confident look on his face. The sound of the train approaching caused them both to look at the platform, seeing the train slowly pull to a stop at the station.

"Hey, wanna go see a movie when we get to Shibuya? They stay open until one am on weekends. I don't have to go to that shoot until ten in the morning anyway."

"The trains stop at ten though, how will you get home? Unless you want me to give you a ride home." he said.

"I'll just sleep over, I've done that a couple times already. Your mom doesn't mind."

"But Ann, Ayumi and Toni are home...you can't stay in her room for the night." he said as they boarded the train.

"It's alright, I'll just sleep in your room. Your bed is big enough for the two of us to share." she said, giving him a wink.

"S-share?"

"Yes, share. We're dating, and I trust you with my life. I know you aren't a pervert, so as long as you're out of the room when I'm changing, I don't mind sharing a bed with you. Besides, we haven't done that yet have we?"

"I...I guess not...how about instead of going to the movies, we just get some ice cream and watch some anime together. Boku no Hero Academia just started it's third season and I wanna play catch up. I know you haven't seen it yet so it's the perfect time to start. I know you love super heroes." he said.

"Okay, I'm down for that...maybe it'll help me with my acting too. I still got a long way to go, especially if Shiho still thinks I'm crap at it." Ann said, a flush on her cheeks. The boy leaned forward, capturing her lips in a kiss, catching her by surprise. They pulled away, smiling happily, the blonde girl rested her head on his shoulder, taking a hold of his hand.

"I like moments like these, just the two of us. I am nervous though...Medjed is gone...but Shimizu still hasn't confessed. I'm scared that he might end up posting those pictures of Kanami online. Not just that, he's got pictures of me too...I don't know how long you were knocked out, or if he took more extensive pictures."

"It's alright Ann, I'm sure his change will happen. I've witnessed two, and the Thieves have taken four consecutive ones. This fucker will have a change of heart, or so help me I will kill him myself. Scum like that doesn't deserve to live."

"I agree with you, but please don't do anything rash or stupid. I can't hug you if your behind bars." she said, pecking his cheek lovingly.

"Fine...for you I'll do anything. Even stew in my anger until I see the man confess his sins. Let's just hope it happens soon." he said firmly, glancing at his reflection on the opposite window. Despite his loving smile, his eyes showed him how he was truly feeling. He was just hoping Shimizu would confess to his crimes, so he didn't have to worry anymore.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	45. Await the Change V: Ryoutaro Shimizu

**A/N:**

 **Hello Fanfiction! Welcome once again to Codename: Songbird, we have reached Chapter 45, quite a big number in such a short amount of time. Honestly, I amaze myself with how I can write so many chapters in such little time. You all seem to be enjoying the story, so I can tell my time is well spent. As I said in my last post, I have limited my posts to once every few days. This being that I am working on new chapters and fixing the plot. I have also decided to take a break from the story, so once Chapter 52 is posted, I will be putting this on hiatus for a bit. I know you might all be disappointed, but one can't write the same thing forever, it'll become stagnant and you'll be left with severe writer's block and no motivation to do anything, and that's something I don't want. I want good quality content to be made, for you all who are bored enough to scroll through the fandoms and stumble upon this little fic of mine. Seriously, thank all of you for sticking with this story for this long, I promise to return to it after all of the issues are fixed.**

 **Now then, I believe this is the final chapter of the Futaba/Shimizu arc. From here on, we start the Summer Arc which will end on Chapter 52, you all get to see the Phantom Thieves start helping Futaba get used to society, while doing some other things. You also get to see Takumi spending time with other confidants and all of that jazz. So tell me what you all think in the review section, I'd love to hear what you guys think of this chapter.**

 **As for the next post...well I might post on either Friday or Saturday, depending on how I feel. I did edit chapter 46, so I don't have to worry about that or anything. I'm still used to the double posting schedule so I unconsiously edit two chapters now. Also, if you are wondering I do have plans to start a new story. It's still in the planning phase but it's getting there. I'm also trying to see if I can pick up a couple of my older stories and give them a fresh coat of paint. I know I've been wanting to rewrite Arpeggio of Blue Steel for awhile now, but I have to get back into that series in order to write about it. That or I may just fix the chapters I got and repost them under a new name, I dunno.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all like this chapter. I guess I'l see you all on Friday or Saturday!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 45

Await the Change Finale: Ryoutaro Shimizu

 _ **Date: Saturday August 13th 20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Sojiro Sakura's House(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Weather: Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Await Ryoutaro Shimizu's Change of Heart**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

It was rather early, around eleven thirty in the morning. Takumi and Ann had spent the night together, watching anime until around two in the morning. However since she had a Photo Shoot at ten, she had left by the time he had gotten up. He had wanted to go with her, but she had left in such a rush that she had left behind her cellphone. So with nothing to do, Takumi set out to Yongen-Jaya to hang out with Futaba. He had promised the girl that he would be back with Ren the following day to help her start getting used to being outside. Ren however had to work a morning shift at the Convenience store, since he was trying to identify a potential target for Mementos. So he was on his own until the afternoon. Futaba had surprisingly enough, let him into the house, now he was just sitting on her bed, watching her type away at her computer. He wondered what she was doing, but knew that if he asked her, he wouldn't get a response. He frowned, glancing around the room, seeing all of the video game posters mixed in with anime scrolls. She also had a lot of figurines, including a collection of Neo Featherman figures that were all placed neatly on a shelf, in their signature poses. He eyed them closely, seeing the detail in every single figure.

"So...you like Neo Featherman?"

"Yup."

"I never got into them when I was a kid. I was more into Kamen Rider, my favorite growing up was Kamen Rider Climax Starforce Wonder Brigade." he replied, causing the girl to stop typing.

"Gee, that's a mouthful...I heard that one has a giant bee in it."

"Yeah it does...the costumes always make me laugh...so, what's your favorite show?" he asked curiously, glancing at the girl who had gone back to typing.

"I got too many, I've seen three hundred anime series in my lifetime. Some of them good, some of them bad. If you say a name, I've probably seen it."

"Asterisk War?"

"Oh god, why would you say that name? That anime is crap." Futaba replied, scrounging her nose a bit.

"Yeah, I have my own rule about anime. If I start a series, I have to finish it, no matter what. Even if it's crap, I finish it. I could go on and on about certain series. If I recommend something, it isn't gonna be from the Forbidden Four, it's gonna be something obscure, those are always the best."

"Then we have something in common...I'm always looking to expand my collection. I'd actually like to see what you got in yours." she said absentmindedly.

"Okay, let's go. It isn't that far to Shibuya, we can be there in half an hour." he said.

"Eh...I-I was kidding...it was a joke you know? I don't really care about the anime or games you got, honest!" the girl said, earning a frown from the boy.

"Futaba, we agreed that you would leave this apartment didn't we? Come on, put something on. If you feel uncomfortable, we can come back, but you have to spend at least an hour outside." he said.

"Oh...me and my big mouth. Alright, get out...I gotta get dressed." she snapped, earning a chuckle from the boy. He grabbed his phone and walked out of her room, closing the door after himself. He leaned up against the wall, glancing at his phone screen, checking his IM's. He had one from Ren, apologizing for having to work, as well as one from Ryuji who was asking if anyone wanted to go to Mementos.

He was about to reply to Ryuji when he felt something vibrate in his pocket. He quirked a brow in confusion, reaching for his pocket, pulling Ann's phone from inside. He didn't see any messages on it, and even if he did see one, he wasn't going to reply to it. He respected her privacy, despite her telling him her password the night before. He shrugged, shoving it back into his pocket. He suddenly remembered the other phone he carried with him, the one that had been given to him by Detective Makidou. He reached for it, swiping his finger across the screen, seeing a message blinking on it. He tapped it, his eyes hovering over the message.

 **Makidou:** _"I need you to come to Shinjuku Station tonight. I have an ongoing investigation and would like for you to help me._

 **Makidou:** _"You wanted to know what was going on inside yes? Help me take care of this criminal, and I'll get you your information._

The boy thought about it for a few seconds. Medjed had just been taken down by Futaba the previous day. That meant that there had to be something going on at the Public Prosecutors office. He needed that information, despite him not feeling comfortable. He was curious about what the detective had to share with him, and if it meant taking someone off the streets, then at least he'd be fulfilling his mission as a Phantom Thief, so he sent her his reply.

 **Takumi:** _"I'll be there, send me a time and place and I'll meet you. Don't worry, I'll be disguised, I'll let you know what I'm wearing._

The door to Futaba's room flew open, causing him to drop his phone. He knelt down to grab it, turning to glare at the orange haired girl.

"Thanks for startling me, my phone could have broke."

"Yeah yeah, sorry for making you wait." she replied, brushing her hair down a bit.

She was wearing an off shoulder white top, with a red splatter on the front, and five golden asterisks on it. She wore a black sports bra underneath, the straps visible on her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of black short shorts, black thigh high socks and black platform boots. She was also wearing a dark green jacket with a fur trim hood, her hands being in her pocket. She looked up at him, the glint of the light shielding her eyes.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"The jacket, it's the middle of August, you're seriously wearing that?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. I like my jacket, it makes me feel safe and no matter what you say, I'm not taking it off. So come on, before I change my mind." she said, taking the lead. The boy sighed, following after her.

"Shouldn't we tell Boss so he doesn't worry?" he asked.

"I already did, I called him while I was getting dressed. Heh...I could almost see the look on his face. I showed up randomly at the cafe last night, after you all had left and he almost fainted."

"Well, okay I guess...just as long as he doesn't get worried." he said, cringing a bit once he was outside. He took his glasses off briefly, rubbing his eyes before putting them back on.

"You don't use those to see right? Why do you wear them?"

"To change my image...it gives me some peace of mind...paparazzi are everywhere. Yeah, these don't change my appearance much, but combined with my clothes and my beanie, it makes me a bit harder to recognize. I've just gotten used to them by now, so it would feel weird to take them off." Takumi replied, staying close to the girl as they passed by some locals. They all kept their eyes on her, wondering who she was.

"Y-yeah I guess that makes sense...can we hurry? They all keep looking at me." Futaba said, grabbing a hold of his wrist. He could feel her shaking a bit from the anxiety, so he quickly hurried to the station.

"You know, even if it's taking a walk through Yongen, it will help. I know you're scared and anxious right now, but you'll get used to it. Okay?" he asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"I know that...aha! I know what will make me feel better, I already told Ren he could be my key item, the person I go to for help. He's like my shield, ready to protect me when I need it. But I can't use a shield all the time, I need a sweet weapon to. So I'm going to equip you as my sword." the girl said, earning weird look from Takumi.

"What? What is all this about?"

"Heh heh heh...a warrior can't walk onto the battlefield without protection. So you shall be my sword, you are going to help me get EXP by taking tough Story Quests! Right now, we're on a very dangerous Quest, we must travel to your kingdom located in the mythical land of Shibuya. On the way, we shall face many dangerous beasts, let us trudge forth!" the girl cried, pointing to the train station. The boy blinked a few times, a smirk on his face.

"Then allow me my princess, I shall be your sword. Come, our steed awaits us at the station. We shall get to Shibuya posthaste, I bring thee warning, for alas there are a lot of beasts on the way. Worry not, I shall defend you to my dying breath."

"I hope so my knight, let's us go then." Futaba replied, confidently walking toward the station.

It didn't take them long to reach Shibuya, but when they did, it was clear that Futaba wasn't going to move. She had clung to Takumi's arm as soon as they had walked up onto the Plaza. There were people walking all over the place, Shibuya was one of the busiest places in Tokyo after all. Takumi had been patiently waiting, but she hadn't done anything but shake anxiously. He sighed, placing a hand on her head, giving her a reassuring pat.

"We're not that far from my place, just three blocks. Come on, you can do it."

"No I can't." she said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Well alright then, I guess I'll just go on ahead. You don't have the skill points necessary to keep me equipped." he said, walking away from her. She lunged at him, almost knocking him down.

"No, don't just leave! We're in the middle of a quest, you can't just leave the party!" she cried, an annoyed look on her face.

"Then what are we waiting for? My castle is not that far from where we currently stand. So let us walk forth!" he said, pointing in the general direction of his home. Futaba took a deep breath, marching on ahead, keeping pace with the boy.

Futaba's confidence didn't last long however, as she took a hold of Takumi's hand. He didn't really mind, he could tell she was putting on a brave face. It made him rather sad, knowing that she was like that because of those rotten adults. They had blamed her for her mother's death, she had seen the woman have a Psychotic Breakdown right in front of her. Not only that, she ended up jumping into traffic. While he didn't experience that himself, he did know what it was like to be mentally abused by an adult. It was also why he made himself a personal promise, that he'd help Futaba get over her social anxiety, no matter what.

"Why are you smiling like that?"

"Huh? Oh...no reason...let's just say I accepted a Grand Quest."

"Ooo, a Grand Quest. What are the parameters? Can party members join?" she asked.

"Ideally yes...the Grand Quest is actually simple. I have to get you used to normal life, that means being able to walk around in public. I will only call this quest complete when you get over your social anxiety. I'll keep being your sword, so don't worry. I'm sure we'll both get EXP from it." Takumi replied, earning frown from the girl.

"Why would you do that? I'm just a broken girl, someone who doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things."

"Don't make me slap you. I made you a promise didn't I? That I was gonna clear the path for you. So don't say stuff like that, because you do matter. You matter to me, to Sojiro and to our friends." he said firmly. She didn't say anything, more focused on walking than anything else. It had been awhile since she had walked long distances, so she was a bit winded, it reminded her of how weak she had gotten from being locked up all the time.

They arrived at his home after ten minute of walking. Though he would prefer staying outside, he could tell Futaba really wanted to be inside. So they walked in through the Music store rather than through the back. Ayumi was behind the counter, running the register while his mother was looking over some musical instruments. He spotted Toni by the Drum sets, currently disassembling one of the displays. He had remembered his mother getting a brand new set she was going to display, so that was most likely what she was doing. Ayumi glanced up from her phone, quirking a brow at her brother.

"Uh...should I tell Ann that you're holding hands with another girl behind her back? Or are you gonna tell her yourself?"

"It isn't what you think sis. She's a friend, I'm sort of helping her out." he said.

"Pfft, with what? How to score a hunky boyfriend?" Toni asked, flipping a cymbal in her hands, only for it to drop to the floor a loud crash echoing through the shop.

"No...she has social anxiety okay? I'm just trying to get her used to being outside again. Futaba would you like to introduce yourself?" he asked softly.

"Um...okay...I uh...urk."

"I guess I'll do the introducing then...everyone, this is Futaba Sakura. She's the daughter of the man who's acting as Ren's guardian for the year, Sojiro Sakura. Futaba, the girl behind the counter is my little sister Ayumi. That woman there is my step mom Erica, and then there's the spawn of Satan, Kotone Otonashi, Toni for short."

"Hey! Don't call me a spawn of Satan! I'm not that bad!"

"You ask me every morning if I want to see your panties, you're like a bitch in heat. You never give up, and you wanna stake your claim on something that doesn't belong to you!" he snapped, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Son, what have I told you about respecting women?" Erica said in a scolding tone, causing the boy to frown.

"Tell her to stop showing me her underwear and I'll think about being civil with her." he said. Erica sighed, flicking a strand of her hair over her shoulder.

"Futaba dear, I'm sure you're a bit nervous about being in a new place. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask me okay? You're friends with my son, so you're welcome here any time."

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind having you around. I need more friends that are around my age, though it's weird seeing my brother holding hands with a twelve year old." Ayumi said.

"I'm not twelve, I'm sixteen." Futaba replied, pushing her glasses up her nose.

"You're sixteen? My ass, there is no way in hell someone so short can be that old."

"For your information Kotone, I'm not short. I am _funsized_! Furthermore, you have now earned my ire for calling me short. So from now on, I shall address you as Harpy." Futaba said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Harpy? Is that all you gotta say to me? Why even that?"

"Well, the first part of your name, Koto refers to the harp, a musical instrument. Harpies are creatures of Greek Mythology, and from the five minutes I have spent with you, I can say that you are a grasping unpleasant woman to be around."

"Holy shit, that was the sickest burn I've ever heard." Takumi said, causing Toni to huff, arms crossed.

"Whatever, I don't care what you think of me. Call me Harpy if you want, just know that Takumi is my man. You lay hand on him and we'll have words."

"Bring it, I happen to have an extensive and comprehensive understanding of phonology and syntax." the orange haired girl replied, earning a confused look from the girl.

"What? Jeez, speak Japanese so I can understand you."

"She did though, Toni I think you should spend more time reading a dictionary then practicing parkour. Seriously, you need to work on your studies so you don't stay behind this year. You did horrible on your final exams, and it wouldn't be fun to repeat a grade." Takumi said, for his statement to be brushed aside.

"Yeah, I'll worry about that later." she replied. Takumi rolled his eyes, pulling Futaba along. Moments later, they finally reached the apartment.

"Is this it?"

"Oh...yeah this is it. Welcome to my humble abode...or rather Erica's since she's the one who owns it." he said. He unlaced his boots and took them off, setting them by the door.

"It doesn't look so bad, the music store was really cool too. I've never seen that many instruments in one place. Do you play anything?"

"I'm learning the guitar, but I haven't had time to practice. Anyway, let's go to my room, you can keep your boots on if you want." he said, leading her down the hall. Takumi sighed audibly as he fell back onto his bed, the scent of vanilla still lingering in the air. Futaba stood before his game collection, a small smirk appearing on her face.

"Well, color me impressed. You have a lot of interesting titles here, including a lot of American games. I haven't played Skyrim yet."

"What? How the hell have you not played Skyrim? I have like a thousand hours on that shit alone. I have that game on my Ps4's hard drive, you can have mine. I'm sure you can figure out how to hack and mod it so it plays the Japanese version." he said.

"Wow, I can really have it?" she asked, earning a nod from the boy. She grinned, grabbing the case from the shelf.

"Heh heh heh, now I have something new to play. I'm gonna to hard on this, then we can dissect it down to the nitty gritty."

"Sure, I don't mind talking about it. So how are you feeling? Are you alright? Do you feel anxious?"

"Hmm...not really. I did before, because I didn't know your mom, sister and Harpy. But now that I did meet them, I don't feel as nervous as I did before. Outside though...that's a different beast all together...say where's your other sister?" she asked.

"Sleeping, she's been working hard on that thesis ever since we stole your heart. It's a little difficult for her, since she can't make a single reference to the Metaverse whatsoever. It's also a bit harder since we now know that someone killed your mom for her research, so if she posts something like that, or hands it to a professor or something, they might try to get rid of her...so those theses she's writing are more personal than anything."

"That's not fair...she should be able to share her findings with the world. How else is she supposed to get recognized? I can tell she's super smart, the two of us share that. My mom always pushed me to better myself, she was the only one that understood me." Futaba said, glancing at the other games in Takumi's collection.

"Erica does the same, she loves us all equally. But even she admits that Mitsuhide is often times a bit difficult to understand. Before she had her persona, she was a bit...well hard to understand. She would speak way too eloquently for a girl her age. Would only stay inside to read books and never took her sweater off, but now that she's a persona user, she's acting more...normal. Well as normal as a prodigy child can be. She's made so many strides already, and she's made me proud to be her brother. She gets that from my father sadly."

"I get that you hate your father for what he did, but it's a bit hard to understand out of context. I wanna know a bit more about him, what's he like? Without you being subjective due to what he did to you." she said, turning to face the boy.

"Heh...that'll be hard but...I guess at one point in time, he was a caring man. We didn't play a lot of games, but when we did, they were always fun. He was always on business, which made me miss him a lot. Due to that, my mother, Naotaro, would spend a lot of time with me. I hate to admit it, but I was a total Momma's boy. But I didn't care, my mom was my rock, she made me forget about a lot of things."

"How did...he cope with your mom's passing?" she asked, sitting down at his computer. She grabbed a hold of the keyboard, looking it over with a scrutinizing gaze.

"Work, that's all he did. The day after the police came and told us, he went to work. He didn't come home until late, and then he left early. I was alone, for three days...I had to watch my mom get buried, on my own. My grandmother wasn't there with me, I had to be there with a police officer because my father was fucking working. I was just...kneeling there, looking at the freshly laid dirt as the fuckin rain kept pouring over me. After that, it was the same routine, work work work. Eventually, my grandmother asked me what I wanted to be in life, I said I wanted to be an actor, and that lead me to my first sitcom." he replied, glancing at the floor.

"Sojiro was with me when my mom was buried...our family showed up, but no one else spoke to me. I was the one that killed her after all...anyway, I'm looking at this computer and it looks a bit outdated. Did you build it yourself?" she asked.

"No, I just bought it like that."

"Ugh...you call yourself a gamer and then have the audacity to game on this? That's it, I'm going to build you a computer from scratch, don't worry I'll be able to transfer your hard drive over to it so you won't lose anything." she said.

"Uh...okay, if you want to build me a computer, I guess that's fine. But in order to do that, you have to go to Akihabara to get the parts. Hell, I'll buy everything you need, just as long as you go there."

"Ah...but Akihabara is huge. I mean, yeah I feel comfortable there, but it's filled with crowds." she said, a shiver going down her spine.

"Futaba, you have to get used to those crowds. We'll take it slow okay? Let's get you used to our friends first, then we'll focus on going to Akihabara, deal?" he asked, earning a groan from the girl.

"Fine...I'm gonna skulk through your files. Don't bother telling me the password, I already know it." Futaba said, quickly logging into his file. The boy sighed, knowing nothing was safe from her prying eyes. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and reached for it, only to realize it wasn't his phone that was vibrating. He pulled out Ann's phone, seeing Shiho's caller ID flashing on it. He rolled his eyes, sliding his finger across the screen.

"Hello?"

" _Takumi! Oh thank god you picked up, I called Ren but he said he was working the morning shift and that you were with Futaba. Are you still with her now?"_

"Yes, next time you leave early, make sure you have your phone with you. I was gonna call you to see when you were gonna finish your shoot, only to see your phone on my table. You need to pay attention Ann."

" _Yeah well, when you have a wonderful night of eating ice cream and watching anime with your boyfriend, you expect to sleep in. So sorry if I left half a sleep this morning, oh and thank your mom for me. She gave me some coffee before I left and it literally got me through most of the shoot."_ Ann said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"I'll relay the news. You wanna meet up in Shibuya in fifteen minutes? I'm sure Ren wanted all of us to meet up at Leblanc to discuss Mementos. We haven't gotten Futaba there yet."

" _Sure, let's meet up at the Yongen-Jaya transfer platform. There's a sale on chocolate crapes today, and I'm totally starving. Do you want one?"_

"Yes, you know how much I love those...I'll see you there, tell Shiho I said hey." he said, ending the call right after.

"Mwehehehe! Nekopara 3 with the R18 patch, Takumi you naughty dog."

"Hey, stay out of my Eroge files!" the boy snapped angrily, earning another giggle from the orange haired hacker.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Well, now that we took care of Medjed, I guess we can discuss Futaba joining the team." Ryuji said, earning nods from the others. Everyone had managed to show up for the meeting, even Rise and Yukiko who had wanted a break from their lives to hang out with their friends. Kanami was down stairs, dealing with a rush of customers that had shown up suddenly.

"Yes, we need someone with your skills on the team. Rise and Yukiko will have to leave soon, so being able to scan palaces will be a boon for us." Makoto added.

"Um, I have a question...why are you all the way over there?" Haru asked innocently. Futaba was currently sitting on Ren's bed, facing away from the Phantom Thieves. The only one that she had allowed near her was Takumi, who was sitting on the floor, back against the bed. She said something to Takumi, who turned to face his friends.

"She said she feels comfortable over here."

"Wouldn't it be nice to at least face us?" Ryuji asked firmly.

"She's not comfortable with the group yet...just give her a bit of time...she'll answer all your questions if you refer to her as Alibaba."

"Ugh...this is impossible."

"Don't be like that Morgana, you just gotta give her some time. Social anxiety can be really difficult to understand. Most of us have some form of it, but we grow out of it with time. Which reminds me, how were you able to get rid of Medjed?" Ann asked, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Like I told Takumi, I was the founder of that website. So it was easy for me to hack it, after all since I was the founder, I had all of the necessary credentials."

"What? How come you never told us this dude? The fuck!" Ryuji snapped angrily.

"He did, he sent us a message via group chat, detailing his conversation with Futaba. Did you not read the message chain?" Yusuke asked, holding his phone out to the boy. He grabbed a hold of it, his eyes reading some of the messages.

"That's weird, I never saw any of these...oh wait, I forgot. I was getting a new phone that day, I ended up shattering the screen, so all they did was transfer the information and contacts from it, so I didn't see this message. Sorry about that man."

"Don't worry about it, shit happens." Takumi replied.

"Hey Futaba, how did you learn how to hack things?" Makoto asked curiously, Futaba answered without skipping a beat.

"Trade secret."

"Okay, what about the bugs, when did you plant them here?" Rise asked.

"Not telling, I'll get in trouble."

"Hmm...it seems we aren't really getting anywhere with her. We're gonna have to get her to trust us if we want her as a full member. We need her skills after all." Morgana said, turning to face his friends.

"I know that, but we should at least get her to trust us. I propose all of us spend at least one day with her. We must get to know her if we want her to trust us after all."

"Good idea Yusuke, I think Ren and Takumi need to be there as well. She seems to trust the two of you a lot. If you'd like, we can all split into groups of two and spend a day with her." Makoto suggested, earning a nod from group.

"That's a great idea! Makoto, you and Yusuke can hang out with her tomorrow. Me and Ryuji get her on Monday, Haru and Mitsuhide get her on Tuesday, and if Rise and Yukiko can spend some time with her on Wednesday, that would be good too." Ann said, writing the days down on a sheet of paper.

"Furthermore, Thursday she'll need to work on social skills, maybe having her work here in Leblanc will do her good. On Friday, we'll take her to Akihabara, she's wanted to go there for awhile, so me and Ren will handle that. If all goes well, then on Saturday we can all so a group activity." Takumi said, a smile on his face.

"Group activity? What are you getting at?" Rise asked, earning a chuckle from the boy. He stood up, reaching into his backpack.

"Well Rise, you better prepare your sexiest bikini, because all of us are spending the week at Miura Beach. The Miura Resort has four suites available and I have managed to book them. So from Saturday the 20th to Saturday the 27th, we get to spend seven days and six nights at the beach."

"Are you serious? Man you are awesome! We finally get to do something awesome for the summer, and we get to look at the beach babes!" Ryuji said, earning glares from all of the girls.

"Well...I haven't gone to Miura Beach yet. It would be a waste if I head back home to Inaba without seeing the beach. Is it alright if I invite Alex along? I'm sure he'd love to meet you all." Yukiko asked, earning a nod from Takumi.

"Yeah, I don't mind at all. There are four suites, two for the guys and two for the girls. I'm rooming with Ren, he's the quietest of the group and I enjoy my beauty sleep." the actor said firmly.

"Hey, he can crash with us then. Have fun splitting up the rooms ladies, since there are a lot more of you." the blonde track star said happily.

"Actually Ryuji, this also happens to be a gift for my little sister Ayumi, since her birthday is on Monday, Toni's birthday is on Friday...so both of them will be tagging along, with my mother as well. Guess where Toni is sleeping?"

"Oh you son of a bitch!"

"Hmm...does that mean I'll finally be able to get the subject that I need for my art? Yes, I shall finally understand true passion. Ryuji, I hope you are alright with me sketching you during the night, I assure you, you'll look quite dashing on canvas."

"The fuck? Hell no I'm not alright with that! Dude, you gotta put her somewhere else!"

"Sorry, I can't. There were only four suites available and I can't cut corners, besides why are you complaining? Your suite came with two Queen sized beds. Be grateful you'll be sharing it with a woman." Takumi said.

"Jeez, if you are really complaining about something so small, then I'll crash with Ren and Takumi, and Toni can take my bed. There, was that so hard?" Ann asked, crossing her arms over her chest, a look of annoyance on her face.

"I'm alright with that, just no naughty things. Save that for when you two are alone." Ren replied, causing Yukiko to laugh. Takumi and Ann both flushed a vibrant red.

"Finally, my thesis is complete. I cannot believe it took me so long to get into a coherent form. Two hundred and fifty-four pages, I must say that even I am impressed."

"Two hundred and fifty-four pages? What are you made of?" Makoto cried, disbelief written on her face.

"Sugar, Spice and Everything nice...and a bit of chemical X of course." the girl replied with a wink.

"Anyway, let us recap our schedule. Tomorrow, Makoto and Yusuke will hang out with Futaba to get to know her better. Me and Ryuji will hang out with her on Monday. Haru and Mitsuhide on Tuesday, Rise and Yukiko on Wednesday, she works here at Leblanc on Thursday, and on Friday she goes to Akihabara with Ren and Takumi." Ann said, reading the schedule outloud.

"Not bad, any objections?" Makoto asked, causing Futaba to raise her hand.

"I have an objection."

"You don't get to object, this is for your own good Futaba." Takumi said, earning a groan from the girl. She lay down on Ren's bed, her hair spread all around her.

"You guys are all annoying."

"Yeah well, get used to it kid, we're Phantom Thieves now." Ryuji said, a smirk on his face. Takumi's phone started ringing rather loudly, causing the boy to sigh audibly. He grabbed a hold of it, swiping his thumb across the screen.

"You have reached the phone of unrecognized talent, please start after the beep."

" _Hello to you too son, listen I hate to bother you. But a package arrived at the shop addressed directly to you. It's something from Mashita Industries, so I have no idea what it is."_

"Is it ticking?" the boy asked curiously.

" _No, it isn't ticking."_

"Shit, it might be pressure activated, okay mom what you're gonna wanna do is get away from it. You don't know if it'll explode, if it isn't pressure activated, what you wanna do is open it. Look around for the red, white and black wires, and with a wire cutter, strip them all. I need you to tell me if their made of copper alloy."

" _This is serious Takumi!"_ Erica cried loudly, causing the boy to pull the device from his ear.

"I am being serious! If it's from Mashita Industries then it has to be something from my father. Why the hell would he send me something? Actually scratch that, now I wanna know what he sent me. I'll be on my way, I gotta pick up my sister and I'll be there." he said, standing up from his seat.

" _Pick her up? You aren't together?"_

"Huh? Oh sorry, I didn't mean pick up as in go get her, I meant pick up as in pick up. She's nodding off, poor thing just finished that thesis of hers. I'll be there in half an hour, thirty-five if the sandwich shop is finished with their lunch rush." he said, earning a sigh from the other line.

 _"Alright, I'll be waiting...see you soon son."_

"Well guys, guess I'll be heading out early. I know you wanted to discuss Mementos, but now that we're busy getting the NEET used to normal life, I doubt we'll be going to Mementos any time soon." Takumi said, shoving his phone in his pocket.

"Hey, don't just call me a NEET like that!" Futaba cried.

"But that's what you are though." Ryuji replied, earning a growl from the girl. Takumi grabbed Mitsuhide's laptop and placed it back inside her carrying case, slinging it over his shoulder. He lifted the girl up, and she instantly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Aw, that's so cute." Haru said, immediately pulling out her phone. Yukiko and Rise were already snapping pictures, much to the boy's chagrin.

"Yeah yeah, get it all out...I'll see you all tomorrow. Futaba, be prepared, we're just gonna hang out okay? Don't be nervous or anything."

"I'll try." she replied. Ann finished up packing her things, standing up from her seat.

"I'll go with you, I'm curious about this package too. We'll let you know if it's a bomb or anything." the blonde said.

"Remember, the black wire is most likely the relay, you wanna cut the red wire. If there's a green wire among them, then the white wire is the decoy, you wanna cut the red wire before cutting the green one." Ren said, causing the two to look at him.

"Uh...and you know this how?"

"I'm working on a Megido bomb, no results yet I'm afraid." he replied. Takumi and Ann shared a look, both unable to come up with an answer. They took their leave, bidding farewell to their friends.

"You know, it's actually good that we're going back to Shibuya. I finally figured out what that key goes too. It's to P.O. Box located in Shibuya Station's Post Office."

"Seriously? You wanna go see what it is?" Ann asked curiously, earning a nod from the boy. They walked down into Yongen-Jaya station after a few moments.

"Yeah, hopefully Mitsu will be rested enough to walk home."

"I'll be fine with half an hour, just let me rest for a bit." the girl said softly, as she settled into the train seat beside him.

"Okay...I'll let you sleep then." the boy said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders, keeping her close to himself.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

After arriving at the station, Takumi, Ann and Mitsuhide walked toward the Post Office. It wasn't that far from the Underground Mall, and thankfully it wasn't crowded with people either. It didn't take him long to find the P.O. Box that belonged to Shimizu, the small tag on the keyring told him the number. Once he did, he stood in front of it for a few moments, wondering what was inside. He slipped the key into the keyhole, and just left it there, glaring at the name written on it.

"Are you going to open it?" Ann asked softly.

"Sorry, I'm just...thinking about everything that's happened so far." he said.

"I understand, but big brother we cannot stand here for too long. People will get suspicious. Let us just retrieve what is inside it and take our leave." Mitsuhide said, urging him on. He turned the key, a soft click filling his ears as he opened the box. The only thing that was inside the box was a thick bundle of papers. He reached into the box, pulling it out. He wiped the dust that had gathered on it, seeing the yellowing of the pages.

"Is that a movie script?" Ann asked.

"It seems like it...it's for a movie called Flaming Cadenza...the date on it is...whoa, this is from back in 2001." he said, flipping through some of the pages.

"Why would he keep something like this locked up here for eighteen years?" Mitsuhide asked curiously.

"I'm not sure, but there's a note here. It says that this is his magnum opus, his life's work. It could be that this was written before he fell into the rabbit hole. Maybe this was the movie he always wanted to film, but couldn't because he had become too engrossed in his sick twisted crimes."

"Maybe, it's just a theory...we should probably get rid of it." Ann said. The boy nodded, placing it inside his backpack, closing the box. The three walked toward the exit, out into Central Street. As they were walking, they glanced up at the giant screen facing Station Square, seeing something scrolling across from it. A familiar reporter having appeared on the screen.

" _Breaking News, famous movie director Ryoutaro Shimizu has just called a press conference. After a few days of not hearing a single word from him, it seems he has finally decided to speak. He was recently targeted by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, and has decided to put these allegations to rest. We now go live to the Tokyo Anime Center, the site of this press conference."_ the reporter said. The feed cut to another camera, which was currently focused on Shimizu, who looked like he had seen better days.

"Did you tell the others to tune into the news?" Takumi asked, earning a nod from Ann, who was rapidly typing on her phone. The director cleared his throat as he begun to speak.

" _Ladies and Gentlemen, and everyone at home...I would like to apologize to you all. I haven't been truthful for the last several years. Everything the Phantom Thieves have said about me is completely true! For the last several years, I have extorted men, women and children for my own selfish gain. I have forced people to do my bidding, all for the sake of my movie. More recently, even the famous Kanami Mashita was one of my targets. I extorted her and took various photos of her in a state of undress, so I could sell them for money. I offered the same deal to a nine year old girl, and even kidnapped two teenagers to force them into my film. My accomplice Koichi Kaburagi is dead because of me, because I shot him!"_

The man choked back a cry, the mutters of everyone around him filling the room. There were several people telling the crowd to remain silent as to let the man continue. Takumi looked around, seeing a few eyes on him. Since Kanami was his older sister, it was safe to assume that he had been one of the victims that Shimizu had referred too. The man grabbed one of the microphones, holding it close to his lips.

" _This all started years ago, when I murdered the only woman I loved. All because I was sexually confused, I never once got used to my sexuality, and this lead to everything that happened. I took the life of a seven year old girl and forced her into my first pornographic film. She wasn't the only victim, several more fell to her, over four hundred, between the ages of seven and twenty-two. I beat a young woman so hard she lost her child, I had a man get killed at his daughter's fourth birthday party. I was the one that got Hana Song killed, it was my fault Tsubaki Kasugano committed suicide. There are seventeen others that have died because of me, and many more that have committed suicide. I can't beg for their forgiveness, I don't deserve it! I want to name every victim that I have ensnared in my trap, starting with my first victim, Kotoko Utsugi..."_

The man continued, naming all of his victims in Alphabetical order. With every single name he said, the hatred toward him grew. It had gotten to the point where people were shouting obscenities at him, even the ones at the press conference, still he continued, saying the names of everyone he had sexually abused. Takumi grabbed Mitsuhide's hand, and started pulling her along, gesturing for Ann to follow. He just wanted to be out of Shibuya Square for now. The streets were empty, thanks to the press conference making everyone walk in the direction of the giant monitors.

"I can't believe he confessed so early." he said, after they had arrived at the music shop.

"I'm surprised too, usually, they don't confess until the day they were going to do something. For Kamoshida, it was on May 2nd, the day of the Board Meeting, it was the same for Madarame and for Kaneshiro, June 5th and July 9th respectively. Perhaps the guilt got to him and he felt the need to confess early." Ann replied.

"Hmm...that is an interesting theory, likely one that will need to be proven. I suppose I shall go back to studying this...still, I didn't expect that man to be so sick. Over four hundred victims? I cannot believe someone like that exists." Mitsuhide said, a look of disgust on her face.

"That just goes to show how disgusting a person can truly be...regardless, he finally confessed. That means we no longer have to worry about him exposing Kanami's nude photos. We can breathe easy now." Takumi said happily.

"I'm happy for you Takumi! Your sister is finally safe, none of us have to worry about that bastard doing anything anymore. He is finally out of our lives!" she said, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. He hugged her back, a grin on his face.

"Yeah...we no longer have to worry at all."

"Ugh...I'll be waiting inside." Mitsuhide said, taking her leave. Takumi and Ann shook their heads, watching the girl walking into the store. The blonde model turned to face the young actor, giving him a loving look.

"At least something beautiful came from this. I wasn't expecting to get a boyfriend while gallivanting as a Phantom Thief, but I'm glad I did." she said happily.

"Me too, I always dreamed of having a model as a girlfriend, who knew dreams could come true?" he asked, earning a groan from the girl. She leaned forward, giving him a firm kiss on the lips, which he quickly returned.

"You're such an idiot you know that?" she asked, giving the boy another hug.

"I guess, but you're a bit of an idiot too. Don't you worry, I love you all the same!" he said.

"Huh? You love me?" the girl asked, eyes widening at the statement.

"Well...yeah. Sure we haven't dated long, but I feel genuine love for you, so I hope you don't mind me saying I love you from time to time." he said, giving her a wink.

"No...I don't! I love you too!" she cried, hugging him again.

"Ahem...are you two just gonna stand there hugging each other or are you going to look at this goddamn package?" Ayumi snapped, having stuck her head out the door. Takumi released his hold on Ann, grabbing a hold of her hand.

"Sorry sis." he said, entering the store.

He walked over to the counter where Erica had been waiting, a medium sized cardboard box laying on the glass showcase. She had been looking it over when she saw her son and his girlfriend entering the store. She wordlessly handed him a box cutter, an obvious curious look on her face.

"Any idea what it might be?" she asked.

"A bomb, seriously take cover." he said jokingly, slicing the tape with the knife.

Everyone watched curiously as he opened the box up, folding the flaps on the sides of it. He reached inside, finding nothing more than a briefcase. He placed it on the counter, and stared at it, only to look inside the packing peanuts within, finding an envelope. He slipped his finger under the flap and reached for the note that had been inside. He opened it, reading the words inside.

" _I hope you haven't forgotten, you aren't in Japan to gallivant around Tokyo. You are my son, so you will have to take over my company, I expect you to be at Headquarters on August 23rd for your first business meeting."_

"What a piece of shit, he thinks that I'm gonna do as he asks. He can kiss my ass, I am not going to do shit for him." he said, grabbing the briefcase, which was completely empty. He placed it inside the box, walking through the store.

"What are you doing?" Ayumi asked curiously. He opened the back door and tossed the box into the nearby dumpster, brushing his hands off.

"Taking out the trash...by the way, did you see the news? Ryoutaro Shimizu just confessed to sexually exploiting over four hundred victims." he said.

"Are you serious?" Erica cried.

"Yes! We saw it on Central Street, it might still be on, turn the news on before we miss it all! I wanna see him crying again!" Ann said cheerfully. Erica shrugged, walking back toward the apartment. Takumi felt happy knowing that Shimizu had finally been taken care of. But now, he didn't know what his father was planning. He just hoped nothing serious would come about it.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 6)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	46. Futaba's Training Week

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new chapter of this...Persona 5: Codename Songbird. I would like to apologize, I was actually gonna have this out at noon today, Eastern Standard Time, but I actually ended up sleeping in and walking up at one in the afternoon and then I had some errands to run, then I had to do some chores and start dinner and well...here we are I guess. So for that very reason, I will be doing a double post, so in three hours or so I will be posting chapter 47, but I won't be posting a follow up until Wednesday.**

 **I'm actually working on a brand new story right now, and I'm currently struggling to get it off the ground. It's been a bit challenging, but I have been thinking a lot about the beginning. That's the thing, the beginning is hard as shit to write but I already got the body and part of the ending figured out. Sadly though it never works out the way that I want, so the beginning will seem a bit rushed. It's actually gonna be a Tokyo Xanadu story. There isn't even a section for that series on the site, so I think my story will be the first once it is posted. I don't know when that will be but I will let you all know if you are interested in reading it.**

 **I would like to thank my friend RosyMiranto18, for being a huge help these past few weeks, not just with the direction of my Persona 5 story but also for getting me into Tokyo Xanadu a game that I hadn't even heard of until I was told about it. It isn't the greatest game in the world, but the overly simplistic battle mechanics and the story were good enough for me, so do check it out. I'm not sure if it's still on sale on PSN, but if you have a Playstation Plus, you can actually get the game for 20% off, making a brand new 60 dollar game 29.99 which is a steal. While you are at it, get yourself Monster Hunter, because holy shit is that a good game, and throw in God of War too, everyone needs a bit of Kratos in their life.**

 **And finally, Memorial Day is around the corner here in the United States, so I would like to thank all of our Brave Soldiers for doing what you do. You are all heroes fighting for our freedom day and night, and you deserve praise, for keeping us all safe. It has been a politically stressful year, but I'd rather not get into that stuff on Fanfiction. So to everyone who has served and is serving, happy Memorial Day, and thank you for everything. For those we have lost, you will never be forgotten. May the Stars Be With You all!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 46

Futaba's Training Week

 _ **Date: Saturday August 13**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Location: Shinjuku**_

 _ **Weather: Clear**_

 _ **Objective: Help Futaba get used to the Phantom Thieves**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi silently sipped his coffee, leaning against a nearby building in Shinjuku. He had been waiting for Detective Makidou to show up, as she had asked him to come out for the night. He had spotted some police cars in a nearby building, along with some police tape that had been set up, labeling it as a crime scene. He wasn't exactly sure what he was going to be seeing, but he had at least come prepared. It wasn't long before Detective Makidou showed up. She was dressed in what he assumed was her work uniform, a long sleeved off shoulder white top, with a mid length navy blue skirt. She was wearing some black panty hose, along with her boots, her hair was up in a ponytail. The only aesthetic change was the fact that she had a belt wrapped around her waist, which held her bad and her firearm. She looked him over, brow quirked in curiosity.

"A trench coat? And a fedora?"

"What? I wanted to dress like a detective, you know...so I could blend in. So, what exactly are we going to do here?" he asked curiously, glancing at the officers across the street.

"Well...we were going to investigate a drug dealer that was selling drugs to minors around here. But I got a call before I left the Prosecutors Office, seems someone was the victim of a serial killer." she said, digging her hand in her pocket. She pulled out a golden badge, placing it around his neck.

"Whoa...is this a real badge?"

"Duh, I told the Chief you were going to be my assistant! However I must lay down some ground rules that you need to follow. Number one, do not tamper with the crime scene, it is important to keep it as preserved as possible. Number two, you will listen to everything I have to say, do not under any circumstance move away from me. Number three, if I tell you to leave, you leave. Everything we discuss in there, stays in there, do not share anything about this case with anyone. The last thing we need is the news finding out about this before we can solve it. We've been keeping it under wraps for months." she said firmly.

"Okay, I'll do as you ask. But...what are you talking about? Keeping what under wraps?" he asked. She gestured for him to follow, leading him toward the crime scene.

"Someone's been offing people in Tokyo. All of them are thought to be connected to shady people. The latest victim is an Japanese male, thought to have connections to the Yakuza clan of Shinjuku. He had various stab wounds all thought to be defensive, but the most noticeable feature is his disembowelment." Konan said, causing the boy to swallow hard. One of the officers lifted the police line, allowing the two to walk into the apartment building. They walked up toward the third floor, stepping into the apartment.

Several detectives were already on the scene, along with some police officers. They were all looking around the apartment, taking note of everything. Konan continued walking into the apartment, toward a man who had been looking at a blood hand print had been left on the wall. He glanced briefly over his shoulder, taking notice of the young woman. He straightened up, towering over the detective.

"Good to see you Detective, I see you ended up bringing your apprentice as you said you would."

"Indeed, he wished to study criminal justice, so I decided to take him under my wing. I've already read him the rules and he's promised not to say anything to anyone. So, I need details." she said firmly. Takumi noticed her normally aloof demeanor had changed entirely. The man nodded, placing his hands in his pockets.

"The victim's name is Mikhail Reznov, a 29 year old Russian-Japanese man, thought to have been part of the local Yakuza. Though we haven't found proof of that. The victim was found in his bedroom, deceased with various defensive wounds on his arms. His abdomen was sliced open, his bowels spilling on the ground, he bled to death instantly. Judging by the laceration, it is believed to have been caused by a knife." he said.

"Anything else you might have found?" Konan asked.

"Signs of a struggle in the living room, there was a broken glass in the kitchen, along with some blood spatter and a hand print. It seems he was stabbed here in the living room and walked into the kitchen, most likely for a weapon of some kind. He came back through here, leaving this hand print before being finished off in the bedroom."

"Excuse me, do you have any witnesses? This is an apartment building, perhaps the other tenants heard something go down." Takumi said, causing the man to look at him.

"Sadly that isn't the case, turns out this building was being renovated, the third floor was the only one that was inhabited."

"Shit...that means no one heard anything...hmm, did you notice that window is open?" Takumi said, pointing to the window on the far side of the living room. Konan walked over to it, reaching her pocket for a pair of gloves. She handed another pair to Takumi who quickly put them on. She looked around the window sill, but didn't find anything significant.

"It's likely this was the escape route. The fire escape is right there, so it would provide an easy avenue of escape. Good eye kid." Konan said.

"If you'd like to take a look at the body, it's in the bedroom down the hall. Maybe you'd want to stay back here kid, it's rather grisly." the other detective said, earning a shrug from the boy.

"If I'm going to be a detective one day, that means I'm gonna have to get used to seeing this. Might as well see it now, besides I'm used to playing zombie games where people get dismembered. This shouldn't be that different."

"Watch what you say kid, real life and video games aren't the same thing. Come on, let's see if we can find anything worthwhile." the pink haired detective said, leading him down the other hall. There were some photographers inside the room, taking pictures of everything that was in the room.

The body of Mikhail Reznov was laying prone against the wall. He was slumped over, arms at his sides, a large pool of blood underneath him. His stomach had indeed been sliced open, his intestines having fallen out of his abdominal cavity. Not only his bowels but also some of his internal organs had fallen out, due to her long and wide the cut had been. Takumi swallowed hard, this was definitely different than seeing Kaburagi being killed in front of him, that's for sure. Some plastic had been laid down on the floor, so it wouldn't spread the blood everywhere. The scent of blood and iron lingered in the room, but he also picked something else, something he hadn't been expecting.

"Well kid, take a look at it...this is the truth behind this person. Every single victim we have found, has been found like this. It's safe to say this is their calling card." Konan said, earning a nod from Takumi. He walked over to the body, kneeling down next to it. He tried not looking at the man's features, but it was rather impossible not too.

"Hmm...this cut, it couldn't have been made by a normal knife. Perhaps a butcher knife, but that wouldn't leave the perfect cut either. One would have to stab him right in the center of the stomach. It looks like he was sliced open from the back, right across the stomach to the other side of his waist. Judging by the smear on the wall, I can assume he was standing upright."

"Very good, I didn't say anything because I wanted to see if you picked up on it. What else do you see?" Konan asked curiously. Takumi looked around for a few seconds, noticing some blood on the man's cheek. He moved the head slightly, finding a rusted nail sticking out of the wall.

"It's a nail, I don't think this is relevant though. There's no way this could signify anything. Hmm...there are several small stab wounds on his arms and hands. Defensive wounds, so the person who did this was trying to kill him, but he obviously tried running away. That left them with no choice so he was disemboweled here. But...there's something else." Takumi said, standing back up. He glanced around the room, seeing the main lights were turned off, only lamps had been turned on. He walked over to the light switch, about to flick it on when he saw some blood on it.

"Blood on the light switch...so he turned the lights on...but, why are they off now?" he muttered, glancing up. He noticed the bulbs had been blown out. Glancing at the ground, laying in the puddle of blood was some shards of broken glass, along with shell casings.

"I knew it, excuse me...did either of you see a gun around here?" he said, glancing at the Photographers.

"Not that I know of, when we walked into this room, the door was closed. We had to bring in these lamps from the living room to provide light. It was rather hard not stepping in the blood." one of them said. Takumi nodded, glancing around the floor for a few seconds.

He walked back over to the body, kneeling down before it, making sure not to get any blood on himself. He reached behind him, having noticed his left hand under his body. He felt something hard underneath it and grabbed a hold of it. He pulled it out from underneath the body, looking it over.

"FN Five Seven, that's a rather pretty gun for a man like him. Though if he's part of the Yakuza, it would make sense for him having it." he said.

"Careful with that, we wouldn't want it to fire." the photographer said. Takumi rolled his eyes, pressing the magazine release, placing the magazine on the dresser. He pulled the slide back, ejecting the round in the chamber, placing the firearm on the dresser.

"I'm impressed you were able to identify that firearm and clear it safely." Konan said, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"I spent time in America, my uncle lives in Hawaii and he taught me how to use firearms. Let's just say, I have experience with them. I didn't see any bullet holes on the walls. They're white, so it would be obvious if there were any. Furthermore, the lights have been blown out, it's lead me to believe that this man shot out the lights in an attempt to hide from his killer and get the jump on them. However, the killer was more skilled, and was able to kill him. See the bullet hole in the ceiling? It looks like they redirected his gun. He left himself unguarded and his stomach was sliced open. Now, all we need is the motive." he said.

"Heh...you're pretty good at this. You have some interesting observation skills, let's talk outside...I wanna at least have something to do." Konan said, earning a shrug from the boy. She lead him back outside, stepping behind the apartment, out of the sight of the other cops.

"That wasn't so bad."

"Yeah, you get used to it after awhile. Some people get really queasy during their first homicide. You however were able to handle it just..." she paused, watching the boy open the lid to a nearby trash can, hurling the contents of his stomach inside. She just stood there, a giggle erupting from her throat, which evolved into a laugh.

"What's so damn funny?"

"You were holding it in for so long, then you just hurl here? Oh my god, you're hilarious!" she said, causing the boy to growl angrily. He wiped his mouth off with his shirt, reaching inside his jacket for his water bottle.

"I'm an actor, Detective. Obviously I'll be able to act my part, I was acting like a detective so I could keep it all in. Still, I impressed even myself, normally I pay attention to detail. But I'm surprised I was able to point this stuff out easily." he said, taking a swig from his water. Konan nodded, reaching into her skirt pocket for her pipe and a small baggie of tobacco. She lit it a moment later, taking a drag from it.

"Still...this is a very grisly sight...this one is a bit more complicated. The previous guy we found like this was in an alleyway. It was in broad daylight, no one managed to see a thing. You'd think someone who heard the gunshots would stick around...what a mess." she said, taking a drag from her pipe.

"You know, that shit is gonna kill you." the boy scolded. She exhaled the smoke through her nose, glaring at him.

"As I said before, this is just tobacco. It's home grown, it has none of the shit normal tobacco does. Here, take a drag...you'll know the difference."

"You're just handing it to me? You know I'm a minor right?" he asked. She shrugged, giving him a wink.

"It'll be our little secret." she said. He sighed, taking a hold of the pipe, taking a drag from it. He coughed a bit, smoke coming from his mouth.

"Oh god, this sucks so bad." he said, handing her the pipe.

"Eh...it isn't for everyone. Still...did you see anything else in there that might lead us to finding this person?"

"Not really...there was nothing I could point out. Except maybe the path they took...there was no sign of forced entree. But that window opens from inside, so it has to be the escape route. The killer must have picked the lock to get in, or was laying in wait for their victim. It's clear that the victim tried to defend himself by going to the kitchen, that's probably where the defensive stabbings occurred. Finally, it ended in the bedroom, but I didn't see any footprints. So it's clear that he was slashed open and the killer jumped back before any blood could get on them." he said. Konan remained silent, biting on the tip of her pipe.

"That's my assumption too. I saw four shell casings, most likely what happened was the victim shooting out the lights. The fourth round was the defensive one that was redirected into the ceiling...man, what a mess. I'm gonna have one beefy report to write tonight. Anyway, another reason why I wanted you here is because of that drug dealer I was talking about."

"Oh...what about him?" Takumi asked.

"He's been selling drugs to minors from various schools around Tokyo. Including Shujin Academy and Kosei Academy...if you're really connected to the Phantom Thieves, then I want them to take care of this target."

"What's his name?"

"Ichiya Motohama...here's his picture." the woman said, holding her phone out to the boy. His eyes widened a bit as he saw the familiar face of Ichiya, the man he had met with Izumi a few days back.

"No way...I know this guy."

"What? Are you serious?" she asked. The boy bit his cheek, regretting his outburst.

"Yeah...I met him in Jinbocho, he was out at the Bookstore, me and my girlfriend were looking for some acting books. He was looking for books on how to fix Pachinko machines. We didn't talk long, just about which books were good."

"Jinbocho huh? We got word that an illegal casino was being run around those parts. Anyway, this man is responsible for three overdose deaths in the last six months. He seems to target minors, those that have debts with him, are turned into his traffickers. So we need to take him down, give that information to your buddies would you?" she asked, sending a copy of the file to his Encrypted Line.

"Sure thing, it'll take me few days, since I have to get in contact with my friend. He's the one who delivers the information to the Thieves themselves. I should have results in about a week or so."

"Hmm...alright then, would you like to help me finish gathering information up there? Or do you wanna go home?"

"If you need help then I'll help you. I've already gotten over the sickness, I might as well right?" he asked, earning a smile from the girl.

"Good, because this is gonna be one Bastard of a report to write, and now you'll help me get it done."

"Shit."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday August 14**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Sojiro Sakura's House(Yongen-Jaya)**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Help Futaba get used to the Phantom Thieves**_

 _ **xxx**_

Takumi had seen a lot of things in life, but seeing a young girl using a giant mask to hide from her friends was a new one. She was currently sitting at her computer, with a huge helmet like mask over head. Yusuke and Makoto were next to her, with Ren, Morgana and himself standing by her bed. They hadn't gotten much progress, other than a few mutters and swears from Futaba, who had wanted to focus on creating a mod for her new copy of Skyrim.

"So Futaba, what do you like to do for fun?" Makoto asked, hoping to get an answer from the girl.

"Modding."

"Modding?"

"It's a term used by gamers. It's when you take a game and modify it to have things that normally wouldn't be found in game. Like say I'm playing Pokemon, and I want to play a competitive match. I can mod my game so I could get the perfect Pokemon. Though that is severely frowned upon." Takumi said.

"It's more extensive than that, you take something and create something new out of it. Modding would be taking that Pokemon game and adding a new part to the region, by using the assets to make a new map. I mean, have you played any of the Rom hacks?" Futaba asked, turning to face the boy. She took off her mask, fixing her hair. Makoto held back her excitement, clasping her hands tightly.

"No...I haven't played any of the Rom hacks. I can't download any of them, whenever I do they just fail to play." he said.

"Ugh...you probably didn't even unzip the file did you?"

"Unzip? I didn't see a zipper anywhere." Takumi said. Futaba stood up from her chair, and despite her height, managed to slap him across the face.

"Dumbass! When you unzip a file, you are using 7zip or another program to convert the download into something your computer can process. Also, in order to play a Rom hack, you need to download an Emulator. Jeez, you are so lucky I'm building your computer. I'm gonna get you so many Pokemon games you'll get sick of the damn series."

"Okay I guess...I did play Pokemon Reborn and Pokemon Uranium, the whole Nuclear Eevee evolution was pretty sick." he said, rubbing his check. He had of course been joking, but even if he told her that, it was likely that she'd slap him again..

"Heh, so at least you have played a fan game. I actually tried to create my own hack, but I needed a lot of help. You can't create a game on your own after all...what's your favorite Pokemon by the way?"

"Glaceon, whenever I played Explorers of Sky, I aimed to be an Eevee so I could eventually evolve into a Glaceon. My favorite type is Fairy though, this was back before Gen 6, which is my favorite generation, 1 on the list, after comes Gen 2, Gen 4 comes after that, then it's Gens 3 and 5 tying for fourth place, and in last place is Gen 1. Not because it sucks, but because it was glitchy as fuck, the remakes were good but those are part of Gen 3 so they don't count."

"Hmm...so it seems we have that in common as well, though my favorite is still Gen 4. Diamond and Pearl were mind blowing when they came out. I mean, they were the first 3D games on the platform...well not exactly 3D, but still. I just loved everything about it!" she said excitedly. She walked over to her game shelf, opening one of the glass doors, gesturing to the games that rested inside.

"Take a look, this my collection of Pokemon games. I have every game every created from various places in the world. I also have five Gameboy Advance SP, five Nintendo DS's, two DSI XL, four 3DS XL's and my baby, a custom made New 3DS XL, which I made using custom firmware, parts and everything. It was hard trying to hack a Nintendo product, but so damn worth it after. I don't even care that the online is blocked on it, I can still get around everything."

"Wow...I never knew you were a Pokemon nut." Ren said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Of course! If you don't like Pokemon then you just had no childhood. I have every Pokemon on every game, all of them legitimate. It took hours of trading back and forth, playing the side games to get certain items from them. I even made Sojiro go out to every distribution to get me the Game cards for Legendaries. I have all of the cards in a binder too." she said, pulling out the binder that held all of her Pokemon codes from Generation 6 onward.

"Hmm...this is interesting, it seems if you get her to talk about something she likes, she'll easily open up. Sadly, I don't know much about Pokemon, though I did watch XY and XYZ, it was really good." Makoto said.

"Tell me about it, that damn song got stuck in my head. Getta Ban Ban is the catchiest song ever, almost as catchy as the American version of the original Pokemon Theme." Ren said.

"Finally, it is done." Yusuke announced, causing everyone to look over at him.

"What's done? What the hell were you even doing?" Takumi asked, having looked up from Futaba's collection of Pokemon cards.

"I wanted to teach Futaba the fundamentals of art. Some of them came apart, but I do hope you like what I have created." the young artist said, stepping away from the shelf. Takumi looked at the Neo Featherman figurines, all of them having been mismatched. He also noticed the pose they were in reminded him of the post the Ginyu Force normally did in DBZ.

"My...my babies! What did you do to my babies!?" Futaba cried, dropping her binder, though Takumi caught it before it hit the ground.

"I arranged them in a way that made them look visually pleasing. Some of the parts came off, but I believe the aesthetics suit them nicely."

"Gah! You wouldn't know aesthetics if they hit you in the face. Why would you do something like this? It took me forever to arrange them in their poses, you stupid Inari!" Futaba cried, grabbing a hold of her figurines, which she started pulling apart.

"What's up with her?" Morgana asked curiously.

"You don't understand, for an otaku, their figurines are like their children. If you end up buying a figurine and it doesn't look like what you saw in the picture or it comes broken, or it breaks...it's like losing a piece of your soul. I would know, I had this sweet Kurumi Tokisaki figurine and her stand broke, so I couldn't display her at all. I couldn't even fix it because it was broken beyond repair. I had to retire that figurine and buy another one. What pissed me off even more was that the original was a limited edition PVC figurine, while the second one I bought was a knock off."

"I understand, so the poses are what makes them aesthetically pleasing to look at. It's also what makes them recognizable." Yusuke said, earning a nod from Futaba.

"That's right, all of them have a different pose. So even out of costume, you'd know who was who." she said.

"I guess my theory was spot on...she does like talking about things she relates to. That makes it a little easier I guess." Makoto said, still feeling a bit left out.

"Sorry Makoto, you and Ren are totally left out. Maybe it's time for you two to start watching anime so you have something to talk to her about." Takumi said, having sat down with Futaba's binder on his lap. He had found a lot of interesting cards inside, even some from the original packs of 1997.

"I guess I now have a reason to go to Akihabara, instead of going there just to try Clara's cooking."

"Oh my god, don't even mention that. It makes me wanna go there right fuckin now. She writes the cutest little messages on my food, it just makes me want to tip her like 55%." Takumi said.

"Boys...of course you only care about a girl's cooking skills." Makoto said, begrudgingly shaking her head.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday August 15**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Torrential Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Help Futaba get used to the Phantom Thieves**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Happy birthday sis, sorry I only got you a cupcake. I'm sure you'll like your actual present when the time comes." Takumi said handing the girl the large frosted cupcake, with a single pink candle on it. Ayumi smiled happily, blowing the candle out.

"Thank you big brother, it means a lot that you remembered. I love you so much!" she cried happily, taking a bite from the confection, smearing some frosting on her nose.

"Try not to smear it all over your face. Your supposed to eat it not wear it." Morgana said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"I know that Morgana, it's just so good. Too bad Toni isn't here, I'm sure she'd love to share it."

"Where is she? I would have thought she'd want to be here today." Ren asked curiously.

"She's getting the paperwork together for End of Summer. We have to sign all of the paperwork, and get a sponsor before the Qualifiers start on August 26th. The good thing is, their being held in Miura Beach, so we'll at least be running by the sea." she said excitedly. Ren and Takumi shared a look, both of them knowing about the vacation.

"Well, I did sort of promise I'd join you girls. You've been teaching me how to do some parkour flips, and Toni has been teaching me how to free run. I'm not gonna put that stuff to waste, do you think the school will sponsor us?"

"Maybe...I was actually hoping you'd talk to Haru. She's the daughter of Kunikazu Okumura, maybe he'd sponsor our team? We are gonna win it all." Ayumi said confidently.

"Don't get ahead of yourself. We can definitely talk to Haru for you, but I'm not sure Okumura will sponsor you." Morgana said.

"I know...still, thanks for the cupcake, I'm gonna go back to work. Mom is probably being swamped, figuratively and literally. See ya guys later!" she said, heading back downstairs.

"I'm happy for her. She's slowly becoming a mature young woman, it won't be long until she's an adult." Morgana said, turning to face Takumi.

"I wish I could have seen her grow up you know? She was seven the first time we met. She hasn't changed much, aside from growing taller, but now she seems to be a lot more mature. I know one day she'll grow into a beautiful young woman, ready to take on the world."

"I don't like how she was staring me though, it was as if she was raping me with her eyes." Ren said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. Takumi quirked a brow, a smirk tugging his lips.

"Maybe she was doing that, maybe she wasn't. Just remember, my little sister is off limits."

"It's fine, I wouldn't date my friend's sister, besides I'm talking to another girl right now. We play Shogi every Sunday at the church in Kanda...she has some problems at home and seems really reclusive. I just...want to see her smile."

"Aw, that's so adorable Ren! Maybe I should come to church with you one day so I can meet her." Takumi said happily. He started walking back toward his bedroom, seeing Futaba looking through his extensive anime collection, having pulled out various series for them to watch.

"Are you sure sitting here all day and watching anime is a good idea?" Ren asked.

"I dunno, Ann was the one who came up with this idea. I guess she really liked just chilling here eating ice cream."

"You guys didn't mess around did you?" Morgana asked. Takumi looked down at him, a catty grin on his face.

"Maybe...mwehehehe!"

"Whoa, you have Arpeggio of Blue Steel? And the movies?" Futaba exclaimed, glancing at the series in her hands.

"Hell yes, that is one of the best series I have ever seen. I just love the story behind it and the pretty colors. Not to mention it reminds me of RWBY." Takumi said.

"Cool, we're watching this then." she said, popping the bluray from its case, inserting it into the PlayStation 4. As if on cue, Ryuji and Ann walked into the room, carrying various bags filled with Soda and junk food. Ann set her bags down on the bed, grabbing Takumi's towel to dry herself off.

"Ryuji forgot the damn umbrella so now we're all wet."

"It isn't that bad, thankfully it stopped for a bit and the convenience store wasn't that far." the blond track-star said, taking the towel from the blonde model.

"What did you get?"

"Oh you know, a shitload of soda and junk food. One thing about summer that a lot of normal kids do is sit around and eat junk food. It was Ann's idea." Ryuji said, tossing the dirty towel in the nearby hamper.

"Well, I guess it's fine. Time to binge through some anime, since Futaba is the guest of honor, she gets the throne. It is reserved especially for your, my lady." Takumi said, pulling his computer chair out for the girl. The orange haired hacker grinned, sitting down in it.

"Why thank you Takumi, I appreciate your kind offer."

"My lady? What the hell are you going on about?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Oh...that's simple. I ended up taking a Grand Quest in order to help Futaba get over her social anxiety. I became her sword, so technically she's a princess. I have to protect her until she learns to protect herself, get it?"

"I do! It's like those super hero shows I used to watch as a kid, that's so sweet of you Takumi!" Ann said happily, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek. Morgana frowned, returning his attention to the television screen.

"Hey...did you get a bigger television?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I bought this one last night, I'm surprised you didn't notice it, seeing as it's fifty five inches and it's mounted to the freaking wall." the actor said, taking a seat on his bed. He had borrowed a bean bag chair from Mitsuhide's room for Ryuji to use, leaving the remaining folding chair to Ren.

"Well, I hadn't been in here until now...anyway, what are we watching?"

"Arpeggio of Blue Steel, it's pretty much anime battleship with pretty colors." Futaba said, having grabbed a bag of Doritos and a bottle of Mountain Dew from the pile of snacks.

"Oh, that sounds interesting...can we watch Highschool of the Dead afterwards?" Ann asked.

"Yes!" Takumi and Futaba cried at the same time. They shared a look, bursting into laughter right after.

"At least they're getting along just fine." Ryuji muttered, earning a shrug from Ren.

"So, what's this anime about?" Ann asked, resting her head on Takumi's shoulder. She had two bags of chips between them, along with several bottles of soda, nestled in the sheets so they wouldn't grow warm.

"Due to global warming, the oceans levels rose a lot higher than normal, so a lot of places around the world ended up disappearing entirely, including parts of Tokyo, the United States, Russia, a lot of places. During this time, a fleet of sentient World War II era battleships, known as the Fleet of Fog emerged. No one knew who created them, but their only directive was to stop global maritime commerce. During 2039, there was a war waged by the world's joined army to destroy them, but that resulted in casualties all over the world. As a result, the Navies weakened, and all maritime and aerial commerce was stopped. All of the nations separated by oceans were cut off. All of the satellites were grounded, every nation was secluded, to the point where confirming another country's existence was impossible." Takumi explained.

"Damn, that's some pretty heavy shit." Ryuji said, setting down his soda.

"Shush! It's starting!" Futaba cried, leaning forward in her seat, her eyes firmly focused on the television. She had gone as far as pulling the curtains to block out all of the daylight pouring through them. Takumi chuckled quietly to himself, taking a hold of Ann's hand as the anime started.

Hours had passed, and it was now around seven in the afternoon. They had been able to finish both Arpeggio of Blue Steel and now Highschool of the Dead. The four teenagers, and Mitsuhide, who had joined them half way through Arpeggio of Blue Steel, had finally stood up, having picked up most of the empty chip bags and soda bottles from the ground. Ryuji glanced at his phone, a frown on his face.

"I can't believe we just wasted an entire day watching anime."

"Waste? What are you talking about? This was the best way to spend my time. I got so many ideas now, I'm going to make a Left4Dead campaign based around Highschool of the Dead now. It's gonna be super fun!" Futaba said excitedly, having jumped out of her seat.

"Oh dude, you should totally let me beta test it. I'll find all of the bugs and things and email you with them so you can fix it." Takumi said, earning a nod from the orange haired girl.

"Well...at least something came from this...we found out that anime is the perfect way to bond with people." Ann said happily.

"What are you talking about? You and Takumi spend most of the time making out. I had believed for half a minute that you would break out into full blown intercourse." Mitsuhide deadpanned, causing the two teens to blush.

"Hey kid, why don't you keep that shit to yourself next time?" Ryuji said, an awkward look on his face.

"It doesn't matter if we spent all day watching anime. At least we learned various things...the most important one being this. Don't use a pair of titties to fire a sniper rifle. I expect you won't be doing that any time soon right Takumi?" Ren asked, a smirk on his face.

"Man, fuck you. What makes you think I would do that?"

"Well...do I need to even ask?" the raven haired boy said, gesturing to Ann who was busy replying to a text. Takumi glanced briefly at her chest, his face turning red.

"Alright, I think it's time for you all to get home. Futaba, I expect you to be here with Ren tomorrow. Mitsuhide and Haru have agreed to go to Jinbocho for the day." the brown haired actor said.

"Indeed, there's a book fair tomorrow. I get to purchase some books for half price for my collection. Haru found a cute little cafe for us to read at, it's fairly cheap so I'll handle the payment. Since you like technical books, I figured you'd like to get more for your collection." the nine year old said, earning a nod from Futaba.

"Okay...I look forward to it...I guess." she said nervously, rubbing her arm.

"Fine, it's time to go. It's still early but Sojiro is expecting us home and we wouldn't want him to worry. Thanks again for having us Takumi, it was fun."

"No problem, you know you're always welcome here." he said happily, bumping fists with Ryuji, who gathered up all of the trash.

"Yo Ann, are you chillin here or are you going home?"

"I promised to spend the night with Shiho so I'll be heading out too. I hope we can spend more time together soon." She said, hugging Takumi.

"Sure, I'm looking forward to it, Kitten." he said lovingly. She giggled, kissing his cheek before grabbing her bag.

"Kitten?" Ryuji asked curiously. Ann just shook her head, not wanting to explain the significance of her nickname.

"You chose a bookstore?" Takumi asked, once his friends had left for day.

"I haven't been to one for quite awhile. Just because I am a Phantom Thief doesn't mean I don't still enjoy books. Literature is a classic way to bond with people, since Futaba enjoys technical books; I figured we could bond over them. It also gives me an insight on her mind and how she works." Mitsuhide said.

"There you go again, treating the poor girl as a science experiment."

"My apologies brother, you should know by now that I'm a woman of science." Mitsuhide said, holding back a yawn.

"Guys, Pizza's here." Erica called out, her voice booming through the house. It was of course followed by the hard footsteps of Ayumi who raced out of her room.

"PIZZA!"

"Dammit sis." Takumi muttered, earning a giggle from Mitsuhide.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday August 16**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Book Town(Jinbocho)**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Get Futaba Used to the Phantom Thieves**_

 _ **xxx**_

"I don't feel comfortable here." Ann muttered dryly.

"Yeah...I don't like everyone starting at me either, but we can't avoid it." Takumi muttered, tightening his hold on her hand.

It had been early when Takumi and Mitsuhide headed out to Jinbocho, having agreed to meet with Haru there. Ren would come by with Futaba later in the morning. Ann had also decided to come along with them, since her next Photo Shoot would be in Odaiba, and she had asked Takumi to accompany her there. Normally, Ann wouldn't mind the people staring, especially because she was always modeling something for the company she worked for. Today however wasn't the case, she wasn't getting lecherous looks from men, curious looks from young women, wondering what she was wearing. No, today she was getting weird looks, because Futaba had decided to wear her giant mask on their trip to Jinbocho.

The streets were filled with many stands, all of them selling various books. Takumi had taken it upon himself to carry all of Mitsuhide's purchases for the day, since the books were a bit heavy for her. She had bought plenty of college text books, from various subjects, including some Mathematics and Chemistry books. Haru had also been looking for some Botany books, since she had been tending to her garden at the school. She had been rather sad for most of the morning, though she hadn't told Takumi why. Even Ren tried speaking with her, but he only got a few words out of her, her focus being only on the books she was looking for. Takumi tapped the girl's shoulder, causing her to turn around.

"Would you mind taking that off? People are giving us odd looks." he said softly.

"Absolutely not! This is my shield, and I will not take it off!" Futaba cried, causing the boy to sigh.

"This is definitely not what I had in mind when you said we'd take a walk through Book Town." Morgana muttered, sticking his head out of Ren's bag.

"Hey, we're trying alright Morgana? Just give her a little time." Ann said, causing the cat to nod and look away. They stopped in front of one of the larger stands, an elderly woman standing behind it.

"Hello, do you see anything you like?" she asked. Mitsuhide glanced around briefly, spotting something stuffed into a small bookshelf placed next to the stand.

"Yes, how much for that Medical Encyclopedia set?"

"This? Oh, it's about ten thousand yen, since it has ten volumes. Is this truly what you want? Wouldn't you like something with pictures inside instead?" the old woman asked.

"No, these will do. I wish to have a collection of medical knowledge at my finger tips in case something were to happen. You never know when Ebola could make a resurgence, I'd like to be prepared. I believe ten thousand is a reasonable price. How much for those Psychology books?" the girl asked, placing the ten thousand yen on the table.

"Five thousand, I'll let them go for four."

"Thank you ma'am. I very much appreciate this, big brother, if you would?" the ravenette said, earning a sigh from Takumi who started placing the books inside his backpack.

"Mitsuhide, I swear if you buy another medical encyclopedia, I am gonna lose my shit." the boy said, once they had left the old woman's stand. The girl was reading a novel she had picked up at the store, which he hadn't seen her grab. He grabbed a hold of the book, much to her annoyance, he looked at the cover, eyes widening.

"Where did you get this?" he asked.

"At the store, Ann bought it for me." she replied, causing the boy to look at his girlfriend, who glanced up from her phone screen.

"What? Is something wrong?"

"Yeah, you bought my sister this." he said, handing her the book. She looked at the cover, her face tinging red when she saw it.

"I'm so sorry, she told me to buy this for her and I didn't see the cover. I was too busy texting Shiho to pay attention."

"What's the problem with this? It's just a book." Mitsuhide said. Takumi glared at her, an angry look on his face.

"This is not a book for kids. This is...this is mommy porn, and you shouldn't be reading it!"

"Why? What's so bad about it?" Futaba asked, grabbing the book from his hand. She flipped to the first page, quickly reading the preface. After a few seconds, she tossed the book back in his hands, taking the mask off her head. Her face was glowing red, the look of anger and embarrassment clear as day.

"I can't believe you let your little sister read this crap, you pervert!"

"I'm not the one who bought it for her...and for your information I don't let her read this crap. Mitsuhide, you and I are going to have a serious conversation about this when we get home...what the hell are you reading now?" the boy exclaimed, having noticed a second book in her hands. Ren grabbed a hold of it, reading the title.

"Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James."

"What the fuck, when did you buy this one!?"

"I didn't, I grabbed it out of Ayumi's underwear drawer. It had a bow on it along with a little tag on it. It's safe to say it was a birthday gift, and it seems Toni was the giver." the girl replied, an expressionless look on her face.

"Um...we're near that cafe I was talking about...would anyone like a cup of tea? Perhaps it will help us relax a bit." Haru suggested, having raised her hand up to grab their attention. Takumi gave her a nod, the group walking in silence until they reached the outdoor cafe.

"Big brother, I understand that you are disappointed in me. But I am interested in this kind of literature. You see, as part of my psychology studies, I must understand how the human mind works. Not only that, I wish to see how emotions like Anger and Hate drive us to do the things we do. A fundamental part of being human is understanding love, it would be too forward of me to ask that you let me accompany you and Ann on dates. This is why I read this type of literature." she said.

"Mitsu, I understand alright? You want to know more about certain things. But there are things that you learn in life via experience, love is something that you need to feel. There's no way to understand it without being in love. Sure, unconditional love is something we've all got, but romantic love, that's something that you won't be feeling at least until you are fourteen."

"It doesn't mean I cannot take notes on the subject. Whenever you and Ann are alone, you're always hugging and kissing, I wish to understand why you do that stuff. Do you really need to express something that you both mutually feel?" she asked curiously.

"Are we seriously having this conversation?" Morgana asked.

"Hey, if she wants to learn about love, let her. Just don't learn it like this okay? I agree with your brother. Love is something that happens naturally as you age. Though I do agree, sometimes humans do things because of love, that are often times very despicable." Haru said, placing her tea cup on her small dish.

"Um...are you alright Haru? That sounded strangely personal." Takumi asked. She gave him a smile, brushing her hair off her shoulder.

"I'm perfectly alright Taku-kun! I heard some interesting news from my father however, it seems your father is trying to start a new business venture. Okumura Foods is planning on moving internationally, and he's one of the biggest Technology suppliers to the United States. Our new chain of Big Bang Burgers are going to have state of the art equipment, all provided by Mashita Industries Inc."

"Tch...so that's why he sent me that briefcase. Probably wants me to manage his company here." the boy muttered, eyes narrowed in thought.

"Takumi?"

"It's nothing...how are you doing Futaba? You seem to be a little bit calmer now, you even took your mask off." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Of course, look at what I managed to buy!" she said, placing a thick book on the table.

"Complex Coding and Programming for Dummies, an encyclopedia about 1's and 0's...volume two?" Morgana asked.

"Hehe...that's right! I had been searching for this for years. This particular book has been out of print for the last few years. Finding used copies for a good price was really difficult. But I was able to get this one for only 12,000Y so it isn't so bad. This will definitely go a long way into my programming." she said, flipping through the book.

"Uh well...do we classify this as a success then?" Ann asked curiously.

"Well...the book fair is still going on. It all depends on Futaba, if she wants to look around some more, then we can continue." Mitsuhide said, still eyeing the books Takumi had confiscated from her.

"I just wanna sit here and read, you can look for more books if you want." the orange haired hacker said, her eyes focused on what she was reading. Takumi sighed, resting his face on his hand.

"Well...I guess we're done for the day...anyway...Ren, since Rise and Yukiko are going to be hanging out with Futaba tomorrow, I wanted to let you know about something. I recently found a target in Mementos, it was given to me by a friend. His name is Ichiya Motohama, he's a drug dealer and he's been selling drugs to high schoolers, from Shujin and Kosei."

"Hmm...any other information?" he asked curiously.

"I met the man personally, one of my friends took me to an illegal casino. Don't ask how I got there, I just did...my source is one hundred percent trustworthy. The man seems nice, but you know we can't let him run around. I know you have to be with Futaba tomorrow, but I was wondering if you'd let me take everyone else to the Metaverse to handle this guy."

"If you think you can handle it, then go for it. You'll need to take Morgana with you though, I'll stay topside and keep an eye on Futaba. Normally I'd say we wait, but we've been handling Mementos requests left and right this month. Even Phantom Thieves need a vacation." Ren said, a smirk on his face.

"Good, I'll get in contact with Makoto and let her know about this. Do you have any other potential targets we can take care of while we're there?" Takumi asked.

"Not that I know of. Mishima hasn't gotten back to me with anyone new, so for now just take care of this guy. I trust you."

"Thanks...me and Ann are going to take a look around here for some more acting books. Can I trust you with my sister? Make sure she doesn't trick Haru into buying filth, okay?"

"I'll keep my eyes on her." he said. Mitsuhide puffed her cheeks, a look of annoyance on her face.

"Big brother! You're being a meanie to me, would you like me to scream and throw a tantrum?"

"You and I both know you aren't capable of that...and if you do then you don't get ice cream when we get to Shibuya." he said.

"Damn...alright fine, you win this round...but trust me, you will not win the war."

"We'll see about that. Let's go Ann, I saw some acting books being sold in a booth over there. I wrote another script, I think performing it in Inokashira Park will do you good."

"Okay! Will we be doing it in front of a crowd?" she asked curiously.

"Eh...I'll let you decide." he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek as they left the cafe, having placed their payment on the table.

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet. Oh yeah, don't forget, we have to be at Odaiba before five this afternoon."

"Yeah, I know, I get to see my girlfriend shake her stuff in front of a camera. You don't need to worry, I'll be sure to buy the issue when it comes out. I also got word from the television producer of the local station, they're gonna air our commercial tomorrow afternoon during their anime block. They've actually asked me to film another one, so if you're down for that, I'll give him a call."

"Cool, I hope people like it. It was sort of impromptu after all." the girl said, scratching her head in embarrassment.

"It was alright, you acted naturally...and you looked really cute, so people will buy it. It's also free publicity for yourself, as soon as people see a model on television, they'll start getting more interest. You're career will blow up. Just like the Phantom Thieves blew up this week, can you believe it? We're at 48% on the Phan-Site, it's insane!" the boy said happily.

"We got rid of two major threats. I just hope Shimizu rots in jail, I heard Akihiko Shouji is having a press conference tomorrow as well. We get to see him break down in front of the cameras. I just wish Kaburagi was still alive." she said, earning a nod from the boy.

After awhile, Ann noticed they were starting to leave the area the book fair was being held in. She was going to ask the boy where he was taking her, but when she noticed the flower shop, she remained silent. He stepped inside, and spoke with the owner for a brief moment having walked out with a large red box in his hands.

"Sorry about leaving you out of the loop, this was more of a personal trip for me. We're going to the local cemetery, I hope you're okay with that." he said.

"Uh...sure, what's this about though?" she asked. He remained silent, choosing instead to just keep walking.

Feeling worried, Ann caught up with the boy, having hooked her arm around his. It didn't take them long to reach the cemetery. It was a bit lonely, with several black pillar like tombstones bearing the names of the ones buried there. He kept walking down the rows, until he found the Plot with K on it. It took him a few more minutes of looking around, but he was finally able to find the grave he was looking for. Ann read the name on it, eyes widening a bit.

"Oh yeah...I totally forgot about this, I'm so sorry Takumi." she said softly.

"It's alright...I knew you'd forget. After everything that's happened and all...that's why I bought so many of these." he said, opening the box, revealing several bouquets of white roses. She took a hold of one, placing it over the grave, a sad smile on her face.

"We may have exposed her killer, but it still hurts that she took her life. She must have felt so horrible, knowing she had been abused like that. Knowing she couldn't tell anyone, she probably felt worthless and soiled. Is that how Shiho felt when she tried to kill herself? It makes my stomach turn."

"I know, but we at least have the power to stop this before it happens. We might not save them all, but the ones that we can save will feel so much better. We need to save more people, we need to step up to the plate. No more games...we take this seriously now, but we can have fun too. I don't want to lose you Ann, promise me you'll be careful will you?" he asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"I promise, I will."

"Excuse me, who might you two be?" the voice of a woman said, causing them to look to their left. There was a middle aged woman, dressed in black a few feet from the grave. Standing next to her was a six year old black haired girl, hugging her tightly. There was a man next to them, dressed in a black suit, wearing a pair of glasses. He looked at the two with scrutinizing eyes.

"Oh um...I'm sorry. We came to leave some flowers on this grave." Takumi said, gesturing to the roses. The woman looked at him closely.

"Did you know my Tsubaki?" she asked. His eyes widened a bit, and he bit his lip, shaking his head.

"I didn't know her...but I know the bastard who did those horrible things to her. He did the same to my older sister, and countless others...he was caught before he could do worse things to her. It wasn't just her, he made advances toward my nine year old sister, and my girlfriend here. I decided to find as many of the victims as I could, to put flowers on their graves, sadly...Tsubaki was the only one nearby. Everyone else had cremated the bodies or lived away from Tokyo. I hope you don't mind." he said.

"We don't...we don't mind at all, I'm happy that you were kind enough to come here. I'm sure my daughter would have been happy to meet someone as nice as you. She was acting weird those last few days, but we never found out why...now we know...and we're pressing charges on that disgusting man...he deserves to burn in hell." the man said firmly.

"Akihiko Shouji, he's the one you want, he was the one that was beating Takumi's older sister. I'm pretty sure he's the one that...did that to your little girl. Shimizu is still responsible, but the one who did it was him." Ann said firmly. Takumi knelt down before the little girl, a small smile on his face.

"Hey there, what's your name?" he asked.

"Um...Camellia." the girl said softly.

"Camellia? That's a pretty name, it's the English word for Tsubaki...I think I have something that your older sister would like. You must miss her a lot right?" he asked.

"Big sis was always reading me stories, and playing with my dollies. I miss her a lot." she said sadly. The boy reached into the box, pulling out a light pink Tsubaki flower from within, handing it to the little girl.

"I bought that one specially for her, it's a Tsubaki flower. I was going to plant it here, but I somehow think it would better if you did it. I think your sister would like that." he said, placing the small potted flower in her hands.

"Wow, it's so pretty...just like big sis." she said softly, looking at the flower with a look of wonder.

"Thank you for this, I'm sure my daughter is happy. I miss her dearly, and it makes me happy to know that even people that never met her, care so much for her." the woman said.

"You're welcome...no parent deserves to bury their child. That man...he doesn't deserve any mercy, from the Japanese Government, from the South Korean Government, and definitely not from the Gods. He's gonna rot for everything he did, and when he's finally done suffering, he's going to reach for the hand of God, only to be destroyed for his disgusting crimes. You're daughter was an angel, and I'm sorry she's gone...hopefully, something like this is prevented before it starts."

"It will, people will start paying more attention around their kids now, something we should have done when she was still alive. Thank you son, feel free to come visit her whenever you'd like. I'm sure that'll make her happy."

"I will, Kasugano-san...come on Ann, we have to go meet up with everyone else." Takumi said, taking a hold of her hand.

"What about the other flowers?"

"Hmm? We're going to Odaiba right? I wanna throw these in the ocean, for the graves we can't visit. The ocean connects us all together, no matter how far we are from each other. So it makes sense to throw them there." he replied, earning a nod from the girl. She gave him a loving kiss on the cheek, a smile on her face.

"You're really sweet you know that?"

"Thanks Kitten, but your the sweet one...come on, before they start asking questions."

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 6)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 2)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 3)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 5)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	47. Beach Time

**A/N:**

 **Well as promised, here's Chapter 47, the obligatory Beach Chapter, with all of the jiggly bits you can take. No sadly no one is getting laid in this chapter, except the towels on that sand, and the sexy ladies laying on said towels. (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖). Sorry, but as I said, there are only two days that will happen, Christmas Eve and Valentines Day, so put all of those tissues away, you won't be needing them for now.**

 **Um well...this is it, so enjoy this chapter and it's glorious content. There's a lot of plot on here, and boobs, but mostly plot. Have a nice weekend everyone!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 47

Beach Time

 _ **Date: Thursday August 18**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Mementos**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny(Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Find Ichiya Motohama's Shadow**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Alright, this is the target's picture. His name is Ichiya Motohama, a drug dealer that has been selling drugs to minors. Not just that, my friend let me know that he sells to students from our school and Kosei Academy. I know Joker is with Futaba, Rise and Yukiko right now, but this is something that we couldn't ignore." Songbird said, holding his phone out to the Phantom Thieves.

He had contacted them the night before asking them to meet up. Once they did, they had traveled to the Path of Chemdah in Mementos. They had decided not to explore the new area until all of the Phantom Thieves had been assembled, which would most likely be after their vacation had ended and school started back up. Queen looked the information over, brows furrowing a bit.

"This file seems strangely detailed. It includes his height and weight, known aliases...where did you get this?" she asked curiously. Songbird cleared his throat, grabbing a hold of his rifle strap as he looked at the other Thieves.

"Where do you think? I got it from the Police."

"The police?" Fox exclaimed, eyes widening in shock.

"You can't be serious, Songbird! You're working with the cops?" Panther cried.

"Please, I believe we should let him finish speaking before we voice our complaints." Beauty Thief said, having crossed her arms.

"Thanks Beauty, as I was saying...in order for the Phantom Thieves to avoid the cops, I felt the need to get an inside man. My contact can be trusted, she's a detective that works in the Public Prosecutors office. She promised to get me information on the goings on within the PPO, so long as I took care of her criminals. She doesn't know who we are." he replied.

"What's her name? Perhaps I know her." Queen asked. The boy shrugged, glancing at his phone screen.

"Her name is Detective Konan Makidou. She's...she's an interesting person."

"Detective Makidou...? I see...it's alright then, she can be trusted. If she's agreed to give you information in return for this, then know that you can trust what she sends. My sister loathes her, but she cannot deny that she isn't a good detective."

"Alright, then how about we actually take care of this target? It's a little feint, but I think I can sense Motohama. Since Songbird was the one that called this meeting, I believe it shall be him who gets the honor of driving for the day." Mona said, transforming into his car form.

"Honestly, I think Queen should lead us. She is the defacto leader whenever Joker isn't here." Songbird said.

"I agree, I may have been the second member to join up, but she's the adviser. She's the most fit to lead us should anything happen to the leader." Skull said, sounding rather mature about the situation.

"I'm quite impressed Skull, I would have thought you'd start complaining." Duchess said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I'm not gonna argue a point I'd lose. Queen is the most fit to lead us, so she should call the shots."

"Please, I think we should all have a turn at driving at one point. It will be excellent training for the real world. Songbird already knows how to drive, and so do I. The Driver's seat is open to you three." Queen said, glancing at Skull, Panther and Fox who just stood in silence. Panther held her fist out, glancing at the two men.

"Rock-Paper-Scissors, winner gets to drive."

"Alright, I'm down with that." Skull said, adding his fist to the pot, with Fox joining in right after.

"Okay, RoShamBo."

Panther threw out scissors, with Skull and Fox throwing out paper at the same time. The girl smiled, an almost giddy look on her face as she walked around the front of the van, climbing into the driver's seat.

"I'm a little scared, maybe I should have driven after all." Songbird said.

"Pfft, with how you handled that heist, I doubt I'd want to go anywhere with you driving...just take it easy alright Panther?" Skull asked, earning a nod from the girl, who wrapped her fingers around the steering wheel.

"Ah...Panther has her hands on my wheel." Mona purred, the interior of the van started to vibrate, almost like a massage chair.

"I wasn't aware Mona had massage seats...this is quite relaxing." Beauty Thief.

"It's odd as all hell, you know he's purring because Panther just grabbed the steering wheel right? Aren't you gonna say anything Songbird?" Skull cried out.

"Nah man...screw that, this totally helps with those knots in my back." the boy said happily, leaning into his seat, glad he had taken the passenger seat. Skull frowned, crossing his arms as he sat back in his seat, next to Fox who had a look of confusion on his face.

"Duchess, what is it you are reading? I don't exactly find it suitable for a girl your age." he said.

"It's a love story, nothing more, nothing less." she replied, flipping the page. Songbird reached over his seat, grabbing a hold of the book, seeing the title _Tampa_ written on it.

"Tampa, by Alissa Nutting...and it has a vagina on the cover. That's it, I am so done with this shit...Duchess, you and I are gonna have a serious talk with mom about this when we get home." he said, tossing the book out of the car as they started to drive.

"It's quite alright, I had just finished that book the night before so I do no need it anymore. You may feel free to speak with mother as many times as you wish, but as of September 1st, I am a high school student and I expect to be treated as such."

"I'm not gonna let you keep reading smut goddamn it! Just...fuck...just make sure you read something wholesome. Not that fuckin mommy porn, okay?" he asked, earning a nod from his sister.

"Ahem...what's the book about?" Skull asked curiously. The ravenette turned to face him, brow raised in curiosity.

"Would you like a summary of it? I have one memorized if you'd like to hear it. It's a story of a young woman who tries to seduce her young student. It properly conveys the emotion of a woman in love and was written quite beautifully in my opinion. There was quite a decent level of smutty scenes in it, but I believe that they tied the story together nicely."

"Hey sis, if you shut your mouth I'll buy you Dance in the Vampire Bund on bluray when we get out of here. Along with the omnibus in full color."

"My apologies Skull, it seems I cannot speak of this matter further. If you'd like to read the book yourself, I can direct you to a bookstore that has some copies left." she said.

"Eh...nah, I'm good." the boy said, glancing out the window.

"Panther, we're moving kinda slow, you maybe wanna speed it up? The last thing we need is to run into the Reaper." Mona said firmly.

"Sorry, I'm just a little nervous, I wouldn't want to hit a wall." she replied.

"Just give it a little gas, keep your eyes ahead and if you see a shadow, slam into it. That's usually what Joker does, if you want an actual lesson we can take it to the overworld and have you practice on an actual road." Songbird said, earning a nod from the blonde.

"Hey man, you mind giving me some motorcycle lessons? My neighbor is selling a dirt bike and I was thinking of getting it. I'm sick of paying the train fare to school every day." Skull said.

"Didn't you receive a pass? I thought all students from Shujin got them from the school on the first day." Fox said.

"I did, but I ended up losing it, and it costs a lot more to get a new one than to pay the fare. So I was paying out of pocket for the entire first semester."

"Why didn't you just tell me? I could have gotten you a pass easily. Skull seriously, I'm the student body president, if you have a concern, voice them to me." Queen scolded, causing the boy to cringe.

"If you want motorcycle lessons, we'll need to get you a practice model. No way in hell I'm letting you drive mine, trust me you'll fall a lot. I started off with a scooter, since it's basically a low powered motorcycle. The first thing you gotta get on a bike is balance."

"Also remember that the gear shift is on the foot pedal, at least on most models. I could teach you on Johanna if you want, I doubt she'd mind." Queen said, earning a nod from the boy.

"That would be sick, plus I just wanna feel the wind on my face." Skull said. The van came to a sudden stop, Mona's cry of pain echoing through the tunnel.

"Sorry, I didn't see that wall." Panther said sheepishly. Songbird looked out the window, realizing they had made it to the platform leading upstairs. He also noticed she had crashed into the very back wall.

"Honey, there was a guard rail right there...how the hell did you not see it?"

"I was distracted okay? Sheesh, it wasn't so bad."

"Tell that to my nose." Mona muttered. Everyone got out of the van, heading up stairs to the next platform. As they did, the ended up seeing their target's tunnel straight ahead. Not bothering with the Mona-Mobile, the Phantom Thieves ran straight toward the opening, jumping right through it.

"Look there he is." Panther said, pointing the the man that was standing by himself in the middle of the room. As soon as they approached him, he turned around, eyes glowing a vibrant gold.

"Well hello, it looks like I've got some customers. What would you like? I have quite a lot of drugs for sale." the man said.

"Tch...we're here to stop you asshole! You can't sell drugs to kids, they could die!" Skull cried angrily, earning a laugh from the man.

"That's not my issue, I'm in it for the money boy. Who cares what happens to those who buy the drugs? They shouldn't be buying them in the first place if that's the case."

"Well, I can clearly see this is going to be one of those battles. Greedy bastards like you are annoying, especially those who don't care about society as a whole!" Beauty Thief cried, earning a chuckle from the shadow, which ended up transforming into a Thoth, the ape like creature sat down, having his head bowed.

" _ **Come fight me if you think you stand a chance!"**_

"Be careful guys, this type of shadow is quite defensive. We should be wary of it's skills." Queen advised, earning nods from the others. Songbird glanced around for a few moments, spotting a ledge not that far from where he was. There was a destroyed pillar leading up to it, immediately an idea came to him.

"You guys, I'm gonna use my gun skills to handle him. He may not have a magical weakness but he has to be weak to bullets. Can I trust you all to stay safe?"

"Of course, we shall handle everything here. Go Songbird, we've got this." Fox reassured. The boy tossed a smoke grenade at the shadow, which burst a second later, covering the field with smoke.

" _ **Even if you cover the field with smoke, I will still destroy you!"**_ the creature said, unleashing a Megido at the Phantom Thieves, which they were all able to dodge.

"It's time for my other self! Zorro, Garudyne!" Mona cried, summoning his persona. The large vigilante swung his sword in the air, sending a stream of green wind at the creature. Duchess rose her crossbow, firing her arrow at the shadow, using the wind to aid is trajectory. It stabbed into is arm, doing little damage to it.

"Tch...guess he really is physically tanky. Lady Loveless, time to show off your power. Kouga!" she cried, snapping her fingers. Her persona flashed behind her, forming several balls of light above the Thoth, flinging them at it. The creature chuckled as the orbs of light bounced off its body, doing no effect.

" _ **That won't affect me little girl!"**_ he said, snapping his fingers. Duchess screamed in pain as the Megido spell struck her. She fell to a knee, gritting her teeth in pain.

"Bless attacks don't hurt it, neither do Nuclear. I'm sorry, I should have told you that beforehand!" Queen said, casting a Diarama at the girl, who sighed as it took effect.

"It's alright Queen, I jumped the gun...I will not commit the same mistake again!" she cried.

"Booyah!" Skull cried, slam firing his shotgun, each slug slamming into the Thoth. He jumped back when his gun clicked empty, just in time to dodge the Agidyne Carmen had thrown at the creature.

"Now Milady, it's time to attack. Mapsio!" Beauty Thief cried, having placed her hand on her mask. Milady appeared behind her, launching a wave of psychic energy at the shadow, causing it to scream in pain.

"It looks like we found it's weakness, let us keep at it Milady!" the heiress said.

Having climbed up to his new vantage point, Songbird lay down, flicking the caps on his scope open. He pulled the bipod on his rifle and set it down, peering through the scope. His friends were busy throwing all of the spells they could at it, but he knew that Thoth's in particular were hard to deal with. He licked his bottom lip as he lined up the shot. He saw Skull and Queen using a combination attack, which sent the creature back into the wall. He quickly lined up the shot, pulling the trigger, striking it in the side.

"Hehe...take that asshole." he said, ignoring the ringing in his ears. He reached into his pocket for his earplugs, quickly putting them into his ears. Ejecting the spent shell, he fired a second round, the area around him shaking slightly from the recoil of his gun.

He paused for a second, about to line up his third shot when he saw the Shadow start pounding his chest. It held his hands up in the air, forming a large spell in his palms. His eyes widened a bit when he saw what it was. He rapidly stood up, grabbing his rifle by the strap, sliding down the concrete pillar.

"Hey! Get away from it, it's a Megidoloan!" he cried out. The Thoth threw the ball down, willing it to explode, causing Songbird to be blown back from the shockwave of the attack.

"Ugh...fuck." he muttered, clutching his head as he stood up. Despite the powerful attack, the other Phantom Thieves had remained standing, though it was clear that they were heavily injured from the attack.

"Alright Phantom, let's get ready to do some work on this bastard. Mastema!" the boy chanted, breaking into a sprint. The Phantom of the Opera snapped his fingers, casting the spell over the boy, quickening his pace. He drew his katana as he ran, slashing the Thoth across the chest.

Rather than stop, the boy jumped into a front handspring, coming to a low crouch, using his momentum to sprint at the shadow again. He took several swings at the creature, flipping out of the way of his punch. He landed on a single knee, having drawn his pistol in the air, firing his entire magazine into his chest, causing him to fall to the ground in pain.

"Let's finish him off!" Mona cried out.

It only took a few seconds, but sure enough the Shadow conceded defeat. Motohama's shadow reappeared, looking spent as he fell to his knees, glancing at the ground. Songbird pressed the tip of his katana against his cheek, a small dribble of blood falling down his skin.

"So, are you going to stop selling drugs to minors? Or are we gonna have another issue?" he asked.

"Why does it matter to you? I just needed a little extra cash to pay my bills. Knocking me down isn't gonna stop another person from taking my place." he replied.

"That doesn't matter, what matters is that there is one less drug dealer out on the streets, killing innocent people. So return to your real self, and quit selling drugs. Unless you want us to come after you in the real world?" Queen said, earning a sigh from the man who slowly disappeared. A white envelope fell to the floor, causing Songbird to grab it, when he flipped it over he saw that it was actually a CD.

"What the hell, a CD?" he asked. Skull took a hold of it, slipping it out of the sleeve.

"Skyfyre, Mixtape #1. There's a message here, check me out on Sound Cloud, my shit's gonna be so fire there won't be any atmosphere left."

"Holy shit, I'd download that mixtape." Panther said, earning a sigh from Songbird who just started walking out of the chamber.

"Hey wait, was it something I said?"

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: ?  
**_

 _ **Location: ?  
**_

 _ **Time: ?  
**_

 _ **Weather: ?  
**_

 _ **Objective: ?**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Shit...they're closing in." Songbird muttered, peering around the corner of the building. He could see the flashing lights of the police cars steadily coming at them. It had been a few minutes since the Phantom Thieves had split up, and he hadn't been able to connect to any of them. The radio silence was starting to make him grow worried. Beside him Panther stood, panting from their latest run.

"We have to get out of here, can't we just leave the Metaverse?" she asked.

"We can't...if we randomly appear in the real world, someone might see. Besides, we don't know if the operation went alright or not...we have to leave from a place that isn't so conspicuous." he replied. He reached for his handgun, pulling the magazine from inside. He had seven rounds left, having used all of them against the shadow not that long ago.

He looked around briefly, having spotted a fire escape nearby. He started running toward it, running up the wall. He grabbed a hold of the ladder, pulling it down with all of his weight. As soon as it struck the ground, Panther started climbing up after him. They made it to the top of the building, and started racing across the rooftops. He was glad he had bothered to learn parkour now, especially because the police had flooded that alley they had been hiding in. He grit his teeth in anger, hiding behind some abandoned crates.

"How the fuck do they keep finding us?" he shouted, slamming his fist angrily.

"I'm not sure, maybe we should check everything again just in case." Panther replied. The boy nodded, reaching his hand into his pocket, pulling out his cellphone. He pulled out his empty pistol magazines, reaching into his back pocket finding nothing. He pulled his rifle from his shoulder and looked it over, not finding anything attached to it. The last place he checked was his belt which contained his empty rifle magazines.

"I got nothing." he said, going as far as checking his cape. Panther finished checking her own weapons, before feeling around her boots, finding something tucked inside one. Her eyes widened when she saw what it was, a small flashing tracer.

"Oh my god." she said softly. Songbird took a hold of it, smashing it with his boot. The whirling of chopper blades started getting closer, and he glanced up, seeing a few choppers flying their way.

"Fuck! He must have planted it when we found the other ones, not only did we leave the treasure behind, now we're split up and surrounded! I don't have enough energy to summon Hecate!" the blonde cried.

"Me too, I can't even feel my persona anymore. Dammit, this is bullshit." the boy said angrily. Panther wrapped her arms around the boy, hugging him tightly. He hugged her back, holding her tightly in his arms.

"I don't want this to end, I love being a Phantom Thief...I don't want to lose you Takumi...I'm scared."

"Hey, I'm scared too. If we go down then all of this will be a waste. Nothing will stop me from loving you, not even prison. I almost lost you once, I am not going to lose you again. That's why, I want you to run." he said, causing her to release her embrace.

"What...?"

"I want you to run...here, it's my last one." the boy said, placing a smoke bomb in her hands. He started walking toward the edge of the building, seeing some of the cars that had started pulling up to it.

"Songbird you're an idiot, you know that? How do you expect me to leave you? After what we've been through?" she cried.

"Because I love you, and because you and I both know that you're the faster of the two. It doesn't matter if I know parkour, you're faster than me, so get going." Songbird said firmly.

" _ **Come down with your hands up! We have you surrounded Phantom Thieves!"**_

"Fuck You! You'll never take me alive!" the young actor cried.

"Songbird!"

"What? I've always wanted to say that...seriously, get out of here. You can jump onto that roof...please Ann...just go." the boy said, giving her a smile. Panther however didn't heed his advice, instead she pulled the pin on the grenade, throwing it down at the police officers. It burst when it hit the ground, causing them all to scatter.

"Come on, we can run now!" she cried, grabbing a hold of his hand, heading toward the edge, only for the door to the roof to burst open.

"Freeze! You're under arrest!"

" _Eishou-in, ravage them!"_

The officers all let out a scream of agony, dropping down to the floor. Most of them lay writhing on the ground while others were unconscious from the attack. Songbird took his chance, jumping across the way onto the other rooftop, followed by Panther. He turned around briefly, seeing nothing but a scarf fluttering in the wind, the owner having jumped down the other side of the building. He gave them a thankful look before running across the rooftops, having reached the outer reaches of their target's palace. He reached for his phone, tapping the Metaverse Navigator, finally returning him and his partner to the real world.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Friday August 19**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: ?  
**_

 _ **Time: Late Night/Early Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Clear (Hot Night)**_

 _ **Objective: ?  
xxx**_

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room, I see you've grown quite a lot since our last meeting." Igor said, earning a nod from Takumi.

"I have, thanks to that power you granted me. Ifrit came in clutch in that battle against Shimizu...I thought I was going to lose. But when I lost it, and let my rage surface, he came to my aid." he said.

"We told you didn't we? That your emotions would be able to let you summon powerful allies? Sheesh do you even listen Inmate?" Caroline snapped, thankfully not hitting the cell door with her baton.

"No...I understand. It's just...odd to put it into words you know?"

"Hmm...I suppose that is true...however, you may have defeated a powerful foe, but where one lies, another one rises. This one shall prove even stronger, will you be ready to face against him?" Justine asked curiously.

"Face him? You mean there's someone else out there that is gonna pose a threat to us?" Takumi asked. Igor frowned, folding his hands on his desk.

"There's no easy way to say this to you...the next foe will indeed be a strong one. One that, no matter how you prepare for, will end up winning the fight. Someone close to you will die, and there will be nothing you can do to stop it."

"Huh...what?" he asked quietly.

"The Tower is destined to fall...it's a card that reflects catastrophe, for everyone that it survives, it grows weaker. Finally, when an enemy stronger than the Tower comes along, it will push it down. There is no stopping it." Justine said firmly.

"No...that's bullshit! I am not going to let my friends die! No one will die!" he shouted.

"Quiet Inmate! Be respectful!" Caroline shouted, slamming her baton against the door.

"It is quite alright Caroline, his reaction is a just one. So do you believe in fate? Do you truly believe that it can be changed?" Igor asked, a smug look on his face.

"Of course it can! Nothing is set in stone, fate is bullshit...I make my own fate, and I say that nothing is going to break me. I'm not going to lose anyone dear to me, not like I lost her, never again!" Takumi said.

"Hahaha...I see, so you truly do wish to change fate...very well...your friends shall give you power. Focus on your relationships with your confidants so that you may grow into a fine Thief. This is part of your rehabilitation as well. If you believe the Tower can survive the night, then you shall make it so...I have faith in you, Inmate." the man said.

"Excuse me, who was it that you lost?" Justine asked curiously.

"Yeah, that was a random thing to say." Caroline added.

"Huh? I...I don't know...but I feel weird all of a sudden." the boy said, closing his eyes for a brief second. He saw nothing but darkness for a brief moment, before that familiar glowing swallow tail butterfly flew across the darkness, partially illuminating the silhouette that he could barely see, bright golden eyes started back at him, along with an alluring smile.

"Gah."

"Oh my...are you alright?" Justine asked, voicing her concern for the boy.

"Lavenza...?"

"Ugh...there's that name again...why do you keep bringing that name up? There's no one here named Lavenza, so will you stop bringing it up all the time?" Caroline snapped. The boy sighed, shaking his head.

"Sorry, I think I saw someone...never mind...do you know anyone by that name Igor? It's been bothering me for awhile." the boy asked.

"I'm afraid I do not know anyone by that name. However, if you recover your missing memories, you might be able to recall who this young woman might be. She might be a lot closer than you think...the fleeting hour approaches, return to your world. We shall meet again soon."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday August 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Miura Beach**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Do Beach Stuff...?**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Damn, it's hot as shit today." Takumi muttered, having laid his face on the cool surface of their folding table. The only shade was being provided by one of the parasols they had brought along with them.

The Twentieth had quickly approached, and the Phantom Thieves had quickly left for Miura Beach, a beautiful beach south of Tokyo's main hub. They had expected it to be filled with people, but not absolutely packed, thankfully since they had reservations at the Miura Beach Resort, they had access to their private beach, and even that one had been filled with people, both tourists and people looking to cool off for the day. They had all left their things at their hotel rooms, and all of the guys were waiting outside of the changing rooms for the ladies. When Takumi and Erica had told Ayumi and Toni that their birthday gift was a week trip to Miura Beach, they had almost broken windows from how loud they had screamed, it had been enough to wake up Mitsuhide, who had fallen asleep on the couch.

"Tell me about it man, I'm about to melt." Ren added, glancing at Ryuji who was in the middle of eating a Popsicle. The blond track-star looked at him, blinking a couple times.

"What?"

"Where'd you get that Popsicle asshole?"

"Uh...the mini fridge in the hotel suite?" the boy replied. Takumi and Ren shared a look, both of them face palming.

"I knew I should have checked that shit...then again I had to make sure the rooms were big enough...I also had to make sure Toni wasn't hiding under my bed."

"It seems we are in for an interesting week." Yusuke said, having raised his hands, fingers forming a frame as he looked around. The sound of clinking cans brought their attention to the final guy of the group.

He was a tall, spiky haired young man with dyed blue hair. He had bronze colored skin, due to the time he spent outside in the sun. He had a lean figure, with defined pectorals and abs. His arms were muscular as well, but not overly so. He was wearing a pair of red swim trunks that reached past his knees. It had bright blue flames on the hem of it, he had a sleeveless flannel shirt on, which he had left unbuttoned. This young man was named Alexander Winchester, and he was Yukiko's boyfriend. He had placed several soft drinks on the table top, having taken the last available seat.

"Here, I thought I'd go buy some drinks for us...I felt like I was mooching you know?"

"Ah...come on man, I told you. You aren't mooching, I invited Yuki along, and she asked for you to come along. You're practically part of the family at this point." Takumi said, giving the boy a smile.

"You know, I had a feeling you'd say that. Yukiko has told me a lot of stories about you. It's a shame Kanami couldn't come, I'm sure this would do her good."

"I don't think Kanami would like to be here, especially with everything that's been happening. Since Shimizu's arrest, and Akihiko Shouji's confession, she's been in the news a lot. So it makes sense for her to keep her head low. We wouldn't want her to be looked at negatively after all." Ren said, having taken one of the sodas.

"It sucks man...she's such an awesome person, though I guess helping Boss around the cafe is enough for her. She did say she enjoyed the peacefulness of Leblanc." Takumi added, having also grabbed a soda.

"Man...it's totally packed today. I do see some cute looking babes, maybe we'll get lucky." Ryuji said, wiggling his brows as he finished his Popsicle.

"You aren't gonna get a girlfriend if you keep talking like that Ryuji." Morgana replied. Alex glanced at the feline on the table, before looking at Ren.

"Are you sure you should have brought your cat here man? I don't think the beach is a good place for him."

"He'll be fine...he isn't a skittish cat, and he doesn't scare easy. I've already talked to the hotel managers and they said they were okay with it." he replied.

"Takumi! I'm all ready for you, I hope you like this because I picked it just for you!" the voice of Toni said, causing the boy to spill his drink all over the table. He grabbed a handful of his hair, forcing himself to stand up, turning around to look at the girl.

Just as he had been expecting, his sister's best friend had been wearing a two piece bathing suit. A light brown bikini, with a strapless top, which was held together by a copper ring, and was tied behind her back. She was wearing a string bikini, also having copper rings at the sides. Her ponytail, which was normally to the side, was gathered behind her head, being held up by her crimson polka-dot ribbon. The boy swallowed hard, trying not to focus on the girl's assets. Toni smirked, giving her chest a slight jiggle, knowing he had been looking right at it.

"Hmm...so you do like my jiggly bits?"

"Goddamn it, will you stop trying to seduce me? I have a girlfriend and have no romantic interest in you." the boy snapped, crossing his arms.

"Just because a goal has a goalie doesn't mean I still can't score." she said with a wink.

"Jesus, I've never met such a clingy woman in my entire life. You really haven't changed have you Toni?" Ryuji asked.

"Damn straight I haven't...the only thing that's different with you is your damn hair. Seriously, dye that shit back to black you look horrible. The reason you can't get laid is because you look like a damn thug."

"Why don't you come say that to my face you fucking imp?" he cried, standing up, easily towering over the girl.

"Ayumi! Your brother's friend is gonna beat me up! Hurry up!" the girl cried out.

"Hang on, jeez! This fuckin thing keeps going in my ass." the violet haired girl cried out. A second later, Ayumi walked out of the changing rooms, holding a pool noodle in her hands.

She was wearing a black and purple bikini, which accented her curves nicely. She had her hair down, which reached almost to her waist now, and was wearing a pair of black glasses on her face. Her skin was glistening due to the sunblock she had put on, since her skin was slightly pale, she had decided to wear a sunblock with bronzer in it so she could get some color onto her skin. She like Toni, was wearing a pair of heeled sandals, rather than flip-flops like mostly everyone else.

"I told you that purple one would have looked better, but nope you had to go all emo and pick the black one."

"Hey fuck you! All the ones you were picking for me made me look like a skank. Which if you didn't know, I am not! I want to enjoy myself at the beach before the Stride Qualifiers start!"

"Ugh...Christ I totally forgot about that...when are they again?" Takumi asked.

"The 24th, don't worry. We got all of the paperwork signed up, and we even got permission from the school to represent them, so we don't need a sponsor. Remember, we need to get the best time to qualify, that means we need to be under seven minutes tops. The qualifiers are usually easy, but the prelims is where you gotta start worrying. So enjoy your time with your friends because come Monday, that ass is mine. Figuratively, and if I'm lucky, literally." Toni said, licking her lips as she gave Takumi a lecherous look.

"I need an adult." the boy said.

"I'm an adult." Alex said, holding his hand up shyly.

"In Japan." Takumi replied, causing the boy to lower his hand. Ayumi sighed, grabbing a hold of her friend's hand.

"Come on, mom said she found a spot over there, let's not cramp their style. You look hot Ren." Ayumi said, pulling her friend along.

"It seems you have yourself an admirer Ren."

"Yeah, an admirer that I'm not at all interested in." the frizzy haired boy said, shivering at the glare Takumi was giving him.

Not long after, Yukiko and Rise came out of the changing rooms. Yukiko was wearing a crimson triangle bikini top, which fit her perfectly. The thin straps were tied around her neck, her black hair falling in a curtain down to the middle of her back. She was wearing a matching bikini bottom, though she had a wrap around her waist which had several hibiscus flowers on it. She was fiddling with the knot, making sure it wouldn't come undone. She hadn't even noticed the look Alex was giving her.

Rise had been wearing something similar, having chosen a navy blue bikini, with a twisted bandeau top. She was wearing a fold over bikini bottom which accented her hips and smooth legs. Her hair had been left down instead of in it's usual ponytails, and she was wearing a wide brim sunhat, most likely in an attempt to prevent fans from crowding her. She glanced up from her phone, her eyes widening a bit when she saw all of the guys, minus Takumi staring at her and Yukiko. She elbowed her friend who looked up from the knot, her cheeks tinging red.

"Don't just stare at us."

"Sorry Kiki, you know I'm not one to stare."

"I wasn't talking to you, you're my boyfriend." she said, quickly dismissing him.

"I must apologize, you both look stunning in your bikinis. I was only saving the image so that I may sketch it later on."

"Dude, that makes it sound way more perverted than it needs to be." Ryuji snapped, biting on his Popsicle stick.

"Probably for the spank bank." Takumi whispered, earning a chuckle from Ryuji. Rise puffed out her cheeks, glaring at the artist.

"I swear, if you make my boobs bigger than they really are, I will slap you." Rise said, earning a chuckle from the artist.

"Fear not Miss Rise, I shall not add or take away anything. You have a gorgeous physique so I shall translate it as is onto the canvas. You might even become the muse that gets me out of this slump."

"Goddamn it." Takumi muttered dryly.

"We're gonna go for a walk, maybe we can do something later yeah? The resort's beach is open all night so we'll be able to do a cook out or something." Alex said, having taken a hold of Yukiko's hand.

"Sure, mom said she was gonna rent a grill for the week so we'll be able to do some stuff for dinner. Oh yeah, before I forget...you said you were looking for a law school right? I wasn't able to find a good one, but I have a friend that can get you an internship at a law firm. I'd rather you get some practice before you study, that way you can decide if it's for you and not waste thousands on school supplies."

"Damn, I didn't even think of that...here I was about to drop all the money I had saved up on a law school. That money I made during the last three years working at the Amagi Inn would have gone to waste at that point. Thanks Takumi, I appreciate it."

"Hey, no problem man. Just invite me to the wedding, kay?" he said, giving the two a wink.

"Takumi! You know I'm too young for marriage!"

"That's what they all say, go on have fun. But not too much fun, and if you wanna have some of that fun, there's a spot behind the light house no one ever goes too. Bring a blanket." he said. Yukiko huffed, pulling her blushing boyfriend along, an annoyed look on her face.

"You really know how to push her buttons huh?" Rise asked, holding back a giggle.

"What can I say, she's like a sister, so I know what buttons to push. What are you gonna do Rise? Just gonna hang around here?"

"Yeah, you're welcome to join us if you want. I doubt we'll be doing anything fun though, at least not for now." Ryuji said.

"I was planning on going for a walk myself, however this place is so crowded, I fear I might be recognized."

"That wouldn't be good, I doubt the last thing you want right now is to be spotted. That would ruin your entire vacation." Morgana replied.

"Sorry for make you wait so long, we had a bit of trouble getting this one in her swimsuit."

Takumi glanced at his girlfriend, eyes widening a bit when he saw her bikini. Her's was a light blue in color, with various flower patterns on it. She was wearing a triangle top, with small tie-side bottoms. Her hair was still in ponytails, and she had a pair of sunglasses on her head. Beside her stood his little sister Mitsuhide, who was wearing a light blue one piece backless swimsuit. Her hair fell around her head, which was currently blocking her face. She was wearing her ribbon, not wanting to take it off, but it was clear that she was embarrassed.

"Damn." Ryuji muttered, pulling Takumi out of his stupor. The actor quirked a brow, causing the boy to shy back.

"S-sorry bro...I didn't mean to stare." he said. Ann let out a giggle, wrapping her arm around the boy.

"What's wrong Ryuji? Cat got your tongue? Haha, what do you think of me now?"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Ryuji Sakamoto has just been friendzoned by a girl who's with another man. His pride has forever been shattered, can he recover? Or is he going to be single forever? Find out in tomorrow's episode of Dragon Ball Z!"

"Takumi, I swear to fucking god, I'm going too..."

"Ahem." Makoto said, causing the two to stop bickering. They turned toward Futaba, who had been wearing a towel around her head, but had been coaxed by Makoto to take it off.

"You look so adorable Futaba, that suit definitely suits you." Rise said, giving the girl a smile.

"How are you doing? You aren't scared are you?"

"Nope...I got my key item with me, and my sword so I'll be fine. It's really hot though, I miss my A/C."

"Heh...you and me both." Ryuji muttered.

"Well..what are we going to do? Haru wasn't able to come with us, and she was supposed to bring the volleyball stuff." Makoto said, causing them all to frown.

"Why's her dad gotta cramp her style man? That Sugimura guy pisses me off, and I haven't even met that bastard."

"Tell me about it man, the way he said she wasn't allowed to come really bothered me. That's what happens when you have a controlling prick in your life. I wish I could say a thing or two personally to him." Takumi said, clenching his fist.

"Well...how about we go for a swim? We came all the way to the beach, we might as well enjoy the water right?" Makoto suggested.

"Indeed, I however shall remain here with our stuff. I wish to draw the scenery around the beach, I suppose I can keep Miss Rise company while we are here."

"I'd like that Yusuke, perhaps we could get to know each other. You know, every time I want to speak to you, I accidentally call you Yosuke, since that's my friend's name. Maybe I can call you something else for short?"

"Oh, call him Inari!" Futaba cried, earning a glare from the artist.

"That name again?"

"Why did you even start calling him Inari?"

"Because Ryuji, Inari is the shortened version of Inari-Okami which is a fox deity, since he looks like a fox in the Metaverse, I dubbed him Inari. Plus he's annoying for messing up my Neo Featherman collection. Be happy, at least your name has meaning, and refers to you, unlike that ugly Harpy." the hacker replied, having crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'd rather you didn't call me that, but if it makes it easier, I wouldn't mind that much." Yusuke replied.

"Okay, are you truly okay with it?" Rise asked, earning a nod from the artist.

"Well now that everything is settled, come on! Let's go to the water already...I'm dying in this fuckin heat." Ryuji snapped, only to be whipped in the face by Ann's inflatable tube.

"Calm your titties Ryuji. Let's all just make sure our stuff is here and then we can go." the blonde said, earning a growl from the boy.

It didn't take long to make sure everyone had everything. After which, they all started off toward the water. Takumi glanced up at the sky noticing the bright sunlight and puffy white clouds. Despite it being a beautiful day, which was supposed to be filled with joy, he couldn't help but feel worried. Igor's message was still playing in his mind, and he didn't want to believe it. He glanced at all of his friends playing happily in the water, all of them splashing each other. His eyes focused on his sister and Ann, two of the most precious people in his life. He swallowed hard, clenching his fist.

" _No one is going to die...I'm going to prevent that from happening. Fate is bullshit, it can and will change and nothing is going to stop me from changing it."_

"Hey sweetheart, is something wrong?" Ann asked, having waded over to where he was. The waves were lapping at his waist, pushing him slightly off balance.

"No, I was just thinking of something."

"What would that be?" she asked. The boy smirked, pushing her into the water. She let out a surprised yelp followed by a loud splash. Takumi started laughing, grabbing his sides, only to be splashed back by the blonde.

"Ha, take that!"

"That isn't a game you wanna start with me Kitten, you aren't going to win." he said, only to be splashed again. The boy tackled her into the water, splashing her with all of his strength.

"Ah...stop it, it's cold!"

"You started it, now you will suffer my wrath!"

After a few more seconds of splashing, Ann managed to grab a hold of his hands, holding them down with her own. He tried pulling himself free, but was unable to. His focus was on her eyes, which were shining brightly in the light. He leaned forward, giving her a kiss on the lips. She slowly released her hold on his hands, taking a hold of his face with her hands, his own being placed at her hips.

"I love you." he whispered, giving her a hug. The girl smiled, hugging him back.

"I love you too."

" _I am Thou, Thou Art I..._

 _Thou has turned a_ _ **Vow**_ _into a_ _ **Blood Oath**_

 _It shall become the_ _ **Wings of Rebellion**_ _that_ _ **breaketh**_ _the Yoke of thy Heart_

 _With the_ _ **Restored**_ _Bond of the_ _ **Lovers**_ _ **Arcana**_ _, I will unleash it's Ultimate Power..._

The two remained embrace for a couple moments before they were both splashed. Ryuji and Mitsuhide high fived, smirks on their faces. Takumi and Ann shared a look.

"Well...looks like you have pissed off the wrong people, I hope you like salt water in your eyes." Ann said, a grin on her face.

"No...wait, it was a mistake I'm sorry."

"Too late Ryuji, now you have to face the consequences, you too Mitsuhide." Takumi replied, cracking his knuckles as he spoke.

"Perhaps I should have better predicted the outcome of my actions." Mitsuhide replied. Loud splashing and screams of joy and mirth could be heard from the beach as the couple splashed their too assailants. It was a beautiful day, and Takumi wasn't going to waste it worrying, at least not now.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 10)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 7)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 3)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 4)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 4)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 6)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	48. Beach Time II

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 48 of Codename: Songbird. I would first and foremost like to apologize for not posting anything on Wednesday. I ended up running out of cellular data so I couldn't post anything for a few days. That also meant that I couldn't check Fanfiction and had to limit things to just replying to messages on here. I've been doing a lot of research and editing things lately so I didn't keep track of how much data I was spending. So once again, I apologize.**

 **This entire week has been development hell. I haven't been able to right anything because I've just had zero motivation, and when I can't write, I get a bit depressed. Writing is what I love doing, and when I can't get an idea I just feel miserable. I was trying and failing to write for Tokyo Xanadu. Usually, I wouldn't have an issue writing something new if it interests me, but the lack of fanfiction on the site for this series was really difficult, and put a bit of pressure on me. I would be the only person writing for that fandom, so when I thought about it, it meant that I would be writing for a dead crowd, and some people who are fans of my writing as a whole. It made it a little difficult to come up with a plot and deviate from the story, and since there isn't any stories out there, I don't exactly know how to write it, if that makes sense. I usually end up getting information from stories, locations, character lore and my own ideas based of what I have read. Reading Persona fanfiction was what inspired me to create this very story, because I wanted to see what it would be like to write something like this. This isn't a self insert or anything of the sort, as I am not an actor and hell I wouldn't have the balls to say what Takumi says to anyone in real life.**

 **I'm still working on Tokyo Xanadu, but I have no idea when I will post anything. I've also been trying to continue Danganronpa, because I know there are people out there who want to see the end of The School Trip of Mutual Killing, as well as The End of Hope's Peak Academy: Mirai-Hen. Both of those stories have been in development hell, along with The Hellfire Dragon Slayer. I just want to write about new things or things that I've wanted to write for awhile and didn't feel confident writing before. It's also why I haven't finished a Pokemon story here. I try to make it cool and I enjoy myself but I dunno. I guess I lost inspiration for Aloha Alola, not just because of Ultra Sun and Moon, but also because well...though I loved the Alola Region as a whole and thought it was great, I just wasn't as excited for it as I thought. For XY, it was a brand new region, with brand new mechanics, awesome battles, and the anime...oh, top quality stuff, especially coming after that shitfest that was the Black and White saga, Jesus christ that anime sucked ass.**

 **Lately, I've wanted to write something based in the Sinnoh Region, but I dunno if I will. I feel that if I start another Pokemon story I'll just leave it half way. I've also wanted to revamp Legends of Kalos because I actually want to finish that story. That one is more based on the anime than the game, while Aloha Alola is more based on the game than the anime. I dunno...that's just my thoughts.**

 **As for Persona, I've given a lot of time to this story, since Late April and all throughout May. So I'll be taking a break from it and taking up a new project. If you are fans of League of Legends, then look forward to a brand new story from that fandom. I've also been thinking about doing one shots and what not. Especially for anime that I like but don't feel like doing a full story for. Like, I dunno if you've seen an anime called Ben-to but I wanted to write something for that but not be committed to a full length story. I mean, that anime is pretty awesome, despite it being people fighting for food.**

 **I digress...I dunno what will be happening with this profile of mine in the coming weeks, but I am trying to bring you good stories from my crazy mind. So you might see me pick up old stories or start new ones. All I gotta say is thanks for sticking with me through everything I've written, if you are long time followers of me of course. For the newbies, I recommend reading some of my stuff, you might like it and if not, that's okay too. See you all next chapter, leave your thoughts in the comment section, and as always, Have a Nice Day**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 48

Beach Time II

 _ **Date: Saturday August 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Location: Miura Beach**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Enjoy Time Off**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"So, how did you and Yukiko meet?" Takumi asked, setting his soda down beside him.

He was sitting on one of the chairs they had brought along, under the shade of a large parasol. Yusuke and Rise were next to them, the idol being out in the sun while the artist sketched her. Along with them was Ren and Ryuji both of them lost in conversation, while Morgana was sitting on the table, looking at the people around them. Erica, Ayumi and Toni were all busy with the cooking, and didn't want to be disturbed so they had been mostly left alone. The girls of the group were had taken a walk, having grown tired of the water.

"Hmm...well, I was an exchange student. Somehow my sister convinced me to come to Japan so I could get a cultural experience. I had to prepare beforehand, in America as you know, there are four years in high school. So I had to spend all of Freshman year learning Japanese. Once I was a Sophomore, I applied and was on the first plane to Tokyo. I was actually supposed to go to a school in Suginami." Alex replied, earning a nod from the boy.

"What happened? Don't tell me...I can guess. You took the wrong train and ended up in Inaba?"

"You caught me. It was the biggest blunder I ever made, what's even worse, Yasoinaba station only had one train running, so I would have to wait six days for the next train to Tokyo. I didn't know that I could take one to Okina City and transfer to Shibuya from there. So there I was, wondering around the city for awhile. I have travelers checks while my accounts were being worked on, so I only had limited funds."

"Don't tell me you tried sleeping on a bench or something?" Ryuji asked, having joined in the conversation. Alex shook his head, brushing some of his hair out of his eyes.

"It wasn't that...believe it or not, people can be crooks especially to tourists. I wasn't paying attention while I was waiting for a bus. It started to rain, so I went across the street to buy an umbrella, and this skinny loser stole my suitcase. I gave chase and beat him up with the umbrella I bought. I got my suitcase back, but I missed my bus. Stuck in Inaba for the night, I decided to go to the local Inn for the night."

"Right...the one that's run by Yukiko's family. The crown jewel of Inaba, it is the most traditional you are gonna get outside the big city." Takumi said.

"That's right, turns out it rains like hell in Inaba. I ended up getting to the Inn past sundown, soaking wet and shivering like a newborn pup. Yukiko's mom took one look at me and immediately took me to one of the open rooms. Her father was trying his hardest not to laugh, but when I told him everything, he just burst into laughter. At that point, Yukiko had brought some dry clothes for me. I knew she was beautiful, but I was too shy to actually voice it."

"So, you didn't tell her she was pretty and didn't hit on her like some of the other guys must have?" Ren asked.

"Yup, at that point she had just graduated from high school. I was three years younger than her, so I knew she wasn't going to pay attention to someone like me. I did make friends with Rise though, it was still odd that an idol as famous as he wanted to finish school before going back on tour. It was through her that I started getting to know Yukiko. I took up a part time job since the Amagi's were kind enough to become my home-stays while I was here. It was the final day of the first year that I told Yukiko I liked her."

"Then you had to leave, that's so sad. Was it her that made you move here permanently?" Takumi asked curiously. Alex nodded, chewing on his straw for a moment, before deciding to continue his story.

"My mother told me that if I really liked this girl, that I should pursue her heart. Yukiko had thought I had left forever, but when I came back after six months, she practically broke my back from her hug. We were still a bit shy around each other, since she didn't know what to do on dates, and I was still a bit young for her. Technically, we've been together for two and a half years, but we've only been dating openly for a year...I truly do love her, she's the love of my life."

"Well dude, if you love her that much, I'd put a ring on her finger. Even if you don't get married now, at least make sure she has it. Then dickholes like that guy right there won't hit on her." Ryuji said, jabbing his thumb to where Yukiko, Makoto, Ann and Mitsuhide were standing. Ann was holding onto Mitsuhide who was hiding behind her. Takumi quickly shot to his feet, ignoring the fact he had forgotten his sandals.

"Come on, I know you got your little sister with you. But you can just leave her with your mom or something. Come on, we rented a yacht and we're having a party there. We need some babes like you there." the tanned blond man said, a cocky smile on his face.

"What part of "I have a boyfriend" did you not understand?" Yukiko asked, earning a chuckle from his friend.

"It's alright if you have a boyfriend, I'll be your manfriend. A honey like you needs a real man, not any of those fools that are toying with your emotions." he said.

"Hey asshole...stop hitting on my girlfriend." Alex snapped, causing the man to whirl around. Yukiko quickly grabbed a hold of his hand, the boy wrapping his arm around her waist.

"Pfft...this is your boyfriend? An American? What a waste, here I thought you had class."

"Why don't you shut your fucking mouth and take a hike? You piece of shit, I bet the only reason you hit on Yukiko is because you want to get your dick wet. Well you know what, you can go to the pharmacy and get yourself some lube, because your gonna be lonely tonight." Alex snapped back, a look of anger on his face.

"You wanna go white boy? You think you can take me on?" the blond man said. Makoto stood before the black haired teen, having adopted her Aikido stance.

"Honestly, we came here to enjoy ourselves at the beach, not for you guys to start hitting on us. I'll have you know, my sister is a cop and she's been teaching me Aikido. So unless you wanna find out what sand tastes like, you better hit the road." the brunette spat, glaring at the two.

"Tch...whatever, let's leave these children to enjoy their time in the sand. By the way blondie, you look like a skank in that bikini, anything smaller than that and you'd be better off going in the nude." he said, turning to walk away.

"Hey asshole, unless you want my foot up your ass, you'll apologize to my girlfriend right fucking now." Takumi snapped, causing the man to stop. Ann took a hold of his hand, shaking her head.

"Don't worry about it Takumi, let them say what they want. Words don't hurt me, and you know that."

"It isn't about that Kitten, it's about respect. These fucking pricks think they can just walk up to the beach, hit on girls and look at them like their toys. It doesn't fucking work that way, maybe there's some horny bitch around here willing to suck your dick. But don't fucking insult someone when they politely reject you, because that makes you look like a piece of shit."

"Hahaha...you're funny kid...hey wait a minute, aren't you that failed actor? Takumi Mashita...oh my god, I can't believe it is." the blond man said, earning a laugh from his friend.

"Wow, I can't believe a has been washed up actor is here on the same beach as us. I would ask for an autographs but I don't think someone like you deserves to even write one. You have a shitty fan base and everyone knows you like to shoot meth for fun. I know of a place around here that can sell you some high quality heroin if your into that."

"Yes, I'm quite aware of that dealer. The overweight slobbering walrus that set up shop behind Big Bang Burger, oh ho...wait that's your mom. My bad." Takumi said. Alex bit his lip trying to hold in his laughter, while Yukiko had covered her mouth with her hands.

"Pfft...let's get out of here, I'd rather not get in trouble for assaulting minor." the blond man said, finally taking his leave.

"Holy shit Takumi, that was the sickest burn I have ever heard."

"I was just trying to defend you Boo...no one insults you and gets away with it. No one is safe, not even their mothers." the brown haired actor said, a grin on his face.

"What was he talking about? You're an actor?" Alex asked, causing everyone to look at him.

"You...seriously didn't know that? I told you this before we left babe, we were spending time with my friend Kanami's little brother. Takumi Mashita, you know...he was in Fleeting Angel and Fleeting Angel 2? They...did several scenes in the Amagi Inn?" Yukiko said. The boy blinked in confusion.

"I've...never seen either of those movies."

"Jesus Christ, alright...we gotta sit this kid down in front of the television when we get back to the hotel. How can you not have seen Fleeting Angel 1 and 2? Rise is the star of both of those movies, Takumi here plays her little brother in that movie. They filmed all over Inaba!" Ann said.

"Not to mention it was a critically acclaimed movie, getting various awards including an award for Movie of the Year by the American Movie Academy. It even got an Oscar for best Teenage Romance Movie in the genre, second only to one of Ryoutaro Shimizu's films." Mitsuhide said.

"I'm sorry man, I just don't watch a lot of romance films, other than Titanic, that movie is my favorite."

"Now you understand why I love him so much?" Yukiko asked, earning a nod from Takumi.

"Yes I do...I mean who doesn't love Titanic?" he asked curiously.

"Anyway...sorry about that, we were going to bring ice cream for everyone when those douche bags intercepted us. Hey...where's Futaba?" Ann asked, glancing around the area, noticing their orange haired friend was gone.

"You weren't watching her were you? Where could she have gone?" Mitsuhide cried in worry.

"Hey guys! Sorry for ditching you, I saw some banana boat rentals over there and thought it would be cool to book one. I gave them your credit card information Takumi, hope that's fine." Futaba said, causing them all to sigh in relief.

"Yeah, that's fine...just don't run off without telling anyone okay?"

"Alright mom, I'll be sure to tell you when I want to go to the bathroom." she replied with a grin, earning a glare from the boy.

"Everyone, the food is almost done, hurry up before Ayumi and Toni eat it all!" Erica called out, causing the others to run toward their spot. Thankfully, the hotel provided an area filled with picnic tables where people could set up their things, which was where everyone had been hanging around.

"I must say, this sketch is coming along nicely...thank you for being my model, Miss Rise." Yusuke said, earning a giggle from the idol, who took her glasses off her face.

"Of course, I don't mind being your model. Just as long as you don't ask me to get naked, that'll cost you extra." she replied with a wink.

"Whoa, you're willing to drop trowel for him? That's pretty hot."

"Toni you pretty much offered the same thing the first time you met him. Honestly, I'm surprised there are girls who are willing to bare it all for the sake of art." Takumi said, biting into his hotdog.

"It's all for the sake of art, I believe the human body is a beautiful thing. I am comfortable in my own skin so I have no issue showing it off." Toni replied with a shrug.

"I was honestly kidding, if I wasn't such a popular idol I'd be okay with it. Something like that would just kill my career and that's the last thing I want. I hope you understand Yusuke."

"It's quite alright, you've been kind enough already...although if you are willing to bare it all, would you be willing to model some body art? You'd be wearing a bikini of course, but I'd be allowed to paint various designs on your skin. I believe that would be an interesting venture, especially when used for an album cover."

"Now you're just making excuses to put your hands on her, you perv." Ryuji said.

"I am a professional Ryuji. Just because you are inexperienced in the wonders of art doesn't mean I am a pervert. It's not like I'll be finger painting."

"Emphasis on the finger." Futaba said, causing Takumi to choke. The boy grabbed a hold of his water, downing it in one go.

"Goddamn it Futaba! You could have killed me!" the boy shouted angrily.

"Mwehehehe! That's why I waited for you to be mid bite to say it." she said.

"Well, I can see you kids are getting along swimmingly. I'm glad you're getting used to social interaction Futaba. I was just so worried when Takumi told me what you've been through." Erica said, a worried look on her face.

"That's just like you mom, always worrying about everyone. It's why I love you so much." Ayumi said, hugging her mother tightly.

"Sorry Futaba, my mom asked why you were so reclusive and I told her a little about you. I hope you don't mind."

"It's fine, it's natural for parents to know their kid's friends. After all, you never know who they can be hanging out with. It could be a perfectly tame bunny rabbit like Ren, or a big brolic black dude named Requis."

"No need to be racist now." Makoto said.

"I wasn't being racist though, I was just quoting FaZe Jev."

"Oh my god, that dude is hilarious, all of his rage videos make me kek." Takumi said, bumping fists with the young hacker.

"Ahem...anyway, I've seen a lot of high school kids around here. I was also able to get some information about the Stride competition...the minimum required is three members, that means we're gonna have to rely on our own timing to get the relations right." Toni said, handing Takumi and Ayumi two booklets.

"Official Stride Rule Book...wow this shit is serious."

"Duh, End of Summer is like the most watched sport in Japan. Back when I was in track, I was thinking of starting a Stride team. Obviously, I was going to be the anchor. Usually the fastest runner is the anchor." Ryuji said.

"Mhmm, not just that, the most athletic runners are usually put in third and fourth place in the relay, since they all have to do the most parkour. But since we're missing two racers and our relationer, we're gonna have to watch the others carefully. Which is why Toni told me to get these for us." Ayumi said, digging around her handbag. She pulled out three wrist watches, handing the sky blue one to Takumi, who looked it over.

"What's this? A fitbit?"

"Sort of...it's supposed to connect to the people tracking time. For those teams without Relationers, this will keep track of how much time has happened. It will also act as a map, showing you where your teammates are, so you can plan when you run for the take over zone. We haven't practiced relations yet, something we should have done. But someone was so goddamn busy that we lost track of time!" the girl snapped angrily.

"Hey, don't blame Takumi on this Mimi! He has stuff to do, so we had to be patient. Besides I'm sure we have plenty of time to practice relations, it's just a simple high five!"

"While running, you have to keep pace with your partner and successfully do it. Not to mention all of us will be running two relays, except the person who handles the anchor position." Ayumi deadpanned, earning a sigh from the two teenagers.

"Um...why is this so important to you? I mean...if you need members to participate then why even bother with it?" Ren asked.

"Because! The last time I was in Stride I fucked up, badly. I decided to go off course and I paid for it with a broken knee. That bastard Kashou keeps rubbing my fuck up in my face and I am sick of it. So I'm going to win End of Summer and show him that I'm better at parkour, at Stride. Besides, I wanted to dedicate the trophy to my aunt, who was the one who signed me up for it the first time." Toni said, bowing her head.

"You know, you could have told us about this. I'm sure we could have joined you." Ann said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I doubt it Thunder Tits, you don't look like a runner." she replied, sipping on her drink.

"Aw, why you gotta do me like that?"

"What about you Ryuji? Think you can join the Stride team with them?" Ren asked, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I would, my leg still hurts sometimes though. Besides, the track team would probably shit on me for joining Stride like that. It would give them more fuel for their hatred."

"It's alright Ryuji, I appreciate it anyways. I know how you feel, my knee was broken in three places, and for a long time, the doctors thought I wouldn't walk again. But I wanted to run, parkour is just so liberating. Some people may see it as dangerous, but when you actually do it, you're opinion changes. It takes one trip to a tall building to change that. You get to see just how big the world is."

"Wow...I never thought someone like you would be saying something like that Toni...that changes my opinion of you a lot." Takumi said, earning a flush from the girl.

"Does that mean you'll go on a date with me?"

"Ahem...I'm right here." Ann said, glaring at the brunette.

"Kotone would you mind not being so needy? That isn't an attractive feature for a young woman like you to have. You have a beautiful face, and a lovely figure to boot. If you stop being so clingy, perhaps a handsome young man might fall in love with you. And if that isn't the case, I'm sure a single jiggle will be enough to ensnare them. But please, stop offering yourself to my brother on a platter, he isn't going to accept you." Mitsuhide said, flipping the page in her book, thankfully not a smutty one. They all remained silent for a few moments, before Erica set down a plate with freshly grilled burgers.

"Ha, the Harpy just got told by a nine year old."

"Futaba perhaps you'd better watch yourself around others. You wouldn't want to be making enemies would you?"

"Shut up Inari."

"A-anyway...if you guys need a relationer, I think I can fill the spot in. it isn't that hard right? All you have to do is keep an eye on the times and tell the other members when to go. Right?" Yukiko asked, having been reading the booklet Ayumi had.

"It's more than that, aside from running, the Relationer is in fact the most important person on the team. They are responsible for analysis and timing. They need to know how long it takes a runner to go from zero to top speed, when to start the next racer and judge how long it will take a racer to finish one leg of the race. If you mess up by even a single second, you could cost your team the race." Toni said firmly.

"Well, if you need help with analysis, then look nor further than Makoto! She can easily handle the timing aspect, let's just say, when it comes to analysis, she's the Queen." Ryuji said, placing his hands on her shoulders, startling her a bit.

"H-huh? I'm not that good at analysis...maybe Mitsuhide would be better."

"Pass, sports aren't my forte." the girl replied, flipping the page in her book.

"Come on Makoto! You'd be representing Shujin, not just that...I also think having you there would be good moral support for us. I mean you're the Student Body President, imagine what the other teams would think?" Toni asked. The young woman sighed, giving her a nod.

"Fine...I'll be your relationer, but only for a little bit. I don't think I'll be able to help you during the rest of End of Summer. I have things to do for the Student Council after all."

"That's fine, we can train someone else during that time. If they follow your notes and are a good judge of time, then they'll do fine. Now let me explain the object of the Miura Beach Trial Tour. Basically, 64 teams are going to be entering in a series of Stride matches. It will continue until only 8 teams are left. If we get the fastest time, normally below five minutes, we'll go straight to the Preliminary rounds." Toni said.

"However, on the off chance that we don't, we're gonna have to face off against various other teams. The Trial Tour will be from August 24th to August 26th. That's three solid days, so we'll have to do our very best to make it through the qualifier rounds. The Preliminary Rounds will start Friday September 2nd, in Shinjuku. After that, End of Summer truly begins. The final six teams will go head to head in an elimination style match, Wednesday September 14th will be in Jinbocho, going straight through Book Town, Thursday September 15th will be in Shibuya Station, and finally Monday September 19th, the End of Summer tournament will be a head to head finals match between the two fastest teams, going straight through Akihabara, in an exhibition match. The final race of End of Summer will be September 20th, the venue hasn't been chosen yet." Ayumi said, placing the pamphlets down on the table, showing the locations for each race.

"Damn, the JSA went out for this competition." Ryuji said, grabbing the Shibuya Pamphlet, pointing out all of the previous courses that had been used.

"This is a serious sport, it didn't used to be so big but last years End of Summer brought a lot of attention to the sport. If I recall, Mihashi High School was the one who won last year." Ann said. Toni growled angrily, squeezing her bottle so tightly it popped, sending water all over the table.

"Are you alright Toni?" Rise asked, clearly concerned. Yukiko and Alex were also sporting looks of worry, especially due to her change in demeanor.

"I'm fine...it's just...I used to go to Saisei Junior High when I used to live in Saitama. Everyone that was in the Junior High Stride team, joined the Mihashi High School Stride Club. Including Kashou, the bastard who keeps ragging on me for costing them the win. It wasn't my goddamn fault my cousin pussed out before the final. I was only twelve, but no...he doesn't fucking understand that, the prick." she snapped angrily. Erica placed a hand on her shoulder, hoping to calm her down.

"Hmm...alright...you wish to show this Kashou guy that you are good at Stride. You need members right? Is Makoto is going to be your relationer, then allow me to join you as a runner. I may not be good, but with practice I'll be able to be up to snuff with everyone else." Ren said.

"Can you even run fast?" Ann asked.

"Pfft, are you serious? Me and Ren practice track all the time, the dude is fast as hell. He can keep up with me, despite my injury. You need someone to start you off, Ren is your man. That'll take care of one relation, giving someone else enough time to take care of the Slopes and Corners of the race."

"I'll handle Slopes and Corners if Toni handles Gimmicks, that'll leave Ayumi to handle the anchor. So you better light a fire under your ass sis, because you're the fastest of our current group." Takumi said, earning a firm look from the girl.

"I will! This is for my best friend, I'm going to run until I can't run anymore. And when that happens I'll drag my ass to the finish line!"

"We'll cheer you on! It's the only thing us normies can do." Futaba said happily, having finished her food.

"Come on, let's go to the JSA tent for the paperwork. We have to submit it all before the qualifiers start. We need an adult there to sign everything, would you mind being our coach Erica? Please?" Toni asked, giving the woman a puppy look. She sighed, giving her a nod.

"Fine, I'll be your coach. So long as you advertise my store with your uniforms, which reminds me. Are you going to design any suits? You sort of need them." the woman said.

"Oh yeah, we've got that covered, come on Ayumi. Let's go get that paperwork signed."

"We'll go with you, I wanna go on another walk." Yukiko said, standing up from her seat, along with Alex.

"Same here, gotta let all that food settle before starting round two. We'll be back guys." the black haired boy said, grabbing his light jacket from inside his backpack.

"You know, now that I understand Stride, I kinda want to join." Ann said, having been reading Takumi's rule book.

"I doubt you'd get far. You are an agile runner in the Metaverse, but you might not be able to get around sharp corners or the gimmicks that made Stride popular. Though you do have high stamina, so that might be of some help." Mitsuhide said, having set her book aside.

"Hey, where did Yusuke run off to? I didn't even notice he was gone until now." Rise said, holding her hat so the breeze wouldn't blow it away. As if on cue, the artist walked up to their table, holding a pair of lobsters in his hands.

"What the hell are you doing with those?" Ryuji asked.

"I apologize, I saw these on sale and couldn't help but be entranced. So I decided to use the last of my money on them."

"Honestly, you really do need to figure out your priorities." Ann said softly, finishing the last of her soda.

"Oh oh, we should totally grill them. Imagine how delicious they would be with a side of melted butter. Come on Inari, let me see them!" Futaba cried, standing up from her seat, lunging for them.

"No! These are not for eating, they are to be admired only. Stop trying to grab them." the artist cried, holding the lobsters out of reach of the shorter girl.

"He's so weird." Takumi said softly, earning a snicker from Ann, who rested her head on his shoulder.

"Hey, the sun is setting, and the beach is starting to clear up a bit. Wanna walk down to the shoreline and watch the sunset?" Rise asked, standing up from her seat.

"Good idea, I haven't seen a sunset in quite a long time." Mitsuhide added, following the girl's lead. Slowly, the Phantom Thieves started walking toward the shoreline. The sun looked absolutely stunning, the sky being tinged with violets, oranges and blues.

"There's nothing quite like the setting sun...the colors are simply alluring."

"I gotta agree with you there Yusuke. We're lucky to see something like this."

"I like watching the sunrise. It's the dawn of a new day, you get to see the dark world wake up from it's long slumber." Takumi said, wrapping an arm around Ann's waist, holding her close.

"That's a rather interesting way to see a sunrise."

"Well Rise, I spent my childhood playing Pokemon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky. The story touched me a lot, especially how the Pokemon of the future just wanted to see the light of the sun, and did everything just to change the future. That game will always be in my top ten list, you should play it, you might enjoy it." he said.

"You are such a nerd." Ryuji snapped, earning a glare from Ann.

"This coming from the guy who walked into the ocean to catch a Blastoise earlier? You gotta get your priorities straight man." Ren said, earning a chuckle from Morgana who was pawing the sand.

"We should pack up for the day. Erica and the others will appreciate it if we pick up everything for them." Makoto said.

"I agree, we have all week to enjoy the beach after all."

"Hey, Futaba was doing well in the crowd earlier. She looked like she was having a lot of fun."

"She did, I'm proud of you Futaba." Takumi said happily. Futaba, who had been drawing in the sand, finally stood up, facing her new friends.

"You know, all this time I thought it was my fault that my mother died. Everyone looked at me like I was the murderer, so I grew to hate this world. That's why I shut myself in...and covered my ears." she murmured, head bowed slightly.

"Futaba."

"I wished that my mom was alive...often times, I would wake up thinking it was all a dream. But when the reality of it all hit me, I would go back to sleep, just so I could dream again. It was an endless cycle...one that I rapidly grew used too."

"I know what you mean...it doesn't seem real. None of it seems real to you, you keep thinking she's gonna walk through that door, hug you like she used to. You wake up, expecting to smell the breakfast she always made for you, you look inside your lunch box, expecting to see the lunch she prepared for you...and it just doesn't happen anymore. Everyone says it'll be okay, that they understand when they don't...the fucking don't...It's just a...goddamn cruel reminder of the entire situation." Takumi said, glancing at the sky. He felt Ann take a hold of his hand, squeezing it softly.

"I know what you mean, it was the same when I lost my mother...it was especially harder when I lost my father. Me and Sae...we just didn't know what to do. We sort of just...continued on, doing the best we could." Makoto added, a frown on her face.

"I wanted to be like my mom...I miss everything about her. How she used to stay up into the late hours of the night doing research. How she'd make me that boxed lunch that was way better than anything the other kids brought. How she would scold me for peeking at her research notes."

"It was cognitive psience wasn't it? That was what your mother was researching...I remember finding a thesis about it a few years back, before her death. I was only seven at the time, it was what drove me to study Psychology and Philosophy the way I have. Mother insisted that I quit reading technical stuff, that I wouldn't understand it. I would stay up late, searching dictionaries and thesauruses just so I could understand words. That's why my vocabulary is so large, and why I can see the world the way I do...I wish I could thank Wakaba Isshiki for that...for being my inspiration." Mitsuhide said, earning a smile from Futaba.

"I'm glad that she was able to inspire you like that...you may be young, but you are a lot smarter than people give you credit for. I remember he saying something. The cognitive world can be distorted by desires, if it becomes distorted, a person begins exhibiting problematic behavior in reality. Upon removing the core of their cognitive world it will disappear, and the symptoms disappear entirely."

"Huh...? That sounds a lot like the palaces we've explored, doesn't it?" Rise asked.

"It does...so your mom knew about the Metaverse way before we did, that's so cool." Takumi said happily.

"It's surprising to know she knew about that world." Morgana noted, earning a nod from the young girl.

"None of it made sense to me back then. Until it actually happened to me, that's when I understood it. All I could think about was my mom...I was stuck in a cognitive labyrinth. I couldn't get out of it. There was nothing I could do by myself."

"So that's why you asked us to change your heart? That's a huge jump in logic in so many ways!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"At first, I didn't believe in the Phantom Thieves and them stealing hearts. But then I overheard you, and realized that you were nearby."

"Overheard...ah yes the bug. So, why were you listening on Leblanc in the first place?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"I wanted to keep an eye on Sojiro, make sure he was actually working. But I redoubled my efforts when I found out about Ren coming to live with him. I didn't know if he was dangerous or not. It was also through those bugs that I heard that woman, threatening him to spill details on my mom's research. She claimed that I was being abused, and all this other crap...it made me mad."

Takumi noticed the look Makoto made when she said that. It wasn't hard for him to realize what it meant. It was likely that the woman threatening Sojiro had been Sae Nijima. She was a prosecutor, so it made sense for it to be her. He wanted to say something, but remained silent. He didn't want her to know that he had run into her not that long ago.

"Talk about a weird hobby." Ryuji said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"When I heard you actually stole hearts, I was so overjoyed I jumped up and down. I realized that maybe the Phantom Thieves could heal my heart!"

"You could have just asked us from the start...though why did you hack Takumi in the first place? You said you hacked all of the online matches to be paired with him every time." Ann said.

"Yeah, that's a little bit weird now that I think about it. Approaching someone random online I mean." the boy said.

"Well, Takumi piqued my interest when I heard him bragging about setting a score on Pac-Man of over a million points. So I decided to search him up and I found his Twitter account. I decided to hack into that and I got all of his information, which lead me to finding his PS4's IP address. I was able to see all of the games he had played in the past and saw the one he was currently playing and well...that's how that happened. I had to confirm that he was a Phantom Thief, because I had an offer for him, so I could get in contact with the leader."

"Right...the information on Shimizu. Without it, I wouldn't have had the gumption to actually pursue him...my sister would be hurt or worse. All of those people would have died in vain...I really do have to thank you for that Futaba." Takumi said, a flush on his face.

"You already did, you changed my heart, that's all I could have asked for. I also have some other information for you, the one you initially asked about. I'll share that with you at a later date though." she said, pushing her glasses up her face.

"Information? What are you planning now?" Makoto asked, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Uh-uh, sorry Queen but you aren't getting your mitts on this file, at least not yet." he said with a wink.

"Anyway, I guess I understand why she needed to do all of the checks. After all, the Phantom Thieves could have been actual criminals. It makes sense for her to do all of the checks she did." Rise said.

"Mhmm...I didn't want to ask a bunch of criminals for help, that would make me no better than Medjed. It was thanks to them that I actually got the nerve to do what I did...they were threatening the Phantom Thieves, and talking all this crap about them. I knew I had to do something, and I knew the Thieves wanted them gone, so it worked out for me in the end. It was also why I sent you so many messages, I had to gauge your reactions."

"Yes, you had us wrapped around your little finger." Makoto said with a smirk, earning a grin from the girl.

"It was a little too easy, hearing Ryuji's outbursts through Ren's phone speaker was an added bonus."

"Ugh...dammit." the boy muttered under his breath.

"Medjed's taunt was only part of it...I wanted to save Sojiro. That woman was blaming him, forcing him to spill everything about mom. It reminded me of those men in black...and how they ruined my life. I didn't want that to happen to him, I had to do something."

"I can't believe they would do that. Boss is such a nice person, he's helped Kanami out so much, not just by giving her a job but by giving her advice. He doesn't deserve that, no one does." Rise said firmly.

"Still, I didn't think you'd worry so much about me, take so many risks for me. Even you Rise, I mean...you're an idol, I'm sure you had more important things to do."

"Maybe so, but Rise is a caring person...if someone is hurting, she'd do anything to help them. When I realized just how much shit you had gone through, I decided to help you too. But I feel like I must apologize...I feel like a horrible person. I prioritized Shimizu's Palace over yours. I went there alone, my sister could have died just because I wasn't patient. I should have just focused on your palace first."

"Takumi, I'm not mad at you. I knew you had to take care of Shimizu, I read those articles myself. He was a dangerous man, in the end you changed both of our hearts. So don't feel bad, in fact you should feel proud...so many people were spared from that bastard. You even put flowers on Tsubaki Kasugano's grave, that shows just how sweet and caring you are." Futaba said happily.

"He really is a caring man, sadly the press doesn't think so."

"Ah...let's not talk about that now Kitten...we were having a moment." the boy said with a flush. She kissed his cheek, making him blush even more.

"So, do you believe in us now?" Ann asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"Mhmm...which is why I have a request. I know that Rise can't stay in the group forever, so I'd like to become the Phantom Thieves' permanent Navigator. Will you let me join the group?"

"Let you join? There's nothing for you to join, you're already a part of the team!" Ryuji said, ruffling her hair. She flushed a bit, fixing her glasses.

"He's right, from the moment you requested our help, and awoke your persona, you were a part of us. Even if you didn't have a persona, you'd still be part of the team. Someone of your caliber is someone we wouldn't dare let go. So welcome to the team." Ren said, holding his fist out. She bumped it with her own, holding her hands behind her back.

"I'll be honest, changing people's hearts isn't my goal. I want to find out what happened to my mom, the reason why she was killed."

"Killed?" Yusuke asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"It was written in her notes, she said there was a chance that she could die. I remember that day, she was acting weird, no matter how much I talked to her, she wouldn't talk back. It didn't look like she jumped into traffic, it was more like she collapsed and fell into it. That's why I want to find the bastard who killed her." she said firmly.

"It's a stretch but.." Ren muttered. Futaba shook her head, glancing at her hand as she opened and closed it.

"It said in her notes, should the cognitive version of the person die in that world, the person in the real world will lose consciousness."

"So...this is the true origin of Mental Shutdowns, this is an interesting new topic that I must research." Mitsuhide muttered, eyes narrowed in thought.

"That criminal that Kaneshiro mentioned...he might be..."

"That's right Yusuke...I don't like pursuing this line of thought but...perhaps your mother's shadow was killed."

"I can't say for sure...but that night she had been acting oddly. That's why I looked into her notes, I looked for research papers and theses, but I didn't find anything, it was as if her research was completely gone. I even hacked into government labs and took a look at their secret files, but I found nothing." Futaba said.

"So, that's why you learned how to hack?" Ann asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"Her research is gone, treated like it never existed. I bet you it was those men in black, the bastards who wrote that fake suicide note. I'll never forgive them." she hissed angrily.

"Futaba." Ann whispered, surprised with the younger girl's resolve.

"If I stick with you guys, I'll learn more about that world. I'll even help Mitsuhide with her research. I understand a lot of the same terminology, and I copied most of my mother's notes onto flash drives that I still have with me, before those men in black ransacked our apartment."

"That information would be most valuable. If it helps us understand more about the Metaverse, then I welcome it. I'm glad that there's someone else with superior intellect in our group. To tell you the truth, we were lacking in the intelligence department." the ravenette said.

"Hey, I bring a lot of intelligence into the group! I'm the one who scouts for targets!" Ryuji said.

"Yet you didn't care for learning anything about Ancient Egypt. As I recall, you shut down my brother whenever he spoke. You truly are the definition of Brawns over Brains."

"You wanna go kid? I have no issue holding your upside down for twenty minutes!"

"I'll kick you in the balls if you even attempt it." Takumi snapped, causing the blond track-star to shiver.

"It's a super personal reason, is that okay? Or would I be dead-weight?" Futaba asked cautiously.

"Hey, we all have our reasons for being in this group. Some of us want to bring those nasty adults to justice. Others want to find their path in the road, some want to research the Metaverse, others want to tell everyone their a Phantom Thief to drown in pussy, but me...I'm just here because well...I honestly want to find those weasels who do shady shit and teach them a lesson." Takumi said firmly.

"Hey, why was that fourth one so objective?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Because you look like the type to tell someone your a Phantom Thief just to get female attention. It doesn't even matter if you are a Phantom Thief, using that to get yourself girls is just scummy and makes you look like a dick, you'll never get your pole greased thinking like that." Rise replied, earning a glare from the boy.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Rise Kujikawa has just burned Ryuji Sakamoto personally and emotionally. How will he counter?" Takumi asked, holding the invisible microphone out to the boy.

"Ah...eat it. Both of you!"

"It matters not, you're reason is a personal one, but your skills are of use to us, you shall be a welcome edition to our team." Yusuke said happily.

"Well...if she's part of the team now, I think a code name is in order." Ann said.

"I agree."

"A Code name?" Futaba asked, earning a nod from Makoto.

"Joker, Skull, Mona, Panther, Queen, Songbird, and Duchess. I'm Fox, Rise and Yukiko don't have code names since they're only with us temporarily." Yusuke said.

"Hmm...she is a rather intuitive person...hacker wouldn't fit her...how about Tron?" Mitsuhide suggestion.

"Ew...no...I mean I get the reference, but still no. Every time I think of Tron, I think of that guy that did a cosplay of the movie." Futaba replied.

"Mech?"

"How about PC?" Yusuke said.

"Yes, because calling her Pokemon Center would be ideal." Takumi said, crossing his arms. It was obvious none of them, except Futaba and Ann got it.

"How about we go literal and call her Goggles?" Morgana asked, causing the girl to look down at him.

"Lame, you've got no taste kitty."

"Haha, in your face!" Ryuji cried.

"How about you suggest something better you fucker?" the cat hissed back, glaring at the boy.

"What about you Ren? Got any good names for her?" Ann asked curiously.

"I got Glasses, Pharaoh, Internet, Ginger..."

"Whoa...those names suck, but that last one is a little racist." Takumi said.

"Well it's a good thing you stopped me from saying the second part of it."

"Just so you know Ren, it takes 25 pounds of pressure at a 45 degree angle to rupture a human testicle. If you were gonna say what I think you were gonna say, then be glad you didn't say it." Futaba said firmly, causing the boy to sweat drop.

"You are all uncreative when it comes to names. I would say Compendium, but I doubt Ryuji could even pronounce it." Mitsuhide said.

"I can too! Comepen...Compa...fuck...give me a minute."

"Oh my god...all of you suck when it comes to names."

"Well then genius, since you came up with such a better name, why don't you suggest it then?" Ryuji cried back. Takumi chuckled, rolling his eyes.

"Oracle."

"Pfft...what? Why would you pick that?"

"Are you...are you serious? Dude, you read comics right? How can you not get the reference?" the boy asked.

"Come on, even I get the reference." Ann said.

"I get the reference...it's just...too many people by that name...yeah that." the blond said.

"Well, for the culturally inept, would you mind sharing with us the origin big bro?" Mitsuhide asked.

"Sure. The reason why I picked the name Oracle is simple. It all ties into one of my favorite series, Batman. Before she was paralyzed, Barbara Gordon helped Batman out as Batgirl. However, the Joker ended up breaking out of jail and going to where she lived, and shot her in the back, paralyzing her from the waist down. She couldn't help Batman out as Batgirl anymore, but she decided to manage his information. She named herself Oracle, not only does the name fit in this scenario, Barbara Gordon and Futaba share a lot of the same traits. Both are very smart, both wear glasses, both are tech savvy, both have orange hair, and both have parents that work for the government and or have some type of background in law enforcement. Oracle fits." he said.

"To add to those points, an oracle is a priest or priestess whom delivers a message from the gods to the sheep of society. Much like we are the sheeps that will follow the information that Futaba will provide us with through Necronomicon." Mitsuhide said. The girl smirked, placing a hand on her glasses.

"Hmm...I quite like the name, not just for the symbolism, but because Batman comics are my favorite...I shall henceforth be known as Oracle. But don't expect me to dress up like Batgirl in the Metaverse."

"Hehe...don't worry, you look cute enough in your techy outfit and goggles. You reminded me a lot of Asui Tsuyu from Boku no Hero Academia, except without the frog quirk." he said, causing the girl to flush.

"To think, you'd be the daughter of a Metaverse researcher...it must be fate that we met like this." Morgana said, causing Takumi to stiffen. Ann noticed this and turned to face him.

"You alright? You tensed up there for a second."

"Huh? I did...I didn't mean too, just...thinking of stuff."

"Stuff...like what?" she asked curiously.

"Like...uh...the fact that the lounge has cake and we're gonna miss it if we don't leave right fuckin now!" the boy exclaimed.

"He's right, we should get going...the last of the sun dipped beneath the waves. We still have to clean up too." Rise reminded, earning nods from the Phantom Thieves.

"First ones to the table don't have to clean!" Takumi exclaimed, breaking into a sprint, running back toward their spot.

"Hey no fair! That's cheating!" Ann cried. Futaba shot past her, easily catching up with the boy.

"Wha...how can you keep up?"

"I may not have that much stamina, but don't underestimate me because I'm little!" she cried. The two of them touched the table at the same time, with the boy pointing his finger at the girl.

"Futaba Sakura, I challenge you to a Xiaolin Showdown! My Orb of Tornami against your Sword of the Storm!"

"I accept your wager, but instead call for Shen Yi Boo dare, in addition, I shall wager my Serpents Tail against your Mantis Flip Coin. The game is clean up, the first person to finish cleaning up will cater to the others whims for the rest of the vacation. And don't worry, I won't make you do things during your Stride thingie."

"Fair enough, let's go!"

" _Xiaolin Showdown!"_

"Oh my god, you fucking nerds!" Ryuji exclaimed at the top of his lungs, which went unnoticed by the two teenagers.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank 10)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 8)**_

 _ **? VIII The Justice(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 4)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 5)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 6)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	49. The Trial Tour Begins

**A/N:**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 49. First off, some news, after this, I only have two chapters left of this story before I put it on Hiatus. Yes, it's sad but I want to take a break and explore other projects for now. I usually end up doing this when I get bored of writing for one particular series for too long. I don't want a repeat of Ever After High, which after 101 chapters straight, I had a complete burn out from the series. I don't want that to happen with Persona. So I am going to take a break on this story for the coming months, and I don't know when I'll continue. Yeah, people will complain, some will say that I start too many stories, but I honestly don't give a shit right now. Writer's Block is hard to deal with, and when you write something for a month or two straight, you'll start to see the fountain slowly start running out until there's only a few drops of water left and the tap is closed. You can't blame me for taking a break, it's been stressful these past three weeks. I haven't written a single thing for any story and honestly this is a dark period for me. I've written and rewritten the Pilot chapter of my League of Legends story five times before deleting it, because I'm not satisfied with how it's turning out.**

 **Recently, I have gotten back into Overwatch, so I might write something for that. Like with League, Overwatch is something I've wanted to write for. Since there is no story for Overwatch, aside from Origin shorts and comics detailing things that have happened, it makes it a bit challenging, but also a bit fun because anything can be done. You can weave your own story from the things that you got and still attempt to make a coherent story. I am a fan of the School Life stories, despite me hating them at one point due to them being common, writing school events is just easy and fun when done correctly. Part of me misses those times in High School when you didn't have to worry about anything, except exams and other things. Now as an adult, it's hard to do anything, because it takes time, money, patience and what not. Life was simpler then, suddenly you find yourself in a different world, so a part of me wants to write that stuff again because I have fond memories of school. Hell, some of the things that characters do in school based stories are directly influenced by what happened to me and my friends in school. It's my time machine, if you will. Sort of like how I always include music in my stories, because music inspires me to write. Hell, my League of Legends story was inspired by a song, The People In The Attic, by Ice Nine Kills, based on the Diary of Anne Frank. Sure, you could say my characters are similar to each other, but that's because in a way, my characters are a part of me, so these are the things I was afraid to do, or wanted to do, written in this form.**

 **Well, enough with the sappy stuff. As I said before, only two chapters remain before the in evitable. Now, I could be a dick, and not post them back to back or wait a couple days, so Chapters 50 and 51 will be a double post which will be done on Saturday. A good way to end the story I say, I made my best effort not to leave it in a cliff hanger, but it might seem that way to some. I will return to the story when I get the Persona juices flowing again, so for now, I have no dedicated stories or series I wanna tackle. I might stick to some One-shots here and there. Someone asked me to write another story for Panty And Stocking, which I might do, and I've been considering reworking my RWBY story and picking it back up again. There's also Arpeggio of Blue Steel, which I've been meaning to rewrite for awhile. So while I'm not certain of what I'll be writing, just know that it'll be good, maybe? I'll let you be the judge of that. Well, see you all when I see you! I hope you like this chapter. Don't let memes be dreams!**

 **Ah yes, I might do something special on the 20th, since it is in fact my Birthday, I'll be turning 23 years old, and I don't wanna just drink all day with friends or whatever. So if anything, I'll probably have some news on that day, and if I post anything new, you'll know if I'll do anything important, because I'll let you all know on that day. So yeah...Bye-yonara for now!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 49

The Trial Tour Begins

 _ **Date: Monday August 22**_ _ **nd**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Miura Beach**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Prepare for the Miura Beach Trial Tour**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

It was Monday morning, and after two days of enjoying their vacation, Takumi knew that it was time to buckle down and practice for the Trials. The first trial was going to start at 9am on Wednesday the 24th of August. So he and his teammates needed to be in top form for that tourney. He had already seen other Stride teams beginning to arrive, having taken time to practice around the area and the natural obstacles. The Japanese Stride Association, or JSA as it was more commonly known, had closed off an entire section of Miura City, for the Stride teams to practice and get a feel for the terrain. The official course hadn't been set yet, making it a lot harder for everyone to figure out exactly where they would be practicing and where the actual course would run through.

Takumi was waiting for Toni to arrive, along with Ayumi. With him was Ren and his mother Erica who was now known as the official coach for their Stride team. Normally, it would have to be a school teacher if they were representing a school, but Shujin Academy had allowed it for some reason or another. Probably because they thought it would be good publicity for the school after the Kamoshida incident. Takumi had been busy doing sprints, being coached by Ryuji who was a master of them, while also following some of the advice that Ren was giving him. They had both taken some protein shakes earlier, to aid in their run for the day. Aside from them, Ann and Mitsuhide had decided to join them, mostly for moral support. Makoto was nearby reading the official rule book to get used to her role as the Relationer. She wanted to know the terms she'd need as well as time tables and everything else. Takumi stopped after a few minutes, using his towel to wipe some sweat away.

"You did good Takumi, your timing is perfect. You were able to do three laps in under twenty seconds. Of course Stride is much simpler than that, you'll be running a set distance mostly in a straight line. Depending on what position you take that is. Just hope you don't get stuck with Slopes, those aren't fun for anyone." Ryuji said.

"Honestly, I'd rather do slopes than corners...I don't think I could handle those, or gimmicks." Ren said, panting a bit.

"I know a bit of parkour, but not enough to handle the gimmicks. Ren, I think you'll be our starter, you can go from zero to full speed rather fast. I can handle corners and slopes. I think Toni should handle gimmicks, leaving Ayumi as our anchor." Takumi said.

"Takumi, I think you should be the anchor. I've been analyzing some videos of last years tournaments. The anchor position doesn't have many slopes, corners or gimmicks, it's usually a straight line. You are pretty fast, and it would be beneficial if you were the anchor. You wouldn't have to worry abut anything but the finish line. In turn, Ayumi is better suited for gimmicks, due to her abilities as a cheerleader."

"Makoto-chan is right. Big sister has lithe movements, and is able to transition between running and flips with ease. Not to mention every trick she does is ten points toward the overall score. Remember, time isn't the only thing that counts toward an excellent score." Mitsuhide said added.

"Mhmm, the rule book said, flips get ten points, vaults get fifteen points, and free style tricks get five points. You can also run off course, just as long as you are still behind the iron gates set around the course." Ann said, earning a nod from the two boys.

"Hmm...I feel like we should focus on relations today. The take over areas are usually blind spots, and it's possible for racers to crash into each other. You only have about twenty meters of distance to make the relation, so you have to do it at the right time."

"That's right, the last thing we want is to slam into anyone else. I'm pretty sure all of us can handle running just fine. We should find a spot where we can practice on, too bad there isn't a park around here with a trail...that would definitely help us." Ren said.

"Actually, a blind spot isn't hard to find. This entire area was closed off for practice, all we have to do is find an open street. One person will be running down straight, the other person will run up another street, they'll both meet at an intersection and run in the same direction for twenty meters and successfully pass the baton. It would be good practice for Makoto as well, since she has to make sure she knows how long it takes for all of us to hit top speed." Takumi said.

"Not a bad idea, I can Google a map for us to use!" Ann said cheerfully, reaching into her back pocket for her phone.

"Guys, we're back! Check out what we got!" Ayumi cried, coming to a stop before the others, box in hand. Erica and Toni arrived shortly after, with Erica looking a bit winded.

"I told you not to run off like that." she scolded, earning a blush from her daughter.

"What did you get sis? You seem rather excited." Takumi said. Toni smirked, opening the box, pulling out an article of clothing.

"Ta-da! Team Uniforms! I designed these weeks ago for our team, and I got them last week. We needed a sponsor and Erica was kind enough to not only be our coach but sponsor us as well! Not just that, I managed to get us a sponsor from the company that makes CherryMizu!" Toni said, holding the jacket.

It was a light track jacket it, with long sleeves. It was a monochrome jacket, the top left being black, and the bottom right being white. The left sleeve was black and the right sleeve was white, it also had a high collar, also being black and white. On the left breast was the crest of Shujin Academy. Sown to the left arm was a patch of Nuka Cola, the creators of CherryMizu. There was also a new patch that looked like it had been recently sown in. It was the one that said the name of Erica's shop, Erica's Music Emporium, the name being written on a rainbow with golden letters, and a saxophone being behind it. On the back of the jacket, right across the shoulders was the bold letters spelling the name Shujin Academy Stride Team on it, in white.

"These look legit, I like the design." Takumi said, grabbing a hold of the jacket. Toni flushed, showing him a spot on the collar where his name had been embroidered in golden thread.

"I designed this one specially for you. I sowed your name into it myself, it took awhile, but I finally got it right." she said lovingly.

"Well, I appreciate it, thanks. You did awesome work."

"There's one more patch I gotta sow on, you got a last minute sponsorship. The patches won't get made until tomorrow, so for now just break these in. There are shorts and long pants if you want them, the JSA said regular jeans work, but it would be easier to move in a track suit." Erica said.

"I agree with Erica, you want maximum movement in this. The last thing you wanna focus on mid sprint is the fact your underwear is up your ass." Ryuji said, earning a chuckle from Ren.

"Somehow I feel like you said that from personal experience."

"Y-yeah...it is."

"No wonder you had that awkward look running last year. I always wondered what the hell was wrong with you mid race." Ann said, earning a huff from the boy. Erica shrugged off the satchel she had been carrying, unzipping it. She pulled out tablet, handing it to Makoto.

"This was issued to the team by the JSA. It contains all of the information, charts, time tables and everything else you'll need. Including your headset, you'll be the one in charge of telling the racers when to start. You all get headsets too." she said, passing out the Bluetooth devices to the four racers.

"I remember these, you have to pair them with your smart watches, that's what will connect us to Makoto. Don't worry Ren, I managed to buy you one last minute. We'll be just fine." Toni said, handing the boy the watch with the red wrist straps. Takumi took off his hooded jacket, handing it to Ann while he slipped on his new jacket, zipping it up halfway.

"Oh yeah, this feels nice. Now I feel like I'm part of the club!"

"Dude, you should totally make this official when we get back to school. Stride is only seasonal, it starts in the spring and runs throughout the summer. It would be awesome to see something like this at the school." Ryuji said.

"Not a bad idea, it might give us all another chance to be together. Of course Yusuke and Futaba can't be with us. I can definitely make time for club activities. However if this does become an actual club, I won't be able to stick around after graduation." Makoto said.

"Ah that's right, you're a third year...that sucks. I wanted Makoto-Senpai to stay with us!" Ayumi said sadly.

"Hey it's alright...I'm sure we'll find another relationer at some point. Besides, you have to focus on Cheerleading too, we'll have to figure out club meetings so they don't interfere with that. Now, since Ann and Ryuji are helping us, you two get jackets. But if you are interested in joining, then I expect you to sign up when school starts. We could use two more runners on the team." Toni said, handing the two of them a couple of jackets. Ryuji quickly slipped his on, leaving it unzipped.

"You know...I might just take you up on that offer. Too bad it's a bit late for me to join you. If it wasn't for this damn leg pain, I'd definitely jump in on this."

"Me too, I just don't have any actual training on parkour and stuff. The preliminary rounds aren't until September 9th right? I think that's enough time for me to get some practice in before the next round. The rules say you can add or substitute members any time you want." Ann said.

"That is true...ah...except you won't be able to get any practice in. Remember, September 7th is the school trip, so we won't even be in Tokyo to practice. We won't be back until the 12th, and right after is the preliminary rounds." Ryuji said.

"Not to worry, I'll be chaperoning the class trip for the second year students. Ren, Takumi and Ann can practice during the trip, even three hours of practice is better than nothing. Ayumi and Toni will have to practice here in the mean time. Is that reasonable?" Makoto asked.

"Yeah, that works perfectly. First years don't get to go on school trips, we'll watch Mitsuhide too, since she'll be in our class." Ayumi said, patting her sister's head. She groaned, brushing some of her hair out of her eyes, trying to remain focused on her book.

"Alright, then let's start practicing! We need to work on relations for right now, I know there are other teams out there. But let's not let them show us up, Shujin Stride is going to win it all!" Toni said cheerfully.

"Right!" everyone cried happily.

It didn't take them long to find a suitable place for them to practice. It was a street that ran alongside the beach. There were a few other participants walking around, watching the competition, but that didn't seem to bother them at all. It had been difficult to set a pace first, but once Makoto had started getting the hang of it, their timing had improved. After Ren and Ayumi had gotten tired from their practicing, Takumi and Toni had decided to step up. He was kneeling down on the ground, in a starting stance waiting for Makoto to give him the call. She was standing at the end of the street, about a hundred meters out where she could see the take over zone they had marked. He closed his eyes, focusing on his heart beating for a few seconds.

" _Alright Takumi, get ready...I'm about to start."_

"Got it, just tell me when." the boy replied. A few seconds passed with nothing but silence.

" _Go!"_

Takumi sprung forward, keeping his eyes focused straight ahead as he ran. It didn't take him long to make it to top speed, he was quickly approaching the intersection, seeing Toni running down the opposite street. She slid into the turn quickly matching his pace, holding her hand out to him. He did the same, clapping it with his own, feeling her pushing him forward. Having made the transition, he continued running ahead, speeding up as much as he could. He continued running straight, shooting past Erica, Ann and Ryuji who had been acting as the finish line. He slowed to a stop, panting a bit for breath.

"How...was...that?" he asked. Makoto quickly caught up to them, showing them her tablet.

"The relation was perfect! You ran two hundred meters in only ten seconds, and finished this leg in about forty-five." she said.

"That was awesome, you didn't lose momentum at all. It wasn't hard to catch up to you." Toni said happily.

"I'm glad, wanna practice it some more?" he asked.

"Sure, but we can't focus on relations all the time. We gotta focus on Gimmicks too, Ayumi you need to practice on slopes and corners, and Ren needs to practice getting to top speed in only a few seconds. Remember, you'll be handling the first relay of the race before passing it onto Ayumi." Toni said, earning a nod from the boy.

"Honey, do you think you can actually handle this? You'll be doing two relays, slopes and corners. Are you sure you don't want Ren to take one of those relays from you?" Erica asked.

"I know you're concerned mom, but I can handle it just fine. We don't have any other runners on this team, and Toni is counting on me to help her. She's been talking about this for the last couple of years, and I'm not gonna let her down." Ayumi said firmly.

"Don't worry, we'll make sure Ann is able to run in time for the preliminary rounds. That way we'll have a full team of runners and everyone will get to play their part right. Still, it's gonna be a mental game, September is the hottest month of the year, and who knows what courses we're bound to face." Makoto said.

"Ah...don't say that! You're gonna put them off, these guys got it. They've been training hard for awhile, so I know they'll do it." Ryuji said.

"Come on! Let's keep practicing, I got all this energy that I gotta burn through!"

"That transition was surprising, I was half expecting you to fall flat on your face. But color me surprised." a familiar voice said. Toni whirled around, seeing the grin on Kashou's face. She growled angrily, balling her fist tightly.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"Same thing you're doing. Don't you see the jacket?" he asked, pointing to his jacket.

Unlike theirs, Kashou's jacket was a bright chartruse, the top part of the shoulders being black in color. The collar was folded down, and had a golden pin marking him as a 2nd year student. The bottom half of the jacket was bright chartreuse, and had blocky white letters spelling the name Okumura Foods on it, in a cursive font. The symbol of Big Bang Burger was patched onto the sleeve. It also had the crest of Saisei High School on the left breast. The young man was wearing a pair of black running shorts along with white and chartreuse running shoes.

"You came to gloat? If that's the case then you can fuck right off." Toni said, crossing her arms once she was done staring at the Okumura Foods Logo printed on his jacket.

"I was expecting only two people to be in this Stride team, but color me surprise when I found this many. Look at that, you don't even have a big time sponsor. That's so sad, representing the school that's had so many scandals surrounding it this year. I heard some bitch jumped off the school roof, probably couldn't take how shitty that academy is."

"Hey asshole, why don't you watch your fucking mouth, before I punch you in the lips." Takumi snapped angrily. Ann was glaring at the boy, who just shook his head.

"Ah...you're that loser that was with her in Sunshine city. Of course you'd take pity on her, that's why you joined her team right? All of you look like losers, being lead by the biggest one of them all. Try not to bust a knee again Kotone, it might cost you the championship...actually, feel free to break that knee. As long as we win, we'll be squared."

"I don't know who you are young man, but I'm sure this is unsportsmanlike behavior. If you have issues with this team, then settle it during the competition, but don't come over here and distract us while we're training." Erica said firmly, glaring at the boy.

"Who the hell are you? They're coach? You don't look like much."

"Kashou seriously, get the fuck out of here. We're not impeding your team from practicing, so just leave!" Toni snapped angrily.

"Well...I don't really have to leave. The JSA sanctioned this entire area for practice, what if I want my team to practice here?"

"Dude, did you not understand what the lady asked? Or are you looking for an ass-whopping?" Ryuji cried angrily, sizing the boy up.

"What, you gonna hit me Spiky? Go for it, but I'll have you know, I'm a brown belt in Karate. I can drop you to the ground before you can even blink."

"Tch...let's get out of here...it's not worth giving this asshat the time of day." Toni said, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder as she walked.

"But Toni, we were here first? It's clear this guy just wants to rile you up. Let's just ignore him and continue our practice."

"Takumi please, we gotta find an area with slopes anyway. Let's just go, we're wasting daylight!" she cried back, not bothering to stop. Takumi sighed, grabbing his backpack from the ground, following after the girl.

"Break a leg, literally!"

"You know...it's people like you that ruin our world." Ren said, shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked, making sure Morgana could breathe from inside his bag.

"God what a piece of shit, who the hell is that guy anyway?" Ryuji snapped, once they had gotten to a new spot. Toni sighed, sitting down on the guard rail, placing her hands on her knees.

"He was my cousins friend. We used to be in Saitama Junior High's Stride Team. My cousin was the leader of the club, but when my aunt, his mother, died, he ended up moving to Okinawa. We had no one else to substitute him and I took his place. I wanted to win for my team so badly, that I went off course and broke my knee. Ever since then, Kashou has been blaming me for losing End of Summer. Every year, he calls me to remind me of my fuck up. He even visited me in the hospital while I was recovering to tell me I was out of the team and that he hoped I would never run again." the girl replied.

"Oh sweetie, I didn't know it was that serious." Erica said, hugging the girl tightly.

"Thanks for the hug Erica, I really appreciate it. I've been alone for far too long, I know I've made it mostly about myself. But really, I want us to win, not just to rub it in Kashou's face, but to represent our school. Despite the rumors, Shujin is an awesome school, I got to meet so many people and I have so many friends now. I don't want to let them down." Toni said.

"And you aren't, we're gonna win End of Summer, just you watch! So come on, let's get back to it and train like no tomorrow!" Takumi cried.

"Hell yeah, even I'm motivated! Come on Ann, let's go for a jog...maybe if we get you trained enough, you'll make the trials on Wednesday!" Ryuji said.

"Alright then, you're on!" the blonde model cried, an eager look on her face. The two of them ran off, surprisingly enough keeping pace with each other. It wasn't long before Ayumi and Toni joined in while, Makoto monitored their time.

"We should follow their example." Takumi said, earning a nod from Ren.

"You know...you've changed a lot since we've met. You used to be a bit reclusive, but now look at you. Fighting for what you believe is right, helping those around you, you even managed to get yourself a cute girlfriend. I'm proud of you Takumi."

"Thanks Ren, but I owe all of that to the Phantom Thieves. There's still a lot of work that needs to be done. There's plenty of shitty adults that need to confess their sins, and I'm going to make them confess. Every single thing they've done, and then some. If it wasn't because you took me to the Metaverse, I wouldn't awoken to the Phantom. I probably wouldn't one of you, hell I wouldn't have Ann by my side either. So honestly...thank you." he said cheerfully.

" _I am Thou, Thou Art I..._

 _Thou has turned a_ _ **Vow**_ _into a_ _ **Blood Oath**_

 _It shall become the_ _ **Wings of Rebellion**_ _that_ _ **breaketh**_ _the Yoke of thy Heart_

 _With the_ _ **Restored**_ _Bond of the_ _ **Fool**_ _ **Arcana**_ _, I will unleash it's Ultimate Power..._

"Whoa...I just felt something weird in my heart bro. I guess even now I'm still learning huh? I know we still got a long way to go as Phantom Thieves, so if you ever need any help with anything, you know where I'll be. I'll snipe anyone in our way."

"Thanks Takumi, I knew I made the right choice when I let you into the crew." Ren said.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Wednesday August 24**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Miura Beach**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Pass the Miura Trials**_

 _ **xxx**_

" _ **Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen to the fifth annual End of Summer Qualifiers! It has been five long years since the first Stride competition was held, and boy has it gotten popular. This year we'll be hosting our trial here in the beautiful Miura Beach, where all participants get to stay and relax, compliments of the Miura Beach Resort!**_

 _ **The competition this year is tough, as 64 Stride Teams all complete for a slot at the real competition, the End of Summer Tour. All of them come from various parts of Japan, from the distant Hokkaido, to the nearby Tokyo and everywhere in between. Let's see if they all have what it takes to defeat their opponents. As this qualifier will be tough. At the end of the day, only eight Stride Teams will move on to the Preliminary Rounds on September 2**_ _ **nd**_ _ **.**_

 _ **Already, 17 teams have been disqualified from the tourney for poor sportsmanship, others have had their time knocked out by other better teams. The first two slots have already been filled, by Kakyoin High School and Seven Sisters High School have taken the eighth and seven spots respectively, of course if another school comes in with a faster time than those two, they will instantly shoot to sixth place.**_

 _ **We now tune into the school that's on deck. A private academy from Aoyama-Itchome, and first time Stride contestants, we welcome Shujin Academy!"**_ the announcer cried.

Takumi smiled brightly as he waved at the camera. Several drones had been placed over the course, taking live feed of all of the racers. Four different screens were present, showing the rest of his team members, along with Makoto who was their relationer. Since this race was just a time trial to place in the actual tournament, they weren't going to be racing against a rival school, but seeing two schools had already taken two slots already made him worry. He turned into the nearby monitor after he finished limbering up, seeing the look on Ren's face.

" _ **Alright then, let us begin by naming all of the racers for this team. They will be participating without a full roster, as they are missing a racer. That means one of them will have to take two legs of the race, something that may very well cost them some extra time. The first runner is a young man, a second year of Shujin Academy, Ren Amamiya. We have been monitoring the teams practicing during this last week, and this young man has left us all astonished with how fast he truly is. It's as if he does this for fun rather than as a sport!**_

 _ **Next in line as a first year, a young woman by the name of Ayumi Isoshima. She happens to be a cheerleader for Shujin Academy, she is also in cooking club, sowing club and even ran for Student Council Secretary once. She's quite the active girl, she seems pumped from all of those flips she's doing."**_

"Hehe...leave to you to show off Ayumi." the boy said, focusing on his sister's tricks and splits.

" _ **Next up is a young woman who is actually familiar to Stride. She used to be on the Stride team that belonged to Saitama Junior High School. Her last competition was back when she was twelve years old, she suffered a terrible knee injury that put her out of commission for awhile. Another first year and fellow cheerleader to Ayumi, it's Kotone Otonashi! Her previous teammates included her cousin, as well as most of the Saisei High School Stride Team."**_

" _ **Last but not least is the anchor for this team. Young man known all throughout Japan for his acting, his starting roles in sitcoms made him a popular child actor, but it was his main role in Mayonaka that shot him into stardom. Let us welcome Takumi Mashita, younger brother of Kanamin onto the course! Finally, we introduce the brains of this group, the young woman who's acting as their relationer, Makoto Nijima, Student Body President of Shujin's Student Council. She is also the daughter of a famous Police Officer who tragically lost his life several years ago. She's a third year student, thought to be quite studious. Let us see how this team of five manages to handle our course!"**_ the announcer said.

Takumi sighed, closing his eyes as he flicked his headset on. He glanced at the screens, seeing the rest of his teammates.

"Guys are you ready for this? We've been training hard so we can't lose sight of our goal!"

" _Duh, you have no idea how long I've been training for this. I'm not failing now, even if I have to drag myself to your relay."_ Toni said.

" _Don't worry, under Makoto's direction, we'll successfully win this race."_ Ren reassured, earning a giggle from Makoto.

" _That's right, so let us all do our best. It's almost time to start, remember Ren, you'll go when the starting gun is fired. Ayumi, Toni, Takumi, make sure you pay close attention to everything, your watches will tell you the time. Let's get to the goal in under four minutes and thirty seconds, understood?"_

"Yes!" they all cried.

" _ **It looks like the team is ready to go. And with the starting gun, we will start this race!"**_ the announcer cried. The ref fired his pistol, causing Ren to shoot forward as fast as he could.

Takumi kept his eyes on the monitor, watching his friend sprinting up the street, quickly turning into a corner. He turned out the announcer, just focusing on his friend and how he was doing. He vaulted over some hurdles that had been placed in his way, not at all loosing momentum. Takumi glanced at his watch, narrowing his eyes a bit.

"29 seconds, he's doing pretty well." he muttered.

" _ **Ren is doing amazingly well, he's already nearing the end of his relay. Let us tune into Ayumi Isoshima, who is preparing for her turn."**_ the announcer said, the camera shifted to Ayumi, who was already in place.

" _Alright Ayumi, Ren is doing great, thirty five seconds are you ready?"_ Makoto asked.

" _I am."_

" _Okay...on your mark...get set...GO!"_

" _ **And she's off! She's just as fast if not faster than Ren, she's going to be running right through Miura Station for her relay. This young woman is rather unlucky, she's gonna have to handle to relays in a row in order for her team to have a shot at placing in the tournament. Here comes the take over zone! Can they make it?"**_

Takumi bit his lip, watching intently as Ayumi shot into the train station, through the main entrance. Just as she did, Ren raced through one of the subway tunnels, which had been cleared for the competition. He jumped up onto the platform and up the stairs, through the open turn stiles, vaulting over them with ease. He shot into a corner just as Ayumi turned into it. She gave the boy a wink, holding her hand out to him, and with a loud clap, Ren ended his relay, pushing the violet haired girl forward.

" _ **A successful relation! Ren did amazing, finishing his relay in 58 seconds! Now it's up to Ayumi to reach her friend and team member Kotone on Miura Avenue."**_

Takumi could see the strain on his sister's face already. She had been easily running through each corner, and racing up sets of stairs. She slid almost to a stop before running straight and out of the train station, right into a set of stairs. She easily ran down the side wall, dropping into a roll before continuing up the street, running right through a fountain, water splashing all around her.

" _ **She's doing a great job. She's about to pass the take over zone, this is where she'd trade off with another teammate, but as they lack one, she'll keep going. Let's see if she can endure the strain!"**_

"You're doing great Ayumi, a minute forty-five, get to Toni by two twenty-five and we got this!" Takumi cried cheerfully.

" _I...got...it!"_ the girl wheezed, finishing her first relay. Rather than slow down, she speed up, turning into another street. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw some of the gimmicks placed in front of her, but still she kept going.

" _ **She's going up the warped wall. A familiar staple in the famous Ninja Warrior Games. This street is going to be lined with obstacles, but since Ayumi is a cheerleader, she should be lithe enough to handle it all. Look at that Side Vault, she successfully cleared the moving logs!"**_ the announcer cried, the screen showed an instant replay of Ayumi easily vaulting over the log.

" _She's beginning to wear down, she has three hundred meters before the Take over zone. Toni, she's behind two seconds, can you make them up?"_ Makoto asked.

" _I can do it, trust me...just tell me when."_ the young woman said, already getting into place.

Takumi checked his watch, seeing the time has passed the two minute, thirty second mark. He grit his teeth, holding his hands tightly in prayer as he saw his sister clear the last obstacle. It was clear that she was tired, but she wasn't giving up. She turned down the opposite street, seeing a downward slope before her, leading right into the Take over zone.

" _ **Is this it? Ayumi looks ready to drop, but the take over zone is five hundred meters away, does she have enough stamina to make it there?"**_ the announcer cried. Ayumi let out a scream of anger, quickening her pace as she ran down the slope.

"Come on sis, you can do it!" Takumi cried out. Hearing his voice, the girl put in the last bit of energy she had, approaching the take over zone. Takumi hadn't even been paying attention, seeing a blur zoom into the screen, which was revealed to be Toni, she easily made it into the Take Over Zone. Ayumi tiredly held her hand out, slapping it with Toni who shot forward, disappearing up the street.

" _ **She made it! Ayumi Isoshima made it through two legs of this race, the poor girl is tired, someone get her some water, she deserves it!"**_

Toni was grinning brightly as she ran, having gone off the street and through a nearby park. Takumi glanced at the map on screen showing the position of all the relays, seeing that the girl was running straight toward him. His eyes widened a bit in shock.

 _ **Toni seems to have gone off road, but she isn't out of bounds. It seems she's trying to recover the lost seconds from her friend! She's back on the road going down South Central Miura Boulevard, and she's not stopping yet! Look at her handle those hurdles, it's like they don't even stand a chance before this girl!"**_

" _Takumi, get ready."_ Makoto said, causing the boy to get into position. He briefly looked at his watch, seeing it had only been three minutes and thirty-five seconds.

"Makoto, tell me if she's ahead or not."

" _She's doing good time, you'll have plenty to work with. Just focus on reaching the finish line, got it? She's almost to the take over...get ready."_

The boy got into position, a smile on his face, eyes trained on the road ahead of him.

" _Get set...go!"_

He took a deep breath, breaking into a run up the street. He chuckled as he ran, focusing on all of the running he had done up to that point. Not just outside but also in the Metaverse. He had the stamina, and he knew he was going to make it. He could feel the Phantom giving him a bit of extra energy, and he wasn't going to let it go to waste. He turned into the next street, continuing his pace as he made it to the take over zone. He heard heavy footsteps behind him and glanced over his shoulder, seeing Toni sliding almost to a stop. She quickly shortened the distance, holding her hand out.

"You better make it."

"I will, promise." he said, giving her a wink. They clapped hands causing him to speed up. It was as if Toni had shared the last of her strength with him.

He ran straight through a parking garage, sliding over the hood of a parked car. As he continued to run, he made it out of the garage and took a sharp left turn down a hill, before turning right down another street. He glanced at his map, seeing the finish line was a straight path ahead, but the arrow was pointing him to the street. There was a large iron fence barring him from what looked to be a public pool. Since it wasn't out of bounds, he was going straight for it.

" _ **It looks like Takumi is going to shorten the distance himself. This is where his superior parkour skills will be put to the test. We know he's an actor, but is he also a sporty type too? Can he act his way out of this one?"**_

"God that guy is annoying." the boy thought as he made it to the fence. He quickly jumped, grabbing onto the top of it before vaulting over the top. He ran across the empty pool, easily climbing over the edge of it, jumping over the other fence. He landed on the street, rolling into another sprint. He continued ducking and weaving through alleyways, finding the main road. He quickly turned down it and continued running, using the last of the stamina he had to make it to the finish line. He let out a growl as he jumped for the tape, breaking it with his body. The horn blew loudly, ending the time.

"He's made it! Takumi Mashita made it to the finish line, Shujin Academy Stride has bested Seven Sisters High School and their record of four minutes, forty-five seconds with a time of four minutes and twenty seconds! That might be a record, that puts them on the board in sixth place! Only five more slots remain open for this years End of Summer Tournament! Let's do a replay of their race, because it was absolutely amazing!" the announcer shouted.

"You did it! Holy shit you did it!" Toni cried, jumping into Takumi's arms, much to his surprise. He was too tired to complain, and just hugged her back, a grin on his face.

"How did you get here so fast? You looked dead tired!"

"Ah...it was nothing, just a few seconds of rest and some water and I was gearing to go. It's Ayumi who's the most tired of us." the girl said, pointing to her best friend, who was still a bit winded, her face covered in sweat. Ren had his arm around her waist, keeping her upright.

"I'm alright...my legs are all tingly though." the girl said.

"Hey guys, good job all of you! You had me on the edge of my seat!" Erica cried, having arrived with several bottles of water. Ryuji and Ann were standing beside her, along with Makoto who had a smile on her face.

"You guys did great, the aim was 4:25, but here you are bringing us 4:20 instead. You did good cutting across that pool." Makoto said.

"Well, you know what they say...Smoke Weed Every Day!" the boy replied, causing Ren and Toni to start laughing. Erica sighed, spraying some water on her son's face.

"Hey now, let's not start that. Let's just continue watching the other schools, you've already taken the sixth spot, but it will be good to watch the tournament so you can see the competition. I hear Saisei High School is up next." she said. Toni visibly stiffened, bowing her head a bit.

"I'm gonna head back to the hotel and take a shower. I don't want to see them run." she said.

"But Toni, wouldn't it be good to see how they do?" Ayumi asked.

"We both know they're going to make it onto the final eight teams. We made it so there's no need to stick around. It's much better to focus on our team instead of the competition, that way when End of Summer truly starts, we'll be able to crush them with ease." she said cheerfully.

"I agree with her, it's much better to better ourselves instead of worry about the competition. Worrying will only harm us more in the end, so how about you all head back to the hotel for a shower? You're all covered in sweat." Makoto advised, earning a nod from Takumi.

"I could definitely use a cold shower to cool off, thank god for antiperspirants."

"Hey Takumi, is it alright if I shower with you? You don't have to open your eyes, I just want to see your body all covered in soap." Toni said, a flush on her cheeks.

"Ahem...I'm right here." Ann said.

"You can join too Anna! I don't mind, you know I've got a thing for girls too, how about it Takumi? Two big breasted hotties covered in sweat and suds? Washing your back and lathering up you..."

The girl stopped mid sentence as Takumi smacked her with a piece of rolled up paper. Everyone just stared awkwardly, wondering where he had even gotten it. She glared at the boy, cheeks puffed in annoyance.

"Why won't you love me?!"

"Because I have a girlfriend! Not stop insisting this you damn horny pervert!" he cried back. Toni giggled, taking a hold of his hand.

"You love me anyway, come on let's at least walk to the hotel together. Don't bother letting go, I'll never let go." she said, having already slipped her fingers through his. The boy looked at Ann who just sighed giving him a nod.

"Alright fine...we'll walk to the hotel, but we're showering alone. Got it?" he asked, getting a grin from the girl.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Thursday August 25**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Miura Beach**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny (Heatwave)**_

 _ **xxx**_

The Stride Trial Tour was still ongoing, three more slots were left for the Preliminary Rounds that would start September 2nd. Since Shujin Academy already had their spot, the team decided not to worry. Instead, everyone decided to just enjoy their time at the beach. Ren, Ryuji and Yusuke were out trying to talk to some of the girls on the beach, hoping to get a number or two, but were failing horribly. Alex had been taking calls from various colleges in the area, he still wanted to be in Law school but had decided to keep his options open. Rise was hiding, apparently a fan had recognized her the day before, so she had been locked in her hotel suite for the entire day, Ann and Makoto had decided to keep her company. That left his mother, Ayumi and Toni, who was taking a walk around the beach. Takumi himself was out at their previous spot, keeping Yukiko and Futaba company. The orange haired girl was busy building a sand castle, while Morgana lazed about on a towel, hiding in the shade of their parasol.

"This is nice, while I do miss my family back in Inaba, I wouldn't get to laze about at such a beautiful beach with my friends if I was home."

"What made you want to leave?" Morgana asked curiously, causing the raven haired beauty to look down at him. She set her book aside, sitting up in her chair.

"Well...I guess that ties into my life in Inaba. My entire life, I was taught everything I needed to know about the Inn. We come from a traditional family, so running the inn was just part of our family. I felt so trapped, I just wished some handsome prince would just whisk me away. So I hid behind a mask, telling my friends that everything was fine, when in fact I wasn't. I wanted to be free, to get away from Inaba."

"You felt like a bird in a cage then?" Takumi asked, passing the shovel and pail to Futaba, who was giggling to herself, her focus on the sand castle she was making.

"Yes, I did. I always thought that the only way I would leave Inaba, would be with someone I loved. I was too scared to leave myself. There was this one time, I rescued an injured baby bird and nursed it back to health. Every day, I would feed it, and take care of it...we were the same, two birds in a cage. Except one day, I forgot to close the latch, and the bird flew away."

"That's a horrible metaphor...a bird in a cage breaking out and being free. While the owner of said bird is still trapped in her own cage...I suppose I understand how you got a persona now." Morgana said.

"You faced that part of yourself in Mayonaka didn't you? That shadow manifested in that world, and you had no choice but to fight it, head on. When you finally accepted that part of you, you felt horrible...you felt like you were weak for wanting to leave Inaba. But that wasn't the case either, facing that side of you made you strong. That was what manifested Konohana-Sakuya right?"

"That's right Takumi...Konohana-Sakuya finally allowed me to be free. I still chose to stay at home, but I told my parents about it, and they were alright with me leaving. That's why I decided to stick by Alex's side while he's in college. He can't live on his own, especially with his choice to be a lawyer, he needs someone there. To help him pick up after himself, to cook and clean for him."

"You're amazing Yukiko. You are one of the kindest women I have ever met in my life. It's too bad Lady Ann has already stolen my heart." Morgana said.

"Yeah, and Takumi stole hers." Futaba added, causing Takumi to burst into chuckles.

"You remind me a lot of one our friends Morgana. He's the manager of Junes in Inaba now, but maybe one day we can introduce you two. We'll have to get him to the Metaverse first so he can understand you. Still, it's so odd how someone like you can fight and have a Persona in that world."

"We have a theory, Morgana here is a human stuck in cat form. He's missing his memories, but by going to the depths of Mementos, we hope he recovers what he's lost. Thing is, Mementos is sanctioned off, several parts won't open until the corresponding palaces are open. Usually, we gather up a bunch of requests and handle them all while exploring the new area. Two stones with one bird." Takumi said.

"Uh...I think you got your sayings mixed up." Futaba said, pointing at the boy with her shovel.

"Eh...I like to mix things up sometimes."

"Still...knowing that there's another group out there, continuing something we used to do. It's amazing...knowing there's someone out there dishing well deserved justice on those who take advantage of people. If there's anything I want in this world, is for evil people to get their comeuppance."

"Ah. So you're one of those Justice nuts? We know someone like that." Morgana said, earning a giggle from Yukiko.

"I wouldn't say I'm a _nut_ or anything...we saw people die back in Inaba. Not just that, one of our close friends, a little girl who was only eight at the time, almost lost her life because of that criminal. Sure, it was all part of some plot to flood the world with shadows. But knowing there's someone out there, abusing the Metaverse to kill people...it makes me want to find the truth behind it. Why Futaba's mom was killed, who's behind it...I want them all to pay for their crimes. Because innocent lives are at stake."

"I get how you feel, there's nothing more that I want than making those guys pay. That's why I'm a Phantom Thief now, stealing hearts don't matter, what matters to me, is finding the truth." Futaba said, sweeping some hair behind her head.

"We could use someone like you in our group Yukiko. If you're gonna stick around Tokyo, then it would be good to have you as a mentor. We're all pretty self taught, but you're a veteran Shadow Slayer, what do you say?" Morgana asked, a hopeful look on his face.

"Hehe...if you'd like me to join you as a temporary member, I wouldn't mind. Shame that Rise can't join us, since she's coming out of hiatus soon. I know exactly how this works, I can't exactly forge a contract with Ren, but I can at least forge one with you, Takumi."

"Huh...what are you talking about?" the boy asked curiously.

"Ren isn't the only person who can use multiple personas. Our friend Yu Narukami, Rise's former boyfriend, has the same ability. There was another person too, but he had to sacrifice his own life to save the world."

"Wait...you're saying this isn't the first time something like this has happened. Someone before us had to fight shadows?" Takumi asked.

"This is very interesting...I knew there was a possibility of there being other persona users, and seeing Yukiko and Rise confirmed it. But to know that there's someone out there with the same power as Ren...this is all very intriguing. But what is this contract you are talking about?" Morgana asked.

"It's like this...Yu explained to me, that he got his power from his friends. Each of his personas relied on our innate bonds with him. Each of us were assigned an Arcana, I was his Priestess. Since Ren has a Priestess, I thought I would be yours. However, it seems Makoto has filled that role. I could sense that power within her, same as mine."

"Interesting...you know, Ann said something weird to me last night, she said that she felt the same weird power whenever she was near Rise. Does that mean both of them are part of the Lovers arcana?"

"Who knows...this is all speculation...I know Ren told me that his bonds with everyone are important. That he wants to be as close as he can with all of us. He said that we're his strength, which is why he cares about us so much. He hates when the world kicks us down, so he feels the need to help us get up and fight." Morgana said.

"I get it...that's what that man meant...make true friends out of your confidants, not superficial relationships." Takumi muttered.

"Huh...who said what?" Yukiko asked. He shook his head, giving her a smile.

"If you'd like to help me, then I'd appreciate it...I aside from the Phantom Thieves, I don't have many friends. It would be cool to have you helping us Yukiko, you could be like our big sis, and you've got experience. You and Ann make the sickest combination out there, true Benders of Fire."

"Alright, then allow me to help you...together we'll seek justice for those who have been wronged before. We will find the truth behind this matter no matter what, so that people like Shimizu don't ever get to do the sick shit he did." she said, holding her hand out. He did the same, shaking it firmly.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Justice** _Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Justice)xxx**_

"I feel a little stronger now, thanks Yukiko. I'm glad that you'll be helping us from now on. I'll be sure to add you to our Chat so you get all of our messages whenever were making plans."

"This is so cool! Not only do we get a hacker in our team, but we also get a veteran persona user! The Phantom Thieves are becoming quite strong...it's too bad Yukiko doesn't have spirit armor like us. But still, she's strong enough not to be swayed by the distortions."

"That's one thing I don't get, you guys got fancy outfits, while I have to go in there in my high school uniform. Perhaps I could get something for myself, maybe even a mask so I can fit into the group." Yukiko said, a small smile on her face.

"Yeah, or maybe if you're daring enough you can go to the Metaverse in your bikini." Takumi said jokingly, earning a smirk from Yukiko.

"That's just an excuse to see me in a skimpy outfit. You just want to see me jiggling when I run."

"I...well um...maybe that would be a bad thing, it would make us all lose focus while we're fighting...yeah." he said, rubbing his neck in embarrassment. Yukiko started laughing, clutching her sides tightly.

"Ah...it's so fun to make you flustered. Kanami was right, you make the cutest face when you flush."

"Ugh...dammit sis."

"It's finished! Finally, the best sandcastle in the world is complete! Gaze upon it's beauty, take it all in!" Futaba cried, backing away from her creation. Takumi's eyes widened as he stood up, seeing the girl's castle. It was a perfect replica of Princess Peach's castle from Super Mario 64. He reached into his pocket for his phone, snapping a few pictures of it.

"Damn Futaba, this is perfectly to scale. If Yusuke was here, he'd probably be sketching it already."

"Ugh, that stupid Inari would probably say I messed something up, or that one block is too big or something. Still, I did a good job if I do say so myself." the girl said, a proud smile on her face.

"It isn't done yet." Takumi said. He reached into his backpack, pulling out a napkin, folding it into a small triangle. He grabbed a spare pen, carefully slipping the paper onto it before placing it on top of the castle, careful not to mess it up.

"Aha, I see...you added a flag to my castle. It isn't pink and it doesn't have Peach's crown, but it's better than nothing. Thank you sir, you have earned yourself enough experience to reach level two."

"Great, I'll use my experience to get some new weapons. If Yukiko is going to be coming with us, she'll need her own gun. We'll also need to take your fan and turn it into a proper weapon."

"No worries, I still have all of my weapons from when I was traveling to Mayonaka. I carry my fan for self defense, but I still have the one I used back then. It was custom made, silent and deadly, and very very sharp." she replied with a wink.

"I'll take your word for it...perhaps we should start with Mementos. We haven't taken missions recently so when we get back to Shibuya, we'll take a quick one. That way we can get Futaba used to fighting too."

"F-fight? Me? Sorry, I'm just the Navigator."

"Yes, but you have to be ready to fight, just in case. I'm the scout and I still get my hands dirty. You can't hide inside Necronomicon all the time, you have to be prepared. If you don't want to learn any hand to hand, then we can at least teach you how to use firearms. I'll start you with a sniper rifle." he said, a smirk on his face.

"Don't you think that's a little much? She's so short she might hurt herself." Morgana said.

"Don't make me curse you kitty." the girl snapped.

"Come on Morgana, have faith in her. She isn't short, she's funsized!" Takumi said, earning a giggle from Yukiko.

"You guys are so tight nit...you remind me of my friends. Aside from Rise, and Kanji, I haven't seen them recently. Chie and Yosuke have been in Hokkaido for awhile, Marie is exploring the world, and Yu and Naoto are part of the International Police, so they're barely home...that's just life I guess." Yukiko replied.

"Hey babe, I brought you some tea, figured you'd want some. I got drinks for you guys too." Alex said, startling the group slightly. Yukiko graciously accepted her Sweet Tea, with Takumi and Futaba accepting their own drinks.

"Thanks man, any luck?"

"Nope...no companies here are offering internships, I guess I'll have to rely on the one you got me. Thanks man, I would have lost so much money on school. I owe ya one, so just name it and I'll do my best to help you." he said.

"Mhmm...anything huh? Does that mean I can take Yukiko on a date tonight?" he asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

"Okay, maybe not anything." he said, wrapping his arm around his girlfriend.

"I'm just messing...I don't have anything you can help me with. But there's something I can help you with. You're gonna be staying in Tokyo while you are in school, and Yukiko made it clear that she wants to be there with you. So you need to have a home for your doting wife to stay in, I was able to find you one in Shibuya. First month's rent has been payed, the rest is up to you two. Hope you guys find whatever it is your looking for in life." Takumi said, tossing the boy a set of keys.

"Are you serious Takumi? You're lying aren't you?" Yukiko asked.

"Nope...I'm being serious. An apartment complex got remodeled two blocks from where I live, and I was thinking of renting it for myself. But I decided to rent it for you two, so seriously enjoy it. Rent is pretty cheap, and the hotel nearby would definitely hire someone like you Yuki, especially with your background managing an inn. You'll get paid a lot."

"I honestly don't know what to say...seriously, why is it that people say you're such a bad person? You've given so many people awesome things...I just saw a newspaper article earlier, questioning the officials of the JSA for letting you partake in Stride. They all thought you were using steroids to cheat." Alex said, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Let them say whatever they want, that shit doesn't bother me. I know I don't use that stuff, and so do my friends...if only my father hadn't posted that shit in the first place. Maybe I'd be living a more peaceful life." he replied, frowning as he glanced out at the ocean.

"Those bastards...don't worry...I'm gonna send their printing press into high gear, they'll stop printing crap about you. One way or another."

"Don't Futaba, that isn't gonna make me feel better...just ignore them, everything will be fine." he said, taking a sip of his Mountain Dew. The orange haired girl shrugged her shoulders, placing her hands behind her back.

"If you say so...hey, wanna go check out the local arcade? Maybe we can totally destroy the noobs that are on the machines. I know all of the tricks to beating the retro Pac-Man game. We'll be able to get the max score easily if we work together."

"Fine, but I'm not handling the split screen level." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"We'll trade off then, let's go! Come on!" the girl cried, grabbing a hold of his hand. He quickly grabbed his backpack and his shirt, falling to the girl's unrelenting tug.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank Max)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank Max)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Yukiko Amagi VIII The Justice(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 6)**_

 _ **? XII The Hanged Man(Rank ?)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 6)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 6)**_

 _ **? XXII The Adjustment (Rank ?)**_


	50. The Idol, The Mangaka and the Crafter

**A/N**

 **Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 50 of Codename Songbird. I would loke to thank everyone for this momentous occasion. 50 chapters! Can you believe it? I am very overjoyed to bring you all so much content to this story. However, I will say that this is going to be the final post for now. I will try to post Chapter 51 later. But my computer is giving me issues right now. I did save everything into a thumb drive, I will try go upload it from my Tablet so worry not.**

 **I would like to thank everyone who has been supportive throughout the entire writing process. It's been wonderful being able to share my craft with all of you. So once again, thanks for your support.**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 50

The Idol, the Mangaka, and the Crafter

 _ **Date: Sunday August 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Takumi's House(Shibuya)**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Live a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

Takumi sighed as he glanced around his room. It had been a day since he had come home from Miura Beach. Everyone had enjoyed themselves, and it had been the best bonding exercise he had with his friends. He felt a lot closer to everyone, especially towards Ann, as their relationship was slowly starting to become serious. Despite them only knowing each other for a couple months, Takumi was starting to consider her as the love of his life, something he had never thought about. Not even his friend back in Los Angeles had gotten that close to him. He had been a bit tired, not just from the trip, but also from the training for their Preliminary rounds on September 2nd. There were only four days left of summer vacation and he wanted to enjoy them to the fullest.

He had also heard about Akihiko's arrest, in relation to Shimizu. He hadn't been sent to trial yet, but they had already been talking about his sentencing, and had even been considering the death penalty for both men. When the flash drive had surfaced, and people had seen the video, they had even more grounds for doing so. He was glad Futaba had been able to remove the protection software on it. Which was why he was getting ready to head to Akihabara. As part of the deal for helping him, he had to get her the system she had requested. He had put in an order before they had gone on vacation, and everything had just arrived. So all he had to do was go and pick it up, before delivering it to Yongen-Jaya. However, Ren had told him that Boss had invited him and Futaba out for sushi, so he wouldn't be able to go there today. Once he finished cleaning his room, and putting all of his games and movies in his new shelving unit, making his room neater than before. He grabbed his keys and helmet, heading down to the store.

"Hey mom, I'm gonna be heading to Akihabara for a bit. I got something to pick up from Super Potato." Takumi said, earning a nod from the woman.

"Alright, it's a pretty slow day so you can go on. If you're gonna be in the area, make sure you visit your sister alright?" Erica said. The boy nodded, clipping his backpack onto his body.

"I will...see you later mom, if you need anything just call me." he said. He headed out of the store through the back, walking into the garage. Once he had pulled his motorcycle out, he drove off, heading toward Akihabara.

It didn't take him long to pick up Futaba's new game console. He had even bought one for himself along with some games to start his new Nintendo Switch collection. At this point, there weren't that many good games on it, but the prospect of seeing Pokemon on the Switch had been enough to get him to buy it. That also meant his Nintendo Wii U would most likely be retired, since he didn't have much room on his dresser for all of the systems. He could easily put his Switch on top of his Ps4, but he wouldn't have space for his N64, which he had finally gotten to work on his flat screen. His HDMI splitter made it so he could have more than three systems on at the same time, and it took awhile to get all of the wires behind his dresser so they wouldn't look ugly or would be in plain sight.

After he had gotten everything, including some extra games for his collection, he started walking toward Kanami's apartment. He had parked there earlier, to make himself remember to visit her. He didn't know if Rise was home or not, but since she had told him she'd be working on a new album, he figured she'd be busy with that. He waved to the receptionist before entering the elevator, pressing the 4th Floor button.

"It's crazy...just a couple weeks ago, Shimizu was still walking around, doing horrible things to those people. I'm glad he's getting the death penalty. He fuckin deserves it." he muttered, leaning back against the elevator. Seconds later, the doors slid open and he walked out of the elevator, walking toward the apartment at the end of the hall. He was about to ring the bell when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned around, seeing a young man dressed in a school uniform, just standing in front of the door. He jumped a bit, not having expected the boy to be there.

"Um...who the hell are you?" Takumi asked.

"No one important, who the hell are you? Coming to steal Kanami from me?" he snapped angrily. Takumi sighed, understanding what the man meant.

"Listen bro, stay away from my sister unless you want me to kick your ass. I'm not afraid to get down and dirty, so unless you want your face to smell like Pine Sol, get the fuck out of here." he said.

"Tch...I don't have time for slutty women like Kanami anyway. Have fun fucking her, I bet you she's loose as all hell." the man said smugly. Takumi grabbed him by the neck, slamming him to the wall.

"I'm gonna say this once, you better respect my sister, you got it? Call her a slut in front of me again and I will knock your teeth out of your mouth. Don't come back, because if I see you here, I'll throw you out that window." Takumi snapped, causing the boy to shakily nod his head. He let him go and the boy ran toward the elevators, quickly getting inside. He sighed with relief, just as the door swung open, revealing his worried looking sister.

"Little brother, I'm sorry you had to do that."

"It's fine Kanami, you should me more careful..not a lot of people recognize you without your idol outfit. But still, make sure these fucks don't get in here." he said.

"You don't have to worry, thanks to Shimizu and what he did, the government approved my gun permit. So I'm able to legally carry a gun now, I doubt I'll have to use it though. I hope I don't...anyway, come in, I'm sure you've been eager to visit me!" the girl said, grabbing a hold of his arm. She pulled him into a hug as soon as she closed the door.

"Sis...let me...breathe." the boy said, pulling his face away from his sister's chest. She let out a small laugh, rolling her eyes as she headed toward the kitchen.

"Sorry, I had to do it. Anyway, what brings you here? Did Erica put you up to it? Or are you here for Rise? Finally here to claim her as your ultimate waifu? If so then your out of luck, you'll have to wait to make me an auntie. At least until she comes back."

"First off, yes I did come here because mom asked me too. Also no, I didn't come here to mess around with Rise, I have a girlfriend. Even if I didn't, Rise is like...four years older than me, and she's like my sister. I wouldn't be able to see her like that." he said.

"My ass...I see how you look at her sometimes. She's an idol, your idol and I'm willing to bet she'd love to grease your pole. Maybe you can have that cute blonde of yours watch while you are at it." Kanami said, giving the boy a wink.

"Well, I can tell you are back to your normal self."

"Mhmm...hey, now that you're here we can start your singing lessons. I'm a little bored now that I'm on hiatus. Come on, give me an excuse to put on my idol outfit!" the girl said, poking his shoulder until he relented.

"Fine, I guess I can start practicing now...I got nothing better to do."

"Yes! Alright then, me and Rise have our own recording studio here, just go to the room at the end of the hall there and turn right. We figured it would be cost effective to have one, that way we can produce our own songs and give them to the company. Though I hear Jadis and Associates might be going under."

"Oh...is it because of Shimizu?" the boy asked, following his sister toward the hallway.

"Yup, they were being investigated. Shimizu was hiring idols and other people from Jadis and Associates for years. Every single victim had a connection to them, and the fact that he did all of that shit under their noses, it's raising questions. Whether or not they were in on it or not. So all of the idols and groups under them have been released from contract, including me and Rise. But she wanted to do one final album with them, as a tribute to all of the good times she's had with the company."

"That's so sweet of her...still though, it sucks that you and Kanamin's Kitchen have to break up like this."

"Ah...it's fine, me and the girls were in for a break. Ayase still has to heal from her injury, and one of our girls is getting married soon. She ended up getting preggers while we were finishing our last album, so now she has to raise her kid." Kanami said.

"Sad to hear...well, it's good news but still sad that she has to leave like that. Anyway, I'll let you get ready, even though you really don't have too." he said. The girl giggled, wrapping her arm around the boy, poking his cheek.

"Now now, I'm your sister, and I'm an idol. I may not be singing right now, but I can at least give you advice. Kanamin is going to be teaching you how to sing, Kanami will just sit on the back burner and watch. So go on, wait for me at the studio." she said, pushing him along.

He sighed, deciding to just wait for her at the studio like she had asked. Once he stepped inside, he looked around, eyes widening a bit at how professional it actually looked. This was most likely the biggest room in the apartment, and it had been turned almost into a legitimate recording booth. He looked at the control deck, seeing all of the knobs and switches, knowing vaguely what some of them did. Erica had been showing him how to use that stuff in case someone went to the store to record something and she wasn't there to help them. As far as he knew, Erica's store was the only one which offered that option, which made her store the go to place for up and coming singers. He sat down at one of the leather chairs, glancing around the room. He saw some albums hanging on the wall, all of them being either Gold or Platinum records belonging to Rise or Kanami. There was one where Rise and Kanami's groups did a collaboration album, which was the only Triple Platinum album in the group. He nodded to himself, quite impressed with their feats.

" _And here I thought J-pop was just auto-tune, hot costumes, bouncing boobs and random ass dance routines. Then again, Kanami and Rise can really sing, so that really does help them out a lot."_ he thought.

"Finally! It's so good to be back in this get up!" Kanami cried as she entered the room, dressed in her idol outfit, wig and all. Takumi's eyes widened a bit when he saw her. It had been his first time actually seeing her in costume without it being due to a movie or commercial.

"A lot of people would kill to be this close to you, yet here I am seeing you in all your glory." he said, placing a hand on his hip. She let out a giggle, placing a hand on her cheek.

"Oh I know...they all want a piece of my delectable marbled meat. Too bad, this glamour cow is off limits. Now then, let us begin...have you been practicing your scales? Just like I showed you?" she asked.

"Yes, whenever I'm in the shower, alone, jerking off, you name it, I practice it...well maybe not that last one." he said. She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Now Takumi, be serious. You'll never become a good singer if you don't practice your scales. However, since you claim to have then let us get practical. You're gonna sing a song for me and I'm going to burn it into a CD. I want you to listen to it daily, so when you finally hear how shit you are, you'll be motivated to get better."

"Wow...no need to be so harsh." Takumi deadpanned, a frown on his face. She gestured for him to get in the booth, which he did. He stood in front of the microphone, bringing it down so he was level with it. He grabbed the headphones from the rack and put them on around his neck. He saw Kanami fiddling with a few things on the panel, most likely turning everything on. She hit a switch, having grabbed her own headset. She gestured for him to put on his own headphones, which he did.

" _Alright, can you hear me?"_

"Loud and clear...what do you want me to sing?"

" _Up to you...pick a song and I'll find it. It can be English or Japanese, don't worry I understand English. I'm being forced to learn it in case some international stars wanna record something. Rise already knows English and Spanish, and is working on French too, the bitch."_

"Uh sis?"

" _Right right, sorry...anyway, that song?"_ she asked, giving him a curious look through the glass.

"Oh oh, can I free style?" he asked curiously. She sighed, giving him a nod. She typed a few things on the laptop, selecting a random track. He started hearing the music through his headphones, and started thinking about some words.

"Yeah, I like this...

Fuck you, you piece of donkey eating shit

I will rip your head off and shit down your neck

I'll blow my load in your eye and call it Visene

Be discrete and punch your face through concrete

I will make your ass fall through asphalt

And send gum drops and malt balls

To Baltimore International Airport."

" _Oh my god stop...what the fuck are you singing?"_ Kanami cried, having stopped the track. The boy sighed, crossing his arms.

"It was free style rap duh...I was doing pretty well too."

" _Okay no...I'm teaching you how to sing, not how to rap. Anyone can rap as long as they're good with words. We're here to train your voice, don't make me bring my ass in there."_ she snapped angrily, causing the boy to shake his head.

"Fine...we can try something else. I got another one...give me a beat." he said. She nodded, clicking on one that she had already selected. It was a soft beat with an acoustic guitar. He smirked, placing a hand on his headset.

" _I can't poop in strange places..._

 _I can only poop in my home_

 _It's as though I'm watched by strange faces_

 _It's why I never roam..._

 _I've left Mitsu alone with strangers_

 _To satisfy my fecal needs_

 _I've put my whole family in danger_

 _To poop, before my anus bleeds_

 _Home bowl Home Bowl_

 _You've know just what I need_

 _Home Bowl Home Bowl_

 _Poop before, my anus bleeds."_

"How was that?" he asked. Kanami pinched her eyes, sighing audibly.

" _It's...it's something."_

"Hehe...all jokes aside, look up a free beat called Nightmare would you?" he asked. She shrugged, looking up the song on her computer.

" _The Five Nights at Freddy's one?"_

"That's the one." he replied. She remained silent for a few seconds while she found the instrumental. Once she had, she gave the boy a thumbs up, a silent gesture meaning she was going to start the beat.

" _Just Sleep, Just Dream_

 _Just Sleep, Just Dream."_

" _Just Sleep, Just Dream."_

" _And in the back of my mind_

 _I've been trying to chase a monster_

 _This whole time, but I couldn't see_

 _The monster was me, and no one heard our cries_

 _Now I've run out of tears, the time has come for me to disappear_

 _Get me out of this mess and away from this stress_

 _Set me Free so I can rest!_

 _We're only kids who lost our way_

 _But if we wait long enough then we'll be saved!_

 _Just Sleep, Just Dream! This isn't fair no we're not just what we seem!_

 _We wanna fly but our souls are trapped inside_

 _It's not a game, not to blame, we're forced to hide!_

 _Just Sleep, Just Dream! It's only a nightmare_

 _And Soon we'll be set free..._

 _And Soon we'll be set free..."_

" _And I've been crying out for help  
_

 _I know I bite but I mean well  
_

 _Can you see my disguise, I'm different inside  
_

 _Can you break this spell  
_

 _And all the ghosts from before  
_

 _They're knocking and they're breaking down your door  
_

 _So please set us free, now you have the key  
_

 _Cause I can't take the pain no more  
_

 _We're only kids who lost our way  
_

 _But if we wait long enough we will be saved  
_

 _Just sleep, just dream  
_

 _This isn't fair, no we're not just what we seem  
_

 _We want to fly but our souls are trapped inside  
_

 _It's not a game, not to blame, we're forced to hide  
_

 _Just sleep, just dream  
_

 _It's only a nightmare and soon we'll be set free  
_

 _We're only kids who lost our way  
_

 _But if we wait long enough we will be saved  
_

 _Just sleep, just dream  
_

 _This isn't fair, no we're not just what we seem  
_

 _We want to fly but our souls are trapped inside  
_

 _It's not a game, not to blame, we're forced to hide  
_

 _Just sleep, just dream  
_

 _It's only a nightmare and soon we'll be set free!"_

Takumi opened his eyes as the song ended, glancing at Kanami. He knew the song probably came out sounding like crap, but he wanted to at least see her expression. Her eyes however betrayed his expectation, they were widened with shock, as she just stared at him. She hadn't even noticed the song had ended, but when she did she hastily stopped it. She remained silent for a few moments before finally speaking.

" _You're kidding right? That was just a fluke."_

"What? I wrote those lyrics while I was still playing Five Nights, so I've been practicing this song for awhile. I just never had what it took to sing it." he said.

" _Give me a C sharp, right now."_ she said. He sighed, singing the high pitched note, his voice cracking a couple times.

"See? I can only sing that song because I memorized the lyrics."

" _That's...I just...you need a lot of work...still this song is just so...sad. I guess I'll have to play this game now."_

" _Hey Kanami, I'm back...whoa okay your in full get up. Oh, and Takumi is here too?"_ Rise said, having entered the room. Her skin was slightly bronze in color from all of the sun she had gotten at the beach, making her look that much more attractive. She took off her sunglasses, hooking them to her shirt.

" _Rise, you gotta listen to this track I just recorded. It isn't edited or anything, but this is something that Takumi just sung. Listen to it and tell me what you think."_ she said, passing her headset to her fellow idol. She hit play, making sure the volume wasn't too high. After a few minutes, Rise took her headset off, glancing at Takumi in surprise, the boy having come out of the booth by now.

"You seriously sung that? It's amazing."

"Exactly right? He can't sing a C-sharp worth shit, but he sung this." Kanami said.

"Hey...I can to sing...just not anything other than this song." he admitted, a flush on his cheeks.

"Well...I can tell that you'll need a lot of work. But this song is amazing, you have yourself a hit single here, after Kanami and I polish it of course. You know what, I'm gonna feature it in my farewell Jadis and Associates Album. I just got back, the company is being forced to shut down so as of now we're both free idols. But they've agreed to produce my last album with them."

"Ah...that sucks ass...I mean, I knew this was bound to happen once all of this came out but. It's so sad, I've been with J&A since I was fifteen. It's a shame to see them fall down like this...I guess we're gonna have to produce our own albums from now on. But that also means we'll be able to do what we want, we just won't be able to have concerts and film videos anymore." Kanami added, leaning back in her seat.

"Hey, I'd love to stick around, but I've spent quite a lot of time here. I was supposed to be back home twenty minutes ago. I'll be back tomorrow and we can practice again okay?" Takumi asked.

"Huh? Oh yeah sure...like I said before, I got nothing to do during the day. Ah, but you're going back to school soon...that sucks."

"Hmm...how about you come here on Sunday mornings? Sundays are days off for you right Takumi? It would be like a sibling bonding exercise...despite you being siblings, there's a lot you don't know about each other." Rise said.

"Mhmm, like my cup size! If you want to know what it is, you'll have to learn how to sing well enough to record another song."

"I don't want to know how big your boobs are sis. Sheesh, shouldn't you go eat some sugar before you pass out?" the boy said.

"Hehe...thanks for reminding me. I guess now that I'm not an active idol, I can finally manage my hypoglycemia without getting sick."

"Come on, we got some cupcakes in the kitchen. Would you like one Takumi? Yukiko made them, and I promise, they don't taste like charcoal."

"I guess I could stick around for one cupcake." he said.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday August 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Inokashira Park (Inokashira)**_

 _ **Time: Daytime**_

 _ **Weather: Sunny**_

 _ **Objective: Live a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx**_

Rise had been right, the cupcakes didn't taste like charcoal, but they had been very sweet and chewy. Kanami didn't seem to mind because she needed the sugar, but Rise and Takumi just set theirs down and decided to eat the store bought ones that she had brought with her. After that, he had bit farewell to the two idols, having returned to Shibuya. After helping his mother with inventory for a bit, he had decided to take Ann on a date in Inokashira Park. She had been insisting on it, not just to spend time with him, but also because she wanted to show him something, so he met up with her at Inokashira Zoo, and they had been talking a walk through the park hand in hand.

"So...what was this thing you wanted to show me?" he asked curiously. The girl released his hand, reaching into her purse for something. After a second or two, she pulled out a flier.

"I saw this while on a Photo Shoot this morning. They're doing auditions for a short film about video games. I was thinking you and I could go and see if we can get a part." she said. The boy looked the flier over, seeing all of the video game logos and other things printed on it.

"Open auditions huh? This doesn't look like a legit studio, more like college students looking for actors. Still, if it's just college students, I think they'd be happy to have an actor like me. When do you wanna go?" he asked.

"How about on Friday? The Stride Prelims are in the morning, and the afternoon will be free. We also get a free pass from school due to the tournament. Though Makoto said if we wanted to have that free day, we have to register as an official club on the first day of school."

"Okay, they want us to go to China Town for auditions. I haven't been there before, so it'll be interesting. I've longed to see some Chinese Culture, especially if it's here in Japan." Takumi said happily.

"Awesome...now then, let's practice that script again! I wanna show you how good I've gotten!" she said cheerfully. He sighed, giving her a nod. She giggled, reaching into her purse for both scripts, handing the one with yellow on it to him.

"Okay then, let's start from Act II Scene III."

"Alright, you're kinda bossy today." the boy noted, flipping through the pages until he got to the right one.

"I'm just excited sweetie, I want to show you how much I've improved!" she said with a wink, clearing her throat.

"You just don't understand, this is what I want dammit. I've been working on this for weeks, months. You can't just take this away from me!"

"You've been focusing too much on this silly little dream of yours Koyomi. Dammit, when will you realize that life isn't just handed to you on a platter? You actually think this Idol career is going to bring you anywhere? This isn't what your mother would have wanted!"

"Don't you dare bring her up! She's dead, she wouldn't know anything...not what she would have wanted or even said. I bet you she would have been fine with it, because she told me to follow my heart and make my dreams come true. I'm fulfilling her last wish, what the hell have you been doing huh dad? Sleeping around with women, trying to replace her? That bitch Tammy isn't mom, she never will be!"

"That is enough! We are done with this conversation, you aren't going to prance around on that fucking stage got it? So you better say goodbye to your friends and that Natsuno boy. Because this is the last time you will ever see him."

"I...I hate you so much! You are the worst dad ever, I hate you...I hate you!"

Takumi's eyes widened a bit when Ann broke into tears, going as far as sniffling. He didn't know what to say, and had even forgotten to continue reading his lines. He smiled, placing a hand under her chin making her look at him.

"You did great babe, you sold that shit...and I can't believe these are real tears." he said.

"I know right? You have no idea how many sappy movies I watched with Shiho to master this. She just told me to think of a really sad moment and focus on that, and it worked!" she said, hugging the boy tightly. He hugged he back, chuckling a bit.

"Well, you're becoming an amazing actress. We have to work on this a little more, but I'm sure now you'll be able to act movies. Of course, you have to get practical with this stuff. Just practicing with me or with Shiho isn't enough, you'll need real world experience. I think this low budget movie you found will be a great start!" he said. She smiled, giving him a kiss on the lips.

"Thanks Takumi, I love you."

"I love you too Kitten, let's keep walking. It's a nice day and I don't want to waste it, especially when it's with you." he said, handing her the script. She put them away, taking a hold of his hand.

As they approached the station, having finished their walk through the park, they noticed a young man having set up a table near the station entrance. Not a lot of people were taking interest in what he saw selling, the man looked to be around there age, and had neck length straight hazel colored hair, with light colored skin. He was wearing a long sleeved flannel shirt, being dark green and blue in color. He was also wearing a pair of white cargo shorts and regular black sneakers. He had a pair of fingerless gloves on his hands, and was wearing a baseball cap on his head, with a Chibi Ruby Rose on the front. There was one teenager looking at what he was selling, but didn't buy anything. The young man frowned, watching the teenager go.

"Wonder what that kid is selling, looks like books." Takumi muttered.

"Bad place to sell books...well it depends. I wouldn't mind finding a field under the shade of the Sakura trees to read. Looks like he's selling some Doujinshi...hey you like anime, maybe what he's selling is good stuff." Ann said, earning a shrug from the boy.

"Most of that stuff is hentai though, I was browsing through some stuff in Akiba earlier and found some KanColle stuff. As it turned out, they took best waifu Kashima and turned her into a sex doll. The art was great, but I really didn't want to see a throbbing cock for most of the panels...especially after Dickthulu."

"Don't...don't speak of that." his girlfriend said, shuddering at the thought. With nothing left to loose, the couple went up to the young man, causing him to look up in disinterest.

"Hello, welcome to my little stand. I wrote and illustrated this story, if you decide to purchase a copy, it would be most appreciated." he replied. Takumi grabbed one of the books, seeing the title on the front.

"Thieves?" he asked.

"Mhmm...it's the story of a young man raised on the streets. When his family, the homeless people that raised him, are threatened, he has to turn to Thievery in order to save them. I've been working on this story since eighth grade, and finally got all of the equipment to illustrate it myself." he replied. Takumi turned to the first page, seeing a grinning young man on it, holding what looked like a rather expensive looking necklace.

"Finally, Le Couer De La Mere is mine. With this, I'll finally be able to save my family." Ann read out loud.

"That's a rather cliché line...a thief uttering something like that makes him sound cheesy. The art is amazing, the detail on that necklace, it's as if it was looking at a real piece. Not to mention the character himself looks well drawn...but."

"Ah, there it is...go on, hit me with it."

"Well...that one line, it doesn't have any characterization in it. I don't really feel emotion from this. After that, it cuts back to a flashback of how he became a thief in the first place. There's no pacing, that's probably why you haven't sold anything. The art is great, the writing...not so much." Takumi said, having read some of the panels on the next few pages.

"I figured...you aren't the first person who's said that to me. I tried selling this in Akihabara and in Shinjuku yesterday, and I only sold three copies. It wasn't for the story either, it was for the art, the future love interest was what sold it." he said.

"Love interest?" Ann queried, earning a nod from the boy.

"Page 34."

Takumi and Ann shared a look, both flipping to the specified page. Their eyes widened a bit at the young woman depicted in it, since it was the only full color image. It depicted a beautiful young woman with long blue hair that reached past her waist, and was wearing a sleeveless low cut shirt, with a matching white skirt. She had large breasts, and a very beautiful face, with brilliant violet eyes, and a beauty mark at the corner of her eye. She was laying side ways on a table, reaching for what looked to be a gem which was surrounded by crimson lasers.

"So, they only bought it because this girl sold it. How lame...honestly, I would have thought they'd buy it for the art style at least." Takumi said.

"Yeah well...people just like seeing hot girls in skimpy outfits. I came here to Japan to learn how to become a Mangaka, since it isn't that popular in the States, aside from a few authors who have actually stepped up. I wanted to learn first hand what it was like to draw real Japanese manga, but the people I've talked to told me that I needed to have eye popping colors, beautiful art and girls with tits about to burst from their shirts, so that's what I drew." he said.

"Well, you can't listen to what they say. You have to develop your own style, you don't draw the manga first. You have to write the story and then draw the manga following what you have written. After all, manga is like a movie in book form. Would you read a manga based on Titanic if the writing was crap?" Takumi asked.

"Hmm...I guess not...it wouldn't translate well."

"Exactly...I think you should start over...you have the characters designed, and you've only written two chapters for this. How about you spend time working on the story and then use these same characters to make your manga?" Ann asked, causing the boy to nod.

"I see...perhaps I should pay more attention to the story, rather than the art itself. You have given me much to think about...I suppose I can scrap this entirely, but the main characters will remain...I just wish I had something eye grabbing...something that people would want to read."

"Well...what do you think people want to read?" Takumi asked curiously. The boy raised a brow, leaning back in his seat.

"What would people want to read? Come on, it's all over the news...these so called Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Hell, my sister back in Seattle is talking about them, and they're a Japanese group. There's fan art, fanfiction of a group of people who's faces never even been seen. I just don't understand how people can make something from nothing." he said.

"Same way people can come up with a book idea. Think about it, the Phantom Thieves may not have faces, but they exist. That leads to people using their imagination, asking themselves what they look like. Who are they? What do they look like? Is it possible that I know them? Could they even be in my school? Stuff like that, that's what inspires people to write stuff about them." Takumi said.

"Not to mention they fight for a good cause. Bringing down those grubby adults who think they can force people to do their bidding. I mean, look at Shimizu. People thought he was a saint until the Phantom Thieves revealed his sick itinerary." Ann added, earning a nod from the boy.

"Yeah, I was actually surprised...what a horrible man. Still, writing a story about the Phantom Thieves, that would be cool. Especially if I drew a manga about it, too bad I suck a story telling." the boy said. Ann glanced at Takumi, who had been reading the boy's manga again. She nudged him with her elbow, causing him to look up.

"Takumi, wouldn't it be a good idea if we help him with his story? We know a lot about the Phantom Thieves don't we?"

"We do?" the boy asked, earning a glare from the blonde.

"Uh...ahem, yes...we do. I mean, they did start at our school...or rather they targeted someone from our school. Maybe you can use that as inspiration for a story arc. Three high school students, banding together to fight back against a teacher who's abusing his students. Maybe throw in a mascot for their team...a cat."

"That's not a bad idea, oh and one of them could be a criminal...maybe a kid that's on probation? One more strike and your out...yes, I like this. I could definitely make my own fan story about the Phantom Thieves. If you guys help with writing, I'll definitely credit you. My name is Nicholas McFay, but you can call me Nick."

"I'm Takumi Mashita, this is my girlfriend Ann Takamaki. It's nice meeting you man, we have no issue helping you with your manga. In fact, I think it would benefit everyone, it helps us with our writing for school and it helps you improve your stories." he said, shaking hands with the teen.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Hanged-Man** _Persona, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Hanged-Man)xxx**_

"Anything to keep me distracted in class. I can pass my tests easily, but sometimes homework can get boring, and study hall sucks." Ann added, earning a nod from the boy.

"I get ya, I'm actually a student of Kosei Academy...I'm a second year there, and some of my friends usually help me with story. But maybe I shouldn't let my friends talk me into writing stuff based around them. This entire idea needs to be scrapped, but the characters...they'll stay. Maybe I could start the story with a heist, then it could cut back to how it all began...yeah, that's a cool idea."

"Oh, don't forget giving them all codenames, it wouldn't be cool if they all called themselves by name. Maybe have that cute girl you drew named Leopard, she seems lithe like a feline, and also looks pretty agile and fast. It fits you know?" Ann said, earning a quirked brow from Takumi.

"Yeah, yeah! I like that, everyone will be given a codename...maybe I can even have the group be lead by a girl. But what would I name her?" Nick asked curiously.

"How about Harley? Her code name could be Harlequin...and it would be a subtle reference to best Waifu ever Harley Quinn. You're American right? I'm sure you love Batman." Takumi said.

"Totally adore it bro, and I do agree, Harley Quinn is bae...so I'll definitely do that. I'm so eager to write this stuff man...I'm gonna start packing up, thanks for talking to me. If you hadn't, I probably would have kept selling this crap and calling it a manga!" Nick exclaimed, grabbing all of his books, shoving them into an empty box.

"Well...we look forward to reading it when it's all done. Maybe me and Ann can write the first chapter and we can meet up...say tomorrow at this time, right here?"

"Sure thing, I'll most likely be spending my time drawing some of the scenery. You can keep those two issues, since the characters in it are going to be the main ones, you'll need the art to write them into the story after all. Once the first chapter is written, I'll sketch it out, do the storyboard and then draw it. It's gonna be cool, I promise."

"Okay, we'll make sure to write an awesome first chapter. You'll have your socks blown off, we're confident you'll like it!" Ann said. The boy nodded, quickly walking into the station.

"Are we seriously going to have this kid write our adventures in the Metaverse?" Takumi asked after a few seconds.

"Well...not exactly, but you gotta admit. Seeing our adventures in Manga form would be pretty sweet. Besides, not everything is going to be that word for word. It isn't like we're gonna write what happened inside the palaces, or shadows and stuff like that. That doesn't mean we won't write stuff like that either. I'll handle writing about Kamoshida's Palace and Madarame's. Think you can handle Kaneshiro's?"

"Sure thing babe...though let's focus on chapter one for now, we can get into the nitty gritty later." he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Sunday August 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Shibuya Underground Mall**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Cloudy**_

 _ **Objective: Live Normal Lives**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Sorry for making you wait Marry, I sort of had to run here after dropping my girlfriend off at her house." Takumi said, panting a bit from his run. The white haired girl gave the boy a smile.

"It's alright, I haven't been here long." she replied politely. Takumi noticed she hadn't set up her stand yet, rather she was holding a box in her hands which had been closed at the top.

"Uh...why haven't you set up shop yet?"

"I figured I would let my employee do it...I am your boss after all." she replied. The boy blinked a few times, rubbing his neck.

"Guess I am, well if I'm on the clock then that means I have to pull my own. Alright then, let me set the table up then." he said, walking over to where some extra tables were stored.

After grabbing one of the bigger ones, he brought it over to where Marry was standing. The girl looked a bit surprised when he started setting it up there. She would be facing a crowd, since the flower shop, clothing shop and jewelry store were nearby. People would be walking toward her, so they would most likely be tempted to see what she was selling. This was of course making her nervous, she started trembling a bit, something that didn't go unnoticed by Takumi.

"Marry are you alright? You're shaking a bit."

"A-am I? I'm s-sorry." she murmured, bowing her head a bit. The boy sighed, taking a hold of the box in her arms.

"Listen sweetie, I know it's scary being in big crowds. Trust me, I know exactly how that feels sometimes. But in order to get over your anxiousness, you have to get used to interacting with people. I mean...how exactly did you get here without freaking out?" he asked curiously.

"My friends walked me here. They're all getting ready for school on Thursday, so I decided to make a little extra money. I'm not going to public school or even private school this year. I thought I would buy some supplies and make some more things while I was at home." she replied softly, poking her fingers together.

"Hmm...okay, how do you get your supplies?"

"The internet?" she replied, looking up at the boy. He rolled his eyes.

"Figured...how about this, why is it that you quit school in the first place? Can you not afford it? What about your parents, what do they think?"

"I can afford it...I just feel like school is a waste of time. I've spent a long time learning things online and through books. I have tutors online, three days a week. The other four days, I spend making these crafts, or writing poetry. As for my parents...I don't have any."

"You're an orphan?" he asked, earning a nod from the girl.

"I lost my parents when I was five years old. It was a fatal fire, I was sleeping over my friend's house that night. I spent most of my life from orphanage to orphanage. I've been adopted four times and abandoned four times, eventually I just left. Made my way from Hokkaido all the way to Tokyo. I was found by a kind old woman, and her grandchildren, who have become my foster siblings and closest friends." she explained, having started to put all of her crafts on the table. Takumi had noticed several new things, including wooden carvings and small wooden figurines as well as some daisies made out of paper.

"I'm sorry...you've been through so much and you're only fifteen. No one should be put through that. But you're kind, and you have a gift here...we just have to make sure you can interact with people without being scared." Takumi said. Marry stopped, glancing up at the boy.

"You actually believe that I can get over my social anxiety?"

"Of course I do! Something like this is mind over matter...you're anxious and scared of people because you think they'll do something bad to you. While a small percentage might, a high percentage won't. Deep down, everyone is socially awkward...it's through experience that we get used to our fellow man. Of course, if you had gone through normal school, you probably wouldn't be like this."

"Hmm...you might be right about that...I just wanted to be accepted you know? To find a place to belong, that's why I make these crafts...they remind me of a simpler time." she replied, pulling out the last items in her box, various colored Teru Teru Bozu dolls. Even though it had been made with a simple white cloth and buttons, it was carefully crafted, and the design on the edges of the cloth were pretty well done.

"I think I understand...even this doll seems so simple. But I can tell it isn't that, just by looking at it, I can tell that cloth was chosen with care."

"My mom taught me how to make them. She said that these were originally made to drive away the rain. It rained a lot after she and dad were gone, so I made a lot of them...I guess I got really good at making them." she said, holding out several more in various colors.

"I think so too, these are adorable, and they have a bit of personality too...I think I'll take this pink one home with me. Consider me your first customer for the day." he said, handing the girl a thousand yen.

"You know, I'll never get customers if you keep buying all my stuff." Marry said, earning a chuckle from the boy, who tied the doll to his belt loop, making sure it wouldn't slip free.

"I'm not gonna buy everything, besides...if I have some of your merchandise with me, then people will ask about it. I can point them all in the right direction, call it...marketing." he said, giving her a wink.

"Um excuse me, what is all this?" a young woman asked, causing Marry to stiffen from her arrival.

"A-ah...welcome...my n-name is M-marry. I sell c-crafts." the girl stuttered.

"I can see that, do you have a permit to sell stuff here?" the woman asked firmly.

"Since when do you need a permit to sell stuff at the Underground Mall? I saw a Smoothie stand next to the Music Shop when I walked in." Takumi asked.

"Yes well, that is an extension of another one of our stores. So unless you are working alongside another store, I'm gonna have to ask you to leave." the woman said firmly.

"B-but I've b-been here all s-summer!"

"Well looks like you'll have to find another place to sell your... _stuff_."

"I'm sorry, who are you? Are you a mall director or something?" Takumi asked.

"Me? I'm no one...just the owner of the Clothing Shop, this little craft stand is messing up the view of the mall. If you'd like to sell this stuff then the local day care will be letting out soon. They'll enjoy paper flowers and silly buttons." she said. Marry frowned, bowing her head slightly, her hair covering her face.

"Excuse me madam, but you don't have the right to kick Marry out of here. You're just a store owner yourself, so I advise you to return to your store. We aren't breaking any rules and if we were, Mall Security would have said something to her by now. She's been here all summer as she has stated, and no one has complained. We're not gonna pack up just because you say so."

"Tch...how rude...no wonder people call you a drug addict, they might as well add whiny brat to that list. This isn't the last you've heard of me!" the woman snapped angrily, holding her nose high as she walked off.

"Fuckin Cunt." Takumi muttered under his breath. He glanced at Marry, who's eyes were wide.

"Those are naughty words."

"Eh? Never mind...just ignore that lady. She's just here to rain on your parade, but we're going to teach her a lesson." he said happily.

"Hey, what are you selling over here? I saw that woman leave here in a huff." a man asked, having approached the stand. Takumi turned to him, a grin on his face.

"We sell crafts here sir, this beautiful young woman here makes them all. Not only that, she also writes poetry, designs her own Holiday cards and makes these cute Teru Teru Bozu dolls. Come on, there's supposed to be a rain storm tomorrow, you know you wanna buy one or three of these." the boy said, holding the green, red and blue dolls out for the man to look at. A few others had wondered over, curious as to what was going on.

"Those dolls look so silky, what kind of cloth did you use?" a woman asked.

"Um...I bought a special cloth, it was made from Silk and Ramie...it was very expensive, but I wanted these dolls to last awhile. I actually made the little bow ties from some old clothes that I was going to get rid off, and the stitching was all done by hand." Marry said softly.

"I'll take one, I'm sure my daughter will like it. She loves dolls especially hand made ones."

"I'll take one too, and some of these paper roses."

"Daddy, can I get a doll too?"

After a few minutes, the stall was clear of everyone and inventory as well. Everything that Marry had brought with her had been sold, with only two Teru Teru Bozu dolls remaining. Takumi had been counting the money she had made. It wasn't much, since Marry had insisted on selling everything for a thousand yen each. In the end, she had made 24,034Y on everything she had brought with her.

"Well...I guess we found out what people truly want from you Marry...you best start making more dolls, these are selling like hotcakes." he said, placing the money down on the table.

"I didn't think my dolls would be so popular. I got so many nice compliments about them...I think I'll use this money to buy more materials to make different ones. Here, your payment for the day." the girl said, handing the boy 12,000 Yen. He looked at it wide eyed, pushing the money back.

"No, that's yours."

"I insist, your my employee, I gotta pay you."

"No you don't...sweetheart, I'm an actor, I got plenty of money. I'm not really looking to make more of it. These are your earnings, so use them for materials, and anything else you need." he said, placing his hand over hers, a smile on his face. She flushed, looking away from him.

"Okay...but at least take that blue doll...I think the one you have needs a friend." she said, pushing the doll toward him. He took a hold of it, looking it over.

"Fine, I'll take this as my payment...I think I'll name her Marry, after my adorable boss." he said, giving her a wink. She flushed bowing her head in embarrassment.

"Well, if it isn't Takumi...what are you doing in this dump?" the voice of Izumi Akazawa said, causing the boy to whirl around, surprised to see the auburn haired gambler in the mall.

"Izumi hey...I didn't expect you to be here."

"Same here, I heard from someone that there was a girl selling cute dolls." she said.

"That's right...this is Marry, she's the one who made the dolls. I'm sort of her employee." Takumi said, introducing the gambler to the shy girl. She looked her over, eyes narrowed a bit.

"Hmm...you look like you lack a backbone. You're pretty jumpy too."

"Oh...I'm sorry."

"No it's alright, you know...Takumi is a good guy. I've only spent a couple outings with him. But I can tell he has a good heart, so make sure you take care of him." Izumi said.

"I will...he's super nice, it's thanks to him that I was able to sell so many things today." the girl said cheerfully. Izumi nodded, picking up the last doll on the table, a white doll with black button eyes.

"How much for this doll?"

"A thousand yen...but since you're friends with Takumi, you can have it for free." Marry replied. Izumi let out a giggle, rolling her eyes as she set the payment down.

"Handiwork like this needs to be paid for...if I got any advice for ya kid, it's this. Never undersell something, no matter if you think it will sell or not. You could easily be getting three thousand yen for these, they're well crafted and if this is silk, then you are definitely losing money. Also, never give anything out for free, people will take advantage of your kindness, you give them an inch they'll take a mile."

"That's rather specific advice to be handing out Izumi. I would have thought you needed to be beaten in a game before you dished something like this out."

"Normally I would...but this cutie here needs to learn the trade. Spend a few years living on the streets, and trust me. You'll find your way around a bad deal, and people trying to take advantage of you. Happens all the time I'm afraid. Speaking of, are you free tomorrow night? I got that game set up for us." she said.

"Hmm...yeah, I'm free tomorrow. What time?"

"I'll message you...have a nice day Marry, make more cute dolls. If you do, Takumi will let me know and I'll come buy some. The kids where I live would love to have a few of these hanging from their windows." Izumi said, taking her leave.

"So...who was that?" Marry asked curiously.

"That was Izumi, she's a friend of mine. She's teaching me how to play card games and stuff...anyway, do you need help? I got some time before I'm supposed to head back home." Takumi said.

"If you don't mind, would you come with me to Central Street? There's an Arts and Crafts store that I like to visit. Finding silk is a bit hard, but I can easily find some online. But I do need to get some more origami paper." she said softly. He ruffled her hair, giving her a grin.

"Sure thing, let me take care of this table first."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Saturday August 28**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Untouchable (Shibuya)**_

 _ **Time: Night**_

 _ **Weather: Light Rain (Hot Night)**_

 _ **Objective: Live a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx**_

"You really know how to annoy me kid. Only you would come here ten minutes before closing, asking me for the good stuff." Iwai said, puffing on his cigarette. Takumi chuckled, shaking his head.

"Admit it, I'm the most interesting customer you have. Not only am I a regular, but I'm the only person willing to toss buckets of money in your direction."

"That's true...cleaned me out of blanks for two damn weeks. Next time you wanna buy in bulk, let me know ahead of time. Anyway, what are you looking for this time?" the ex-Yakuza asked curiously.

"I need a small sleek rifle that doesn't weight too much. Something that's easy to fire, easy to take apart and clean up. Something that I can change magazines quickly and not have to worry about it jamming or something...you got any Honey Badgers?" Takumi asked.

"A Honey Badger? That rifle is hard to get, especially a model of it, I can get done though, when do you need it by?"

"Eh...four days give or take...the guys wanted to make a zombie movie, and they asked for variety."

"Right...your movie buddies...I got some catalogs in the back with some newer models. I'll let you look at them so you can pick a model. I'm assuming you want extra magazines, an adjustable stock and a scope attachment right?"

"You know me to well by now Iwai-san."

"Right...I'll be back, sit tight...and don't worry, the cameras are being "Fixed"." he said, stepping into the back. The boy shrugged, glancing through the showcase at some of the knives on display. A few moments of silence later and the boy heard the bell on the door dinging. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing the woman from before walking into the store. She looked up at him, a frown on her face.

"Is he here?" she asked gruffly.

"In the back...don't worry, I'll be gone soon." he said. He leaned back against the showcase, having pulled out his cellphone to keep himself occupied. However, the young woman's look was unnerving him, mostly because she kept glaring daggers at him.

"You here for more blanks?"

"Not really...need a new model gun for a movie we're working on...me and my friends I mean."

"You're full of shit." she said, causing the boy to look up at her. She brushed some hair out of her face, crossing her arms right after.

"I'm sorry?"

"You heard me...there's only one reason a person like you would come here. You need all of those blanks for something and it isn't a movie...but it isn't my business. I shouldn't be sticking my nose where it doesn't belong anyway." she said.

" _Huh...this girl is a bit...weird...she seems rough around the edges. Can't say she doesn't have a nice body though...no, bad thoughts, you have a girlfriend."_ Takumi cried internally, his eyes drifting back to his phone. He sighed, having seen a message from Ann which had gotten his focus back.

"Do you believe in fate?"

"Pardon?"

"You heard me...do you believe in fate? That sometimes, things happen for a reason? No matter how bizarre?" she asked curiously.

"No...I don't. You see, people meet every day, it isn't fate if something happens, and it isn't destiny either. You are the maker of your own destiny, if you meet someone with goals similar to yours...that isn't destiny. That's just a chance encounter...I make my own fate I'm afraid."

"Is that why your face is plastered all over the place? People are saying they want you out of that tournament, because you apparently use drugs and performance enhancers to win."

"Do you believe I do?" Takumi asked, glancing up from his phone, giving her a curious look. She shrugged, glancing away from him, her muffler covering part of her nose and mouth.

"Not really...I don't give a shit what people do. I do believe that everything surrounding you is bullshit, and that people are treating you harshly with no proof. It's why I hate the justice system."

"Heh...you have something against cops?"

"I have something with how cops handle stuff. Not just them, but the judicial system as a whole. People are treated like garbage, innocents thrown into jail, and trails are manipulated behind the scenes. People are murdered, and no one bats an eye. It takes forever to find evidence, and then magically a suspect fits the bill and their sentenced to life. Haven't you ever wondered why the Japanese government got rid of their firearms after the war?" she asked curiously.

"Wasn't it to prevent murder using guns?"

"Supposedly, but why is it that the police can use guns to defend themselves but civilians can't? You ever think of that? What's stopping a crooked cop from shooting a rando on the street and claiming self defense? What about the government? Do you truly think our politicians are clean as a whistle?"

"I dunno...why are you asking me this? I'm just some high school kid." Takumi fired back, earning a laugh from the young woman.

"No...you're just some high school kid who's been wronged by society. The reason why people see you the way you do, is because your father tainted your image...wouldn't you want the chance to get back at him? If you had it that is?"

"Maybe...maybe I would want a chance to get back at him, or at least ask why he did it. I don't pretend to know why he did...but I do believe that he'll get his comeuppance one day."

"Is it fate? Or destiny?"

"Neither I'm afraid...it's Karma. That's something I wholeheartedly believe in, if you do good, good things will happen, similarly, if you do bad things, bad things happen. My father isn't a saint, he's done some shady shit, and he has done bad things...he'll get his hole punched one of these days...and I'll be there, basking in his glorious downfall, misery loves company."

"Hey kid, I wasn't able to find that catalog after all...guess my part timer must have tossed them by accident. I need to get some models of that particular rifle in stock anyway. So you get first pick of the ones when they get here. Oh, I wasn't expecting you here tonight...what are you looking for?" the man asked, directing his gaze at the young woman by the MRE machine.

"Nothing much, just some information...the last bit you gave me checked out, I need a little more for this other thing. I'm also here for my refill." she said. The man nodded, turning toward the back.

"I'll be back in a moment, what about you kiddo? Need somethin' else?"

"Can I bum a smoke?"

"Have a good night kid." Iwai said, disappearing through the back. Takumi chuckled, grabbing his backpack as he turned to leave.

"Hey, Mashita."

"Hmm...something wrong miss?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes a bit, as if she were thinking about something important. After awhile, she just shook her head.

"I enjoyed our little chat, perhaps I can get some more information out of you. You seem like an interesting person."

"Do I? Well, it's a shame I have a girlfriend already, because you look like an interesting woman yourself." the boy fired back, earning a chuckle from the woman.

"Aoi Aobara, call me Blue Rose."

"Hmm...well then Blue Rose, you may call me Takumi."

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Adjustment** _Persona, I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Hanged-Man)xxx**_

"I look forward to hearing more of your questions...suffice it to say, you kept me pretty entertained." Takumi said.

"I can say the same thing about you...I look forward to getting to know you."

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank Max)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank Max)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Yukiko Amagi VIII The Justice(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Nicholas McFay XII The Hanged Man(Rank 1)**_

 _ **? XIII The Death(Rank ?)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 6)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Aoi Aobara XXII The Adjustment (Rank 1)**_


	51. The Twins, The Detective and the Gambler

**A/N:**

 **Well everyone this is it, the final chapter I have written for this story. I know it has been a long ride and you all probably wanted a little more. But honestly, I don't want this story to go on for so long that I get sick of the series. I don't have the motivation to write it right now, or anything for that matter, since I have a lot of things I want to do but not exactly sure how to do them. I wanted to end this with a bang...both metaphorically, and in one case quite literally, and it wasn't gonna be the kind of bang that a gun makes when it gets fire, it was gonna be the other kind of bang. Maybe if I feel like it, I'll post a special chapter for all you loyal readers, even though I promised those would be set during Christmas, there's nothing wrong with doing an Early Christmas special ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).**

 **Regardless, I had been an honor entertaining you lot with my writing, and I promise it won't be long. I'm just having a lot of personal issues with my writing right now. I can't seem to pick something and stick with it! I don't have the motivation to work on anything old right now, but I have been thinking of doing several stories, League of Legends, Overwatch, Gravity Rush and RWBY being among those lucky few. I've thought about continuing my Fairy Tail story as well but I just don't really feel like it right now. And if I don't feel a story, it'll come out like shit and that's not what I want right now. Who knows, I just hope you'll like what I write whenever it is you get to see it. I do have some pilot chapters finished, maybe I'll put up a poll asking all of you what story I should write and work on whatever it is the collective reader base decides. That's like playing Russian Roulette with Six bullets though. Only one man survived that game, and that was Chuck Norris himself.**

 **Anyway...thank you so much for sticking around on this long and crazy ride. The Phantom Thieves will be on vacation for now, but you might get that special chapter If I'm up for it. So keep an eye out, you never know when I'll surprise you. I'll most likely keep it separate from the story, just in case someone decides to report it or something, you know how it is. This site really needs an MA rating.**

 **See you all later!**

Persona 5

Codename: Songbird

Chapter 51

The Twins, the Detective and the Gambler

 _ **Date: Sunday August 29**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Location: Electric Town(Akihabara)**_

 _ **Weather: Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Live a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

"Alright! Today we're going to be working on pitch! If you don't have the right pitch in music, then you're gonna come out, sounding like crap!" Kanami cried cheerfully, earning a frown from Takumi.

"I understand that, any reason why we have to do it in the damn rain?" Takumi asked, glaring at his sister.

He was holding his umbrella in his hand, using it mostly to keep the idol dry. Despite her wanting to stay out of the limelight, she was standing in full costume in Electric Town, having a lot of people snap pics of her, she wasn't even bothered by it. She smirked, giving him a wink.

"Because! Training in front of people is a great way for you to learn how shitty you are. If you have a source of judgment then you'll definitely want to better yourself."

"Seriously? You want me to make an ass out of myself in front of your fans? Where the hell is Rise? Why isn't she here trying to stop you?"

"Hehe...I planned this strategically so that she'd be recording her new album. Face it little brother, you're stuck with me until our time is up. It's only two hours, it's already 8:15. Ten AM will get here in no time!" she cried, holding her arm up in the air. The crowd started cheering loudly, mostly because they were entranced by her jiggling breasts.

"Dammit." the boy muttered dryly. Kanami rolled her eyes, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Alright dear fans! As you know this is my little brother, a lot of nasty things have been said about him. But it's all lies! So you better not believe them. Since you all know me as a glamour cow, you'll come to recognize my brother as a glamour...kitten?"

"No...please don't give me a moniker, the whole glamour cow thing is your schtick, not mine. Besides you can't even eat cats." the boy said, crossing his arms. Kanami sighed, brushing some of her hair behind her ears.

"Fine, I'll get you a nickname soon enough. Anyway, today I'm going to be training my little brother how to sing! So you'll all be the judges, you'll get to see him rise to stardom!"

"But I don't want to be a singer." Takumi said, crying in pain from the jab in the ribs he got a second later. He just closed his eyes, gritting his teeth.

" _I shouldn't have accepted this deal. Kanami is going to run me ragged."_

Takumi was forced to sing for the crowd, various Kanamin's Kitchen songs that he was seriously regretting to sing. Everyone was either laughing at him, taking video or cheering him on. Some girls were singing along with him, and since they were also horrible singers, it made him sound better by comparison. After a grueling hour and a half of embarrassment, Kanami dragged the boy into My Own Maid, having bid farewell to the crowd. Of course, she had to sign a lot of pictures to get them not to follow them. Kanami sighed as she leaned back in her seat, arms crossed over her chest.

"That exercise was horrible."

"Oh really? You're only realizing this now? You know I can't sing for shit and you put me on the spot? Have you checked out the Twitter posts? How do you expect me to get good at singing if I keep being embarrassed?" the boy snapped, turning his phone to her. He wasn't logged into his account, but he could see a video of him singing was currently trending.

"Little brother, I told you about this back at the park didn't I? You have to be patient with this sort of thing."

"Patient? You want me to be patient? I'm soaking wet and the embarrassment of Akihabara." he snapped angrily. She sighed, closing her eyes for a few moments. She clapped her hands, giving the boy a smile.

"If you want to learn to sing in public, you have to start like this. When you gradually get better, you'll get a bigger crowd. They were all there because I was there, but if I wasn't there you would have been singing on your own. Do you feel any different now?"

"I feel like an ass for letting my big sister talk me into singing in public." he deadpanned. Clara walked up to them, a smile on her face as she set down their order.

"Here you are, I made sure not to spill it and I got the spelling right this time. Takumi-kun, are you going to be in any commercials this month? The director asked me to pass this on to you if you weren't." the girl said, handing him a folded piece of paper, which had some information on it.

"Huh...I wasn't looking to be in another commercial. But the last one wasn't so bad, are you gonna be in it?" he asked.

"Mhmm, I want to be a good idol for AKB48, and that means starting from the bottom. I can't sing that well yet, so right now I have to get my face out there and keep practicing with my voice. I saw that little concert outside, it wasn't that bad." she said cheerfully.

"It was a train wreck Clara, don't even tell me otherwise."

"Hmm...would you like some advice Clara? From an older idol to an up coming one?" Kanami asked grabbing her attention.

"Oh yes, I'm a huge fan Miss Kanamin! Any advice from you would be amazing!" the girl said, a glittering look in her eyes. The idol smiled, setting down her tea cup.

"Give it your all, practice your singing all the time. When you're alone, when your with friends, when your cooking. Make sure your pitch is on key, practice your breathing. Also don't overdo it, the last thing you want is to damage your vocal chords, sing from your stomach at first until you can sing from your throat. You'll be a better singer in no time."

"Thanks so much, I'll be sure to do everything you've told me! I'm about to clock out, I'm gonna go home and practice right away!"

"Uh Clara, it's only 9:54, you're shift doesn't end until Noon." Takumi said, having taken a bite from his omelet. The girl flushed.

"You're right, I'm such a klutz...if you need anything just ring the bell." she said with a bow, taking off toward the kitchen.

"She's really sweet, but she needs to work on her forgetfulness." Kanami said, finishing her tea.

"I gotta admit sis...I find what you did admirable. There are a lot of stars and idols who wouldn't normally give advice to up and coming singers. But here you are giving Clara free advice...it's amazing." the boy said, making the girl flush.

"It's nothing little brother! I got a lot of advice from other idols when I was rising up, I even got advice from Rise. I was convinced she hated me, especially after her hiatus when she went to Inaba. I always saw her as a role model, even now I still do. So I have to make sure to give advice to the people that need it, just like people did for me."

"Hmm...I guess I'm included in that then...thanks Kanami, for being an awesome sister." the boy said.

"Dah...it's nothing. Gotta take care of the little ones after all...in other news...Erica told me what happened. With that package and all."

"Oh that...dad thinks that by sending me that he's gonna force me to work for him. I was supposed to be at Mashita Industries HQ on the 26th, but I was too busy at the beach. You know, being a teenager and all." he said.

"I know that...just don't let him talk you into anything. He talks big but he isn't gonna do shit. I mean come on, he's tried to get me to join his company for years. Become the idol to represent the family company, man fuck him." Kanami hissed angrily. Her phone started ringing loudly, causing her to grab it from beside her. She swiped her finger across the screen, holding it to her ear.

"Hey momma, why are you calling? We spoke last night?" the idol asked, grabbing a piece of bacon from Takumi's plate, much to his chagrin.

"Huh? Seriously? What a dick...just ignore him, hey...you wanna talk to Takumi? You haven't spoken to him in years now...I'm sure he'd love to hear your voice again...okay sure. Here, it's mom." Kanami said, handing the boy the phone.

"Hello? Hi Rika, it's been forever, how are you?"

" _I'm doing great, just taking care of things here at home. You should come visit me, I live in Ichigaya, near the Fishing Pond. In fact, we can meet there next time Kanami comes to visit. I'd like to see how my step son is doing."_

"Hehe...alright, hey maybe I can invite Erica too. I'm sure you'd be happy to meet her, seeing as you were both fucked over by the same man. Can you believe he tried getting me to work for him again? It's getting annoying. That's why I came here to Japan."

" _Yes, he can be a real douche bag. Kanami told me what he did to your little sister Mitsuhide. It's unforgivable, getting a lawyer to remove their college accounts, that poor woman. I heard she had to do some shady deals just to keep her store."_ Rika said, earning a frown from the boy.

"Yup, but she's one hundred percent legit now. In fact, people are coming to the store a lot more now. She's also sponsored my Stride team, so she's getting a lot more recognition now. I mean, it's hard not to when your logo is plastered on live television." he admitted.

"Oh, don't let me forget, I'm a sponsor too so make sure your mom sows those patches on your jackets." Kanami said, earning a nod from the boy.

" _Well, I have to get back to work. I only have a few minutes and thought I'd call Kanami. I'm sure she can fill you in later, put on for me would you?"_

"Alright, see ya soon Rika, it was awesome talking to you..bye!" the boy said cheerfully, handing his sister her phone back. After a few more seconds, the idol hung up.

"Mom seemed happy, she likes fishing a lot so bringing Erica will definitely be good. In fact, that'll be our next practice day, our moms can fish and we can sing."

"Fuck."

"Aw, don't give me that...at least I'm not putting you in an idol outfit...hmm...I'm gonna have Marissa take your measurements. I think you'll look cute in a skirt."

"Double Fuck."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday August 29**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Ueno Art Museum**_

 _ **Time: Daytime  
**_

 _ **Weather: Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Live a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx**_

"This is certainly the best way to relax on a rainy day." Mitsuhide said, happily looking at the painting before them.

"You actually like this?" Caroline asked, pointing to the landscape painting in front of her. Justine stood to Mitsuhide's right, glancing at the painting with a scrutinizing eye. Takumi stood behind the three.

"Of course...this is an original Monet. Look at his use of color here, how he accents the beauty if this lake, high lights those lily-pads. Even the falling leaves add to the serenity of this scene."

"Your sister is boring Inmate! Why wouldn't we go do something fun for once?"

"Well, the amusement park is closed...what else could we have done? Besides, we agreed that you would learn more about human culture. So I figured today we could learn about art through the ages."

"I for one am quite intrigued by art, especially this Leonardo Da Vinci fellow. The Mona Lisa is quite an interesting painting, for years, people have tried to figure out the reason behind her smile." Mitsuhide said, walking over to where the replica of the Mona Lisa was on display.

"I agree with Mitsuhide...this painting does have a lot of charm to it. What is she smiling at? Is she smiling at the artist? Or is it because she's received some exciting news? I guess that's something that's left up to interpretation." Justine said, eyes narrowed as she glanced at the painting.

"Seriously sis? You're sister's boredom is rubbing off on Justine, it's annoying!"

"Well, what would you call fine art? If you don't mind me asking?" the young actor asked. The blonde girl smirked, taking a hold of his hand.

"Follow me, I'll show you what I consider fine art!"

The boy sighed, allowing himself to be lead by the younger girl. Justine and Mitsuhide trailed behind him, wondering where she was guiding them. They ended up going outside, having used their umbrellas during the short walk. It didn't take them long, but they managed to find a Comic Book and Manga shop, three blocks away from the Ueno Art Museum. The girl smiled proudly, hands on her hips.

"This is a place of true art. Not that boring stuff at the museum, this is what art should truly be!" she said.

"Hmm...so you have varying tastes in art. Justine likes more modern and medieval pieces, while Caroline likes comic style art. That is typical twin behavior, both of them expressing different likes and dislikes." Mitsuhide said, jotting that in her phone.

"What is she doing?"

"Oh...she's studying psychology, and she wanted to study the mind of twins. Since you're the only twins we know, she figured she could use you as a subject for her thesis. Just humor her." Takumi said, earning a nod from Justine who followed her sister into the comic book store.

It was pretty big, having shelves filled to the brim with both comics and manga. Takumi noticed the familiar Marvel and DC logos he had known back in America. He was pleasantly surprised, having not known there was a store in Tokyo that sold American comics. He walked over to the DC section, his eyes falling on Green Lantern: Blackest Night. He grabbed a hold of it, a smile on his face.

"You're smiling, have you read this comic before?" Justine asked curiously.

"Yup, I had an app on my phone that let me read comics online. I would have liked to have the physical ones for my collection though. This one is one of my favorites. I don't really like Green Lantern, but I gotta admit, this story was pretty dark."

"Can I see? I don't think I've read this one yet." Caroline said, taking the comic from his hand. She flipped to the first page, already reading some of the first panels.

"You're gonna love this one if you haven't read it. It's so good, I used to read this arc all the time. Here, you're gonna need all of those issues if you want to read the whole story. Matter of fact, there should be an omnibus somewhere around here...aha, here it is. Oh, there's Brightest Day too, you'll want that...and Injustice as well." the boy said, placing the hard cover books in the girl's arms.

"Wah...I only wanted one, not the whole damn series!" the girl cried.

"Oh ho no no no no no. One does not simply read one issue of this, you need to read the entire story! Don't even worry about it, think of it as a gift from me to you! Justine do you see anything that catches your interest?" the boy asked, as he continued to look for all of the Injustice comics.

"Um...not particularly. Perhaps I'll look at the manga section."

"Do you like super heroes? If so I can start you off with Boku no Hero Academia, I think you'll enjoy it." Mitsuhide said, taking a hold of her hand.

"I'm not sure...I suppose taking a look wouldn't necessarily hurt." she said softly, allowing herself to be pulled by the younger girl.

"When did she get into manga? She was catatonic the last time I saw her."

"Well, waking up to Lady Loveless seems to have changed her a bit. She's more open now, and isn't afraid to try new things. She's becoming a well rounded young woman, I've actually been planning something for her tenth birthday. But I haven't exactly gotten anything down...September 16th will be here before I know it." he said, watching his sister and Justine looking through some manga.

"Maybe you should get her something she really wants. She's into that psychology junk, why not get her some books or something?"

"She has plenty of books though...we bought some at the book fair in Jinbocho not that long ago. I know she wants me to treat her like an adult, but I also want her to enjoy her childhood. Being inside writing reports and theses all the time isn't good for her." he said, a worried tone in his voice.

"I don't know what to say Inmate. How about you spend some time with her, one on one? You've seen what she's capable of, but it's like you still don't know her. Perhaps you'll find something if you spend time with her." Caroline said, struggling a bit with the weight of all the books.

"That...isn't a bad idea. I guess taking her out wouldn't be such a bad thing, we're going to school soon. Maybe we can spend time there and learn more about her studying habits."

"Yes, now can you take a hold of these? My arms are tired!"

"Sorry." the boy said sheepishly, grabbing a hold of the books. He took them all to the counter, the cashier looking at him curiously.

"Didn't think someone like you would be into comics. You got some fine choices here."

"Well...comics aren't for everyone, luckily they are for me. Whenever I was at home or between movies, I would just read whatever I could find. Blackest Night is still my favorite arc of Green Lantern, followed of course by Injustice...not to mention there's some really good Suicide Squad comics out there. Everything in DC is good...well not everything." Takumi said.

"A DC boy then? I'm a Marvel man myself, but I do like to read some DC every so often. Everyone likes Batman after all...I've never found one person who hates Batman." the cashier said, scanning all of his books.

"Same here, you just can't hate him. He's just too badass, though his "Thou Shalt Not Kill" mentality is annoying at times. Especially with people like Scarecrow and Joker who keep killing people."

"Well, he's a human in the end...you can't expect him to kill. That's like say...the Phantom Thieves going out and killing someone rather than steal their heart. They've been changing people from behind the scenes, what if one day they just killed someone?" the cashier asked.

"They wouldn't do that."

"Exactly, though people are trying to correlate the Mental Shutdowns with the Phantom Thieves. I know for a fact they aren't responsible, but there's always that doubt. Hey, maybe someone will start writing Comics about the Thieves, that would be cool."

"Hehe, actually...I know this kid from Kosei Academy who's working on a Doujinshi based on the Phantom Thieves. I guess the fever is catching on. They're just everywhere now." Takumi said.

The cashier and Takumi continued their conversation, trading back several issues of comics they had read. They had even gotten into a bit of a debate on certain topics, but Mitsuhide had quickly put an end to it. After being told of a comic group that gathered there on Tuesday afternoons, the group of four left the comic shop, heading toward the nearby park.

"I gotta admit, this story is pretty good. You got me hooked Inmate, you pass today." Caroline said absentmindedly. Even though it was raining, it was still a very cool day. Thankfully the gazebo had been unoccupied and they had found some picnic tables to take a break at.

"Glad you like it, that's just the beginning though. Once you get to the middle part, tell me how you're liking it."

"I believe I learned something about art today. It's a topic that is quite subjective...what one person finds beautiful, a person could hate it." Justine said, earning a nod from Mitsuhide.

"It's all about cognition I'm afraid. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, just like you find Monet and Mona Lisa beautiful, Caroline finds comic style drawings beautiful. It's part of how you two perceive the world." the ravenette said.

"Gee sis, at this rate I'm gonna have to get you a freaking lab coat. You keep sounding more and more like a psychiatrist now." Takumi said, poking the flaking wood of the worn table.

"Hmm...perhaps that would make me look more like an adult. Tell me big brother, how long have you been thinking about Lavenza?"

"Huh? How do you know that name?" the boy exclaimed, eyes widened in shock.

"I told her...I am growing a bit concerned. You act quite different whenever her name is mentioned. It also feels odd talking about it, whenever me and Caroline are alone, we discuss possibilities of who she could be. We find ourselves thinking a lot about you."

"Don't make it sound like that sis, sheesh. Also don't take it the wrong way Inmate, we're not thinking pervy things like you probably are!"

"I wasn't thinking that at all. It's just...odd okay? I don't know what Lavenza is to me, but whenever I think about her, I get sad. My heart starts beating, and I get the urge to cry. It's as if...she's disappeared, and she's trying to call for help. I just can't figure out where she is." Takumi replied, crossing his arms.

"Maybe she's a figment of your imagination." Caroline said, holding back a giggle.

"Or perhaps it has to do with the previous meeting. I do not remember it, but it seems our master does. It isn't the first time we have met the Tower, or the Wild Card for that matter. Our master will not reveal the details, it would interfere with your rehabilitation. You must figure that out on your own." Justine said.

"Rehabilitation?" Mitsuhide asked curiously.

"Don't worry your pretty little head about it Mitsu. It's just something that me and my sister are responsible for doing. If you were a guest, we could explain, but you aren't. Speaking of, I think it's about time we head back. Our master will get mad if we spend too much time in the real world." Caroline said, gathering up her books, placing them in her bag.

"I had an interesting time today, perhaps we should get together again." Mitsuhide said, earning a nod from the twins.

"Definitely, text us later okay?"

"I'll make sure she does, see you later girls. Be safe going back." Takumi said, giving them a smile.

"You turned my friends into comic book addicts." Mitsuhide said, earning a chuckle from Takumi.

"Not really, Caroline always gave me that vibe. Justine is the more serious of the two, yet you managed to get her to buy some manga. You should feel proud of yourself. Those two want to learn about the human world, and literature and art is a good way to start."

"I figured...we should head back home, it's almost one in the afternoon and the rain hasn't let up."

"Okay, let's start heading home then. Wanna stop by the candy store and bring something back for mom and Ayumi?"

"Sure, just as long as you buy me some gummy worms." she replied, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"Of course, but we're sharing."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Monday August 29**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Public Procescutors Office**_

 _ **Time: Afternoon**_

 _ **Weather: Rain**_

 _ **Objective: Life a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx**_

"How'd you do it?"

"Excuse me?" Takumi asked, tilting his head in confusion. Konan exhaled a cloud of smoke, glaring at the boy as she pulled her pipe away from her lips.

"How did you get Ichiya to turn himself in and confess?" she asked, earning a sigh from the boy.

"I didn't do anything, I gave the information to my friend, he got it to the Thieves, they took care of it. I didn't even know that he turned himself in until just now...so how do you expect me to know about it?" he asked.

"That's total shit...how can you not know how it's done? We had no information on this guy, just a name and a picture. We didn't have a location, or whereabouts yet you take that one name and find him. There's something you aren't telling me."

"Nope, I know nothing...I gave the name to my friend, he handed it off. And speaking of not telling, what about our end of the bargain? I wanna know what's going on around here." Takumi said, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair. He was glad the office door was open, but that didn't meant someone wasn't listening in. He hoped that wasn't the case.

"Fine...a deal is a deal. Sae Nijima is steaming mad, seems like the Phantom Thieves taking care of Medjed drove her over the top. But what really pissed her off, was the fact that Shimizu had done all of that disgusting crap and no one knew about it. Apparently, she found an extensive pornographic film in her mailbox the night before his confession. When she was going to make an arrest, the man confessed via conference, which was broadcast all around Japan...even Akechi was a bit mad at this turnabout."

"Hmm...interesting...and what exactly did he say?"

"Nothing much...he kept saying something about Mental Shutdowns. He said that there had to be a trigger, and that the Phantom Thieves might know about it. He also said something along the lines of, "It's only a matter of time before they kill" or something like that. Kinda pisses me off when I think about it." Konan said, exhaling another cloud of smoke.

"Why? Aren't you a detective? Shouldn't you be happy that the Phantom Thieves are being investigated?" Takumi asked.

"Not really...you see, there's something that I don't really get. If our justice system is in fact so just, then why do people get away with stuff like this? I mean look at Ryoutaro Shimizu...he was doing this for years. People said something, they were eliminated...Koichi Kabugari was one of us, he used his skills against us. Protect and serve my ass."

"So what you're saying is, that the Phantom Thieves are the necessary Justice? That's something interesting, especially coming from you." he said. The pinkette looked at him, clearing her pipe before refilling it with more tobacco.

"Don't get me wrong, they're criminals through and through. Forcing people to have a change of heart isn't any different from brainwashing someone. While I would be sad the day they get arrested, I will not be disappointed. I want to know what makes them tick, and I guess the only way to do that is to arrest them. You should tell them to be careful."

"Right...I'm sure they already know that, but I'll pass the information on. Anyway, did you make any headway in your murder case?" he asked, earning a sigh from the woman.

"Nope...too many variables and unexplained oddities. You made a lot of progress, no one had seen the gun until you pointed it out. Some of the detectives were annoyed that you did a better job than they did."

"Well, they should pay attention to detail. That's something I learned through acting." he replied.

"Yeah, I figured that was the case...regardless, this man was cut open. I was looking at some other cases, turns out three more victims were found just like him. All of them had connections to politicians, all of them unnamed. Also, one thing that I noticed is that the disemboweling looks rather...clean. It reminds me of Seppuku."

"The suicide technique used by Samurai? Don't tell me...you think a Ninja did this?"

"Of course not! Do you actually think Ninja are still living in this day and age? I wouldn't doubt it. But here in Tokyo? I doubt it. I'm just saying, the slice is too uniform. It's as if it's been practiced over and over again, this person knows what their doing. One thing that was found at every single scene, was a rusted nail."

"A rusted...wait, I remember seeing that nail now. It was near his face, actually, the man had a cut on his cheek. It looked like the nail had been responsible for that, as if they tried to finish them off with the nail, but ended up missing instead." Takumi said.

"That's what I thought as well. It made no sense, if they wanted to finish him off, why not shoot him with his own gun?" Konan asked curiously.

"Probably because the victim was holding it. Still, that thing you said about politicians makes sense...if the Yakuza is helping out politicians, then it could be possible that their trying to get into the government. Maybe this person is just trying to prevent that from happening."

"But why? What motive would they have? There's a reason behind those actions Takumi. Whoever it is...they have a reason for all of this, a personal one. Especially if it involves disemboweling people." Konan said, earning a nod from the boy. She shook her head, glancing toward the window.

"Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about Ichiya turning himself in, and share my thoughts with you. You are my assistant after all, if I find out anything, I'll let you know."

"Oh...okay then. Are you sure there isn't anything else you wanna discuss?" he asked.

"Nope, not at all...man, I'm starving, mind taking a girl out to lunch?"

"Ugh...fine...sure. I haven't had anything myself, so I guess I wouldn't mind." he said, standing up from his seat. The detective smiled, grabbing a hold of her purse.

"Come on, I'll let you drive the squad car."

"What...no, isn't that illegal?"

"Not if you have an licensed adult in the car it isn't. Come on, all growing boys want to mess with a police car. You'll get to brag to all of your friends now!" Konan said excitedly. He sighed, deciding to just go along with her antics. It was still hard to believe the serious woman from before had been replaced with the joyous person before him.

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)**_

 _ **Date: Monday August 20**_ _ **th**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Jinbocho**_

 _ **Time: Evening**_

 _ **Weather: Torrential Rain (Hot Night)**_

 _ **Objective: Live a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Ugh...I cannot believe this shit! I had this all planned out, and now my friends are all gone. Ichiya is such a dumb ass!" Izumi cried angrily. Takumi had his hands on his lap, glancing around the room.

Izumi had apparently planned out a Blackjack game with her friends, but since Ichiya had turned himself in, everything had changed. So Takumi had been forced to return to her home with her. He had been pleasantly surprised with the size of her apartment. It had white walls, decorated with various expensive looking paintings. The living room had a large screen television, with a black entertainment system, filled with movies. There was a large suede couch, complete with a recliner and cup-holders, surrounding a coffee table in the center of the living room, with a fuzzy zebra print rug. She had some potted plants around the house, including a large bamboo plant near the window, along with a stained glass lamp resting a small table. The kitchen was also fully remodeled, with tile floors, black appliances, including a stove with a ceramic top, oak cupboards and an island in the center of the kitchen, with a utensil rack hanging from the ceiling. Overall, it was a cozy looking place, and a bit too big for one teenage girl to live in.

"What's up with you? You look like a goddamn pretty boy with your hands on your lap. Jesus, relax would you?" the girl snapped, she was sitting across from him, legs crossed as she was drinking out of a glass. She was wearing nothing but a white sundress, and a pair of white heels, her hair being up in its usual style. He sighed, relaxing a bit.

"Sorry, I just...don't know how to act when your drinking."

"Eh? Just act normal idiot...still, Ichiya turning himself in was unexpected. Bacchus and Kuromi are probably somewhere else in Tokyo, fucking each others brains out. No way in hell they'd wanna come down here, heard he had to close down the Casino."

"That's normal, when a close friend turns himself in, you have to move fast. You don't know if he spilled the beans...I'm sorry, I'm sure you had an interesting game set up for us tonight." the boy said apologetically.

" _Yeah, sorry that I got someone close to you arrested...I guess this is the downside of being a Phantom Thief, disappointing your close friends."_

"Why would you apologize for that? You had no control over what Ichiya did...who cares. Yeah, I'm pissed off the game was a bust but we can play something else. Maybe if your game, some strip poker?" she asked, her cheeks flushed as she licked her lips.

"I have a girlfriend."

"Who said anything about touching? Are you scared of seeing a woman naked?"

"Izumi, you're sixteen...I really think drinking isn't a good idea for you." the boy said with a flush. She shook her head, finishing the last of her drink.

"I'm just fucking with you man, you actually think I would get naked for you? Ha! You would have to get me on a good day to even think about showing you my tits. Anyway, we might not be able to play Blackjack with a group, but I can at least show you how to play the game." the girl said, reaching into her purse for a deck of cards. She set her glass down, shuffling the cards.

"I'm not betting any money."

"Aw...and I was gonna break out the chips...fine. I'll get some of your money some other time. Do you know the rules of Blackjack?"

"It's easy, you have to reach 21 or a number close to it without going over. If you go over 21 you lose, if the house goes over 21, you win your bets. The dealer draws to 17, if your cards tie with the dealer, it's called a push. Aces equal eleven, and it's a Blackjack if you get 21 with two cards. Does that cover everything?"

"Wow...I'm impressed...did you read up on this before coming here?" Izumi asked curiously.

"My little sister explained the game to me. Apparently she and my mom play a lot whenever they're bored. She doesn't go easy on her." Takumi said, rubbing his neck. Izumi shrugged, dealing the cards. She drew one, while she gave two to Takumi. Her card was an Ace of Spade, which she was going to play as eleven.

"Now then, this is where the fun begins. I'm not gonna say anything, it'll be up to you to make the call." she said. He nodded, glancing at his cards.

" _A king and a nine...that's nineteen...if I draw one more, I could bust. I'll just stay this one."_

"I'm gonna stay." he said.

"Alright, cross your fingers then. You sure you don't wanna bet? I have money in my purse. It's starting to get a little lonely, maybe you could give it a new friend?"

"Just deal your cards." the boy said, crossing his arms in annoyance. She rolled her eyes, drawing her own cards. She drew a two of hearts, followed by a ten of spades, instantly losing the hand.

"Well, looks like you won this round...let's go again." she said, gathering the used cards. She drew a ten of hearts, giving Takumi a Queen and an Ace, making her go wide eyed.

"Goddamn it, okay...let's go again."

"Are we gonna gloss over the fact that I just won without lifting a finger?"

"Fuck off."

They continued back and forth, with Takumi winning and losing some hands. Izumi seemed annoyed that he was winning more than he was losing, despite not knowing how to gamble properly. After fifteen minutes, she called it quits, having gone to the kitchen for a bottle of wine and a pair of glasses. She sighed as she sat back down, taking her heels off.

"What a fuckin bust man...I wonder why Ichiya just turned himself in? I mean, he didn't have a reason behind it." she said, screwing the bottle opener into the cork.

"Maybe he felt guilty?"

"Pfft, guilty? This is the man that's been selling drugs to kids for ages. The man who pretty much said to my face he'd love to show me what he could do. I doubt a man who offered a sixteen year old girl a night of hot action would be guilty enough to turn his ass in. Nah, I feel like he was forced to turn himself in. Who, I dunno." she said. She growled a bit, struggling to pull the cork from the bottle. Takumi took a hold of it, giving the cork a twist as he pulled, a loud pop filling the room.

"Thanks...it's a huge pain in the ass to open those."

"How...do you get alcohol when your underaged?"

"Who else? Ichiya was the one who bought that all for me. His family owns a vineyard somewhere up north. So he usually bought stuff for his bar that didn't exist, always gave me a case whenever he didn't have any money on him. This one is a 1934 Chateau Haut Brion."

"Wow...that's a perfect French accent." the boy said, watching as she poured the crimson liquid into the glasses, handing one to him.

"I spent two years in France, so I'm fluent in French. It was hard getting over there, but I convinced the government that was a very short Japanese woman. You'd be surprised what a fake ID and a lot of money could get you."

"Yeah...I suppose." Takumi said, taking a sip from his glass. He cringed a bit at the taste. He really didn't like wine, but he wasn't going to disrespect his host. Izumi let out a giggle, twirling some hair around her finger.

"Tastes like shit doesn't it? You'll get used to it...I used to think all wine tasted the same, but it takes time."

"I'm just...not a wine guy you know? My sister and her friend have a lot of wine, along with coolers and booze. When they wanna party they break out the wine and I'm just sitting there with my glass of grape juice." he replied.

"Hey, this is grape juice, technically. Apparently this was crafted 84 years ago in some vineyard in the French Alps. Hell if I know, but it doesn't taste that bad...anyway, I guess you came all the way here. So I'll tell you another piece of my story." she said.

"Oh? I'm looking forward to this part." he said. She hummed to herself, eyes narrowed as she pulled the glass away from her lips.

"Hmm...I told you about my early childhood...I doubt you want to know about my struggles on the streets. I know, I'll tell you about France, since I was talking about it earlier. I'll tell you, if you have the chance to visit Paris, do it. It's the most beautiful city in the world."

"I've always wanted to go there...what's it like?"

"Well...aside from all of the boutiques and cafes...not that different from Tokyo. It's bustling, people are on the move and everything is just nice. The food is delicious, the flowers are brilliant, even the sun seems different. The Eiffel Tower is stunning up close, and seeing Paris from the observation deck is even more alluring." she said.

"What made you wanna go there?"

"Well...that has to do with those Veterans I was speaking about. You see, a lot of people weren't able to go home. Some were just lost, others just didn't feel like going back home. So most of them just decided to explore the world, others just fell on hard times. There was this one man, who ended up passing away a few years ago. He was a Vet from World War II. He said he had a daughter in Paris that he wanted to meet, but he was too old to go there...so I always joked about going to Paris and searching for her. He always told me not to bother, that she probably didn't know who he was...but...well it was his last wish. He died shortly after that. So I got myself a fake ID and went to Paris."

"How did you even get that fake ID?" he asked, earning a giggle from the girl.

"Like I said, money can get you anything you want. Wasn't long after that, that I was on a plane bound for Paris. I spent some time in Germany, just exploring. Afterwards, I arrived in Paris and well...I was thirteen years old with thousands of yen in my pocket. The first thing I did was go to the bank and exchange my money and then I went on a shopping spree." Izumi said, taking a sip of her wine. Takumi did the same, feeling a bit buzzed from it.

"So, what happened when you realized you were broke and had nowhere to stay?" he asked curiously.

"I gambled of course...I may not have any money, but the little I had, I was able to double it. It wasn't long before I was sitting on a lofty sum. With it, I was able to hire a French tutor to learn the language."

"How am I not surprised?" Takumi said, earning a shrug from the girl. She set her glass down, stretching her arms above her head, leaning back in her couch.

"You shouldn't, my life is unbelievable but it is true. It was hard the first year, I had to lie my way out of most of each scenario I found myself in. I had to leave Paris for awhile too, since the police were looking for me, illegal gambling as a minor and all that shit. I did stay in Barcelona, so I learned a bit of Spanish while I was there. When I returned, I set out on a mission, to find that man's daughter...I spent those two years searching...but I never found her."

"I'm...sorry to hear that Izumi."

"I'm sorry too...I failed the old man...I went all the way to Paris, looked all over the place and in the end I didn't find his daughter. I couldn't waste more time in Paris, so on my fifteenth birthday, I came back to Japan. The first thing I did was buy myself this place...with the money I had left, I made sure the kids I grew up with were doing fine. I was able to easily double and triple my money, so I'm living quite comfortably now. But if it wasn't for that man telling me about his daughter living in Paris, I wouldn't have had all of those Euros to gamble away while I was in France."

"You at least share your winnings with people that need it. You aren't like other people who just spend all their money on themselves...but if that's the case, why swindle people?" He asked.

"Because people are cruel and disgusting. You see people walking by the homeless every day, all they ask for is a spare coin, and they just walk by you. Kids are starving out on the streets, unable to live their lives in peace, because they're cold and hungry, and they can't even spare a thousand yen for a bottle of water and some bread. So I dress up like a bum so I can take advantage of the rich, and give it to the poor. I'm sorry your sister was caught in it, but she looked like a hoity toity high class girl." Izumi said firmly.

"Hoity toity...hell, I think Ayumi would slap you if she heard that from you."

"Probably...still, her striding up to me and calling me out for my shit. It's impressive, she's lucky I didn't slap her. Then again, I thought she was your girlfriend at the time. You two aren't related right? Have you kissed her?"

"What? No! Why the fuck would you ask me that?" he cried, eyes widening in shock.

"Sorry, that was the wine speaking...I've seen a lot of anime where that shit happens. I've wondered around Tokyo and spent time in the Nerd capital of the world, so forgive me for asking. Still, if you can't get a girlfriend, you at least have someone available."

"I think I'm gonna go home, you've clearly had too much wine...you fuckin cheeks are red." Takumi said, standing up from his seat.

"Aw come on...stay and drink with me, just a little more. We're almost done with this bottle."

"Yeah no...I have a girlfriend, and if I keep drinking this is gonna end up somewhere else. So, what's our next lesson?"

"Horse Races, I'm gonna teach you all about which horse to bet on and when. I think that's an appropriate thing." she said.

"Huh? Horse racing? But isn't that illegal here?"

"Everything is illegal here dumb ass. We're gonna be tuning into a television program and betting among friends. I'll make sure Bacchus and Kuromi are through fucking before we meet up. You know where I live now so just stop by any time you want. Bring your girl if you want, I could use some new friends." She said.

"I'd rather not, I think Ann will slap you the moment she lays eyes on you." he said.

"Probably...well, go on...before the trains shut down for the night." Izumi said, grabbing a hold of the bottle. She stood up, taking a gulp from it as she lead the boy to the door.

"Seriously, you need to watch your alcohol intake."

"Yeah yeah, see ya later." she slurred, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek before closing the door in his face. He sighed, wiping his cheek with his shirt sleeve as he walked down the stairs.

" _France huh? I guess she did have that vibe earlier...I wouldn't have thought she'd go to France to fulfill someone's dying wish though. She isn't as scummy as I thought she was. But she seriously needs to watch her drinking habits."_ he thought. He walked out of the apartment complex, bumping into someone as he did. He knelt down to pick up the woman's purse, holding it out to her.

"Sorry about that ma'am, I wasn't paying attention."

"It's no problem." she replied, hastily grabbing her purse. The boy turned to face her, seeing a familiar looking outfit.

"Miss Kawakami?"

"Ugh...dammit, why did you have to recognize me?" the woman asked, whirling around to face the boy, an annoyed look on her face.

"Well, I'd recognized that tired voice anywhere. It's like you don't even want to do this, yet here you are. Why are you even doing this?"

"I don't have to tell you that...what are you doing in Jinbocho? You...you smell like alcohol...have you been drinking?" she asked curiously, causing the boy to stiffen.

"Hmm...how about we make a deal? We didn't see each other tonight, I don't say anything about you, you don't say anything about me...deal?"

"Fair enough...have a good night Mister Mashita." she said, giving him a boy.

"Wait...one more thing." he said, reaching into his pocket. She faced him again, a curious look on her face. The boy hastily wrote a check for the woman, placing two million yen in the amount, before signing his name at the bottom.

"Your name is Sadayo right?"

"Yes? It's improper to call a woman by her name, especially a teacher."

"Yes well...I've told you to call me by name, even in school. Here, you look like you need a little money. I have no idea why you're working as a maid, and while I want to know why, it isn't my place. I saw you coming out of Ren's house a couple nights in a row. I figured you were his maid, or at least helping him out with stuff. I don't really care what relationship you have with him, but seriously...think about quitting this job will you? Last time you got robbed, and...well no offense but you look like crap." he said, placing the check in her hands.

"Thanks, you have such a way with words" she replied, glancing at the check, eyes widening a bit.

"Wait...are you insane?" she cried, looking up at the boy, only to see he had taken off. She stared at the check again, resisting the urge to scream at her student, even though he was no longer present. She folded the check, placing it in her bra.

"That idiot, I can't believe he seriously gave me that...bless his heart, I finally have enough to quit this awful job." she said happily. From the nearby street corner, Takumi smiled.

"Helping people out one check at a time...well, I guess money really does make the world turn. Stealing from the rich to give to the poor...Izumi may as well be a Phantom Thief."

 _ **xxx(Take Your Time)xxx**_

 _ **Date: Tuesday August 21**_ _ **st**_ _ **20XX**_

 _ **Location: Ginza**_

 _ **Time: Morning**_

 _ **Weather: Partly Cloudy (Heatwave)**_

 _ **Objective: Live a Normal Life**_

 _ **xxx**_

"Sweetheart, must we really be out here? It's 92 degrees and I'm all sweaty. My sweat is sweating." Takumi complained, having let go of Ann's hand, wiping it against his pant leg before taking a hold of it again.

"Yes, they're having a sale here and I want to get some stuff. Besides, you wanted to spend more time with me right? You get to see how a fashion model well...fashions!" Ann replied, giving him a smile.

"Yeah, but why do I have to carry your stuff?" he asked, showing her the bags she had already purchased. Among them, was a gothic style maid dress, that he never thought the blonde would consider wearing.

"Because you are my boyfriend, and I'll make out with you later if you carry them for me."

"Will you show me your boobs?"

"Haha...nice try." she said, stopping in front of a store. The boy sighed, watching the blonde intently as she looked through the glass. There was a dress on sale, a cute red and white sundress with frills around the bust, and no straps. It had a black ribbon like belt around the waist, and was cut at an angle. It also had red glittering sequins around the bust, making it glimmer in the small beams of sun that passed through the glass.

"I'm gonna go inside and buy this...it's on sale and I am not missing it. Hmm...oh I know, we're near some of the Cafes, you can go on and wait in one of you want." Ann said happily, earning a sigh from the boy.

"Thanks babe, I appreciate it. I could go for a coffee actually." he said, giving the girl a firm kiss on the lips. She hugged him briefly before walking into the store. The boy turned around, hastily walking away from the store, sticking to the shadows as much as possible.

" _ **Ryuu Ga Waga Teki Wo Kurau!"**_

"Ugh...goddamn it Futaba, I fuckin told you not to change my text tone." the boy muttered in annoyance, as he drew his phone from his pocket, glancing at the screen. It was a text from Ryuji, which he quickly answered.

 **Ryuji:** _"_ _Dude, you're in Ginza with Ann right now yeah?_

 **Ryuji:** _"_ _I heard from one of my friends that there's a contest going on in a cafe. The goth one...if you manage to eat an entire bucket of ice cream, you get your name on a plaque._

 **Ryuji:** _"_ _Think about it...it's a plaque, you'll be immortalized forever."_

 **Takumi:** _"_ _Ryuji, bro...I'm not one to give a shit about plaques...plus an entire bucket of ice cream? 0.0_

 **Ryuji:** _"_ _Well if anything, Ann can help you. You know how much she loves that shit, it'll all go to her boobs. It's a win win for both of you! ._

 **Takumi:** _"_ _Fuck yourself, I hope you are forced to eat Fat Bastard's Crusty Asshole!"_

He shoved his phone in his pocket, as he continued his walk. He stopped at the crosswalk, glancing around the area for a few moments. The cafe his friend had been referring too was the Vampire Cafe. It was a very popular cafe for those who liked the occult. He had been there with Ann a few times, but it was always odd being there. She liked the ambiance, and he was honestly there for the food. Still, a gold plated name placard was a pretty cool thing. He looked at his watch for a moment before shifting his walk, heading toward the building the popular cafe was located in. Once there, he headed into the cafe, seeing the sign advertising the challenge.

" _Eat Four pints of ice cream in an hour and you get your name gold plated and added to the wall. Looks like there have been some winners in the past too."_ he thought, glancing at the wall that had four names on it. He narrowed his eyes when he saw one that stuck out, the name Rei Shirozaki was not only gold plated, but it also had another small tag on it.

"Four Consecutive Wins...gee, someone likes their ice cream." he muttered dryly. A young woman made her way over to him, she had very pale skin, and long blonde hair tied into high ponytails with red ribbons. She was wearing a black gown with red accents to it, and dark make up around her eyes. She gave him a smile, licking her vampire fangs with her tongue.

"Welcome to the Vampire Cafe...table for one I presume?" she asked.

"Actually, I wanted to partake in that challenge you have going on right now." he said. She quirked a dainty brow, giggling a bit as she turned around.

"Follow me then, you best be hungry, or else you won't be able to beat the reigning champion." she said. The boy shrugged, walking after the blonde girl into the occult themed cafe. There were several other customers there, mostly goths hanging around one table.

There sat a young woman, who in his opinion was quite beautiful. Her long black hair fell down her back like a curtain, reaching down past her waist, and kept completely straight. She had pale colored skin, and small brows. She was wearing dark eye shadow, her brilliant green eyes focused on the ice cream in front of her. She was wearing a simple black dress, with puffed out sleeves and a low cut collar, showing a bit of her cleavage. It reached down to her knees, long frilly black stockings covering her legs. She was wearing a pair of ankle high felt boots, with white fur around the top. She was wearing a pair of black gloves on her hands, her left hand holding a silver spoon. It seemed as if she had only gotten to eat part of the ice cream, not having made much of a dent into it.

The crowd parted as soon as the blonde girl came back, placing a tub of ice cream across from the current challenger. She looked at it oddly for a second before Takumi sat down across from her, cracking his neck a bit as he leaned into his seat. The waitress handed him the spoon, a smile on her face.

"You have an hour to eat as much ice cream as you can. You eat more than the reigning champion here, you win your name on a plaque. If you lose well...you'll become my play thing for a few days."

"What does that entail? I have a girlfriend." he said, earning a giggle from the girl.

"I'll let your imagination decide that...though I do requite sustenance, a pint of blood will do." she said, licking the side of his neck, going as far as biting him. He shuddered a bit, grabbing a hold of the spoon, digging into the ice cream.

"You aren't going to win, you know." the girl across from him said. Her accented voice piqued his interest a bit, as he pulled the spoon out of his mouth.

"Are you German?" he asked.

"Ja, sprichst du Deutsch?"

"Nicht wirklich. Mein Deutsch ist nicht so gut, um ehrlich zu sein."

"You're German...it's not so bad." she replied, digging her spoon in her ice cream.

"I was on set in Germany once, so I have some knowledge of the language. Not exactly fluent in it though." he replied, taking another bite from his ice cream. He didn't really like Mint Chocolate Chip, but the girl before him didn't seem to mind it.

"Oh, an actor are you? I don't seem to know you."

"Yeah, I was in a couple movies back in the day. I'm Takumi Mashita, you must be Rei Shirozaki correct?"

"Ja, that is my name. I am Japanese, but I was adopted young by a German couple, so I was raised there. I have recently come to my homeland for College, and to learn more about its history."

"That's pretty cool, I spent some time overseas too, America. It's a nice country, though I'm sure you probably don't like it much."

"Why? Because of what happened during the War? The same thing could be said about Japan. It's all in the past, why bring it up in this generation?" Rei asked curiously, earning a shrug from the boy.

"I suppose you are right. We should focus on our ice cream though." he said, earning a nod from the girl.

They continued munching on the sweet treat, each hoping to out eat the other. It was hard at times, especially due to the brain freeze they would get when they hurried. 45 minutes in, the boy had finally touched bottom, only having a bit of ice cream left on the tub. Rei had slowed down a bit, having a little over half the tub in. She grabbed a hold of it, drinking some of the melted cream.

"It seems it's getting real...letting the ice cream melt is a good tactic, you have 14 minutes left. I'd hurry up if I were you." the waitress, who he had learned went by the name Mina, reminded them. Takumi grabbed his spoon and started swirling it around the tub, hoping to melt the reminder of the ice cream, or at least get it soft enough to drink. The two contestants focused on the task at hand, ignoring the brain freeze they got. Finally, with five minutes left to spare, the two of them set their tubs down, completely empty.

"It's a tie...Good Game." Takumi said, holding his sticky hand out to the girl.

"Ja, you did great too. You have ice cream all over your face." she said, shaking his hand, earning a chuckle from the boy.

"So do you...we don't exactly look like the most attractive people right now huh?" he asked. Grabbing several napkins, the two wiped up as much as the ice cream as they could.

"Well...I'll go speak to the manger. If you'd like to head to the wash rooms, feel free too. Beware, there might be some bats hanging out in there." Mina said, giving the two a wink as she walked off with the empty tubs. Takumi headed toward the men's room, keen on washing his face and hands.

It didn't take long for him to finish up, having arrived back at the waiting area of the restaurant. Rei had walked out as well, looking in a mirror as she applied some dark violet lipstick on her lips. Now that she was in the light, he noticed her black hair had noticeable dark violet streaks running through them, and her make up, was actually violet instead of black like he had first thought.

"Must be weird, seeing a German girl dressed like this."

"Not really, people are free to dress how they want. The hair though, it's pretty long...you been growing it for awhile?" he asked.

"Extensions mostly, I only have them in while my natural hair grows in. My natural hair color is blonde, if you wanted to know."

"Seriously? Not many Japanese girls with blonde hair, I barely see them anymore...well, I guess my girlfriend counts. She is part American and half Finnish though." he said, rubbing his arm.

"I didn't want to stand out, so I dyed my hair like this. I used to be a preppy girl back home, but I never truly fit in. Even here in Japan, I don't really fit in, that's why I dress all in black. I don't want to be seen, and if I am, I'd rather I'd be seen like this than as a normal person."

"Being normal is overrated sweetheart, I'd rather be a rebel than be a boring normal ass Japanese kid." he said with a shrug.

"A rebel huh? Like the Phantom Thieves that are all the rage here?" she asked curiously. He blinked a few times, giving her a smile.

"Not really...the Phantom Thieves change hearts...they rebel against the norm...against the people who love ruining the lives of others. I can respect that...but I doubt I'd be able to do that myself."

"Why not? If you had the power, wouldn't you want to change the hearts of your enemies?" Rei asked.

"A change of heart doesn't solve every problem in the world. The Phantom Thieves aren't omnipotent. You can't rely on them to solve your problems, who knows? Maybe everything we've seen so far is just a show, maybe they can't change hearts. But it isn't the solution to everything...too many people with poisonous hearts. Too many people they can't help...too many people that will still suffer, despite them being there as a beacon of hope." he said, leaning against the wall. Rei looked at him oddly, giving him a shrug.

"One has to sacrifice a lot in life. I suppose I understand that aspect, my real parents sacrificed me in order to live normal lives. But I was adopted by loving parents who couldn't bear their own children. For me to be here, I had to sacrifice getting into a good German school...I even had to sacrifice my image in a vain attempt to fit in."

"Why sacrifice so much though? Are you truly happy?" he asked. Rei turned to face him, brow quirked as her lips were tugged into a smile.

"Honestly, this is the most fun I've had in my life. I'm 19 years old, living alone for the first time. I can finally listen to Metal without getting swore at by my father. I've always loved the occult, but I had to hide it, behind the image of a normal girl. No one is normal in this world, we all have that one quirk that sets us apart from each other. Being Goth is just mine, and I happen to be among friends."

"So...you didn't go Goth to rebel against the man...but instead, because you liked the culture. Why call it a sacrifice then?"

"I didn't sacrifice anything to become who I am now...well, the thing I sacrificed was pretty bad. I sacrificed a normal life in Germany, to come here to Japan. My parents, they don't know I dress like this...they'd be pretty pissed if they did." she replied.

"I bet they would."

"Hello you two...I've spoken with my manager and well...since you two tied, there can't be a reward for you two. So you have to have a tie breaker in order to see who gets to win. Think you have enough room for another dessert?" Mina asked.

"Honestly, I don't think I can..."

"I forfeit." Rei said, cutting Takumi off. His eyes widened in shock, as he turned to face her. Mina smirked, crossing her arms in front of herself.

"The four time undefeated champion is forfeiting? Any reason why?"

"Why not? My name is already on the wall, with platinum notches marking my win streak. Maybe it's time to let someone else take that honor. Just don't let me down Takumi, I expect you to win in my stead next time." she said, giving the boy a smile.

" _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I, thou hast acquired a new_ _ **vow...**_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion that_ _ **breaketh**_

 _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the_ _ **Rebirth**_ _of the_ **Death Persona** _, I have obtained the winds of_

 _blessing that shall lead to freedom and new_ _ **power.**_ _.."_

 _ **xxx(New Confidant Acquired: The Death)xxx**_

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna let you down Miss Shirozaki. I promise." he said with a smile.

"Let's exchange contact information, I'll make sure to keep you updated when this place holds more contests like this. Who knows...it might do me good to finally have a friend here in Japan. A true friend, not an acquaintance."

"I feel strangely hurt by that comment." Mina said, frowning a bit.

"You're my landlady Mina, and you barely have time to actually hang out with me." Rei said firmly.

"Well you're in school during the day, and I am a denizen of the night! How exactly am I going to hang out with you when the sun burns my skin? You aren't even old enough to drink yet!"

"The blood of the covenant is denser than the water of the womb." Takumi said ominously, earning a sigh from Mina.

"No...stick to the light, you don't belong in the darkness. Though, I think I can change your mind. Come on, one bite won't do you any harm...just a quick pinch, I think you'll like it." Mina said, licking her blood red lips as she flashed her sharp fangs to the boy.

"Uh...Takumi, what's going on here?" the voice of Ann said, causing the boy to jump.

"H-hey babe...w-what are you doing here?" he asked, turning to face the annoyed looking model.

"Oh...so that's how it is...you're into vampires now...and here I was buying French maid outfits because I thought you liked those. I guess I was wrong, have fun with your vampire girlfriend."

"No wait...you know I love you! Come back here! Nice going Mina, now I'm gonna have to reconcile with her. And I was so close to seeing her boobs." he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Hehe...sorry slugger, I didn't mean to be a cock blocker...if you truly wish to become a denizen of the night, you'll know where to find me." she said. Takumi sighed, grabbing his bags, chasing after his girlfriend. Often times, the boy wondered how it was that he got himself into these odd situations.

 _ **xxx(Confidant Ranks)xxx**_

 _ **Ren Amamiya 0 The Fool(Rank Max)**_

 _ **Morgana I The Magician(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Makoto Nijima II The Priestess(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Haru Okumura III The Empress(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Yusuke Kitagawa IV The Emperor(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Konan Makidou V The Hierophant(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ann Takamaki VI The Lovers(Rank Max)**_

 _ **Ryuji Sakamoto VII The Chariot(Rank 9)**_

 _ **Yukiko Amagi VIII The Justice(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Futaba Sakura IX The Hermit(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Izumi Akazawa X The Wheel of Fortune(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Billerica Isoshima XI The Strength(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Nicholas McFay XII The Hanged Man(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Rei Shirozaki XIII The Death(Rank 1)**_

 _ **Kanami Mashita XIV The Temperance(Rank 3)**_

 _ **Kotone Otonashi XV The Devil (Rank 6)**_

 _ **Marry Yasuhiro XVI The Tower(Rank 2)**_

 _ **Ayumi Isoshima XVII The Star(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Mitsuhide Isoshima XVIII The Moon(Rank 8)**_

 _ **Rise Kujikawa XIX The Sun(Rank 6)**_

 _ **Igor XX The Judgment(Rank 5)**_

 _ **Justine & Caroline XXI The Aeon(Rank 7)**_

 _ **Aoi Aobara XXII The Adjustment (Rank 1)**_

 _ **A/N: Fucking Finally, this shit has everyone in it. As a reminder, ranks don't mean anything anymore. Everyone will get to spend equal amounts of time with Takumi. But when I do the final events for each Confidant, I will mark them as Maxed Out, but from Chapter 53 onward, the number ranks will be removed.**_


End file.
